Do you have liability insurance?

[teresa_earnest]

In a nut shell do you have insurance for your wedding photography

business, if so why and how much? Also, do locations, IE resorts

and Hotels make you show proof of ins? This is the biggest part of

my question. I do not have coverage and I have a wedding next

weekend wherin the resort where the ceremony and recption are being

help is now calling and saying and I quote "Find out where she has

insurance and have her insurance company send us a certificate of

insurance which names the Hotel and it's owners as additional

insured"... What you talkin'bout Willis????? (This is what I said

to myself)

 

I would appreciate any and all comments on this matter. I have now

done almost 100 weddings in my 2 1/2 years of (very fast growing)

business and have never been asked anythng liked this.

 

I am prepared for any and all comments.

 

Teresa

[stacey d]

Hi Teresa,

I do have insurance for my photo business, however, I have never had a hotel or reception

hall ask about my insurance. It seems odd that they want to be 'listed' or 'named' on your

insurance?? I would call around to some local insurers that offer biz ins. and see what they

think of this.

Good luck!

[teresa_earnest]

Thanks Stacey,

Do you have liability? How much, is it expensive? Am I being too nosey???

[errol young]

I just got insurance. Added it to my home policy. $2,000,000.

 

I thought that this would cover me for my santa Clause mall shoot but they want to be listed on the policy so I might have to get separate policy for them. That woudl cost almost as much for 6 weeks as I pay my home policy for a year.

[jimstrutz]

I have never been asked for proof of ins., or to produce a certificate of ins. for a wedding. However, I have been asked for this when the church I work for has put on events in large venues. In fact it's almost always asked for, and I even ask for one myself if other groups use our facility. You have to get the liability insurance first, but once you have it, just go to your agent & ask for them to produce a certificate listing the venue as an "additional insured." They will know what to do, and there is seldom a charge for this.

[teresa_earnest]

This is just over one week from the event. Can they keep me from shooting her wedding?

[danny_wong2]

Due to liability issue, I have seen pro-photog banned from private property due to lack of liability insurance.

[r.m.]

I have insurance, and yes, you can be banned from photographing the event if your agent does not produce a Certificate of Insurance. I have a 1,000,000 liability limit plus equipment coverage. The premium is @750 per year. You can also get just the liability insurance which should run about $350 per year. Good luck, Reina.

[karl_knize]

It may take a few calls but once you find the right agent he should be able to get

coverage in place quickly, even if it's temporary. I have $2MM liability coverage plus

equipment, plus studio fixtures, loss of business, etc., and it comes in at a couple of

grand a year. Not too bad. We live in a litigious society at the mercy of greedy

attorneys, and businesses are increasingly covering themselves against any possible

exposure. The upside is that you're protected in the event that something wierd

happens, which could be as simple as grandma tripping over you as you step

backwards while working with a camera to your eye. Also, if you're not incorporated

it's a good idea as well. Let the greedy ******ds sue the business and not you.

 

Good luck.

[karl_knize]

Theresa -- My carrier is Cincinnati Ins.. You might be able to find an agent in your

area if you start with a search on their site.

[todd frederick]

I am transitioning into a more solid business plan, but I have found it difficult to obtain insurance and I have never had business insurance. I do not own a home, and my renter's policy only covers non-business items in the home.

 

I think it would be very useful if some of you solid, established pro wedding and event photographers would ***list the names of companies*** who will insure photography businesses, including equipment and liability, and the approximate cost of the premiums.

 

This would be most helpful.

[chris m., central florida]

State Farm. $25K in equipment coverage (theft, breakage) and $1,000,000 in liability coverage. About $400 per year in my area. This is not attached to my homeownders policy.

 

I was quoted as high as $750 per year by some companies.

 

It's also very wise to purchase insurance that will cover you in case of lawsuits due to poor workmanship or failure to deliver.

 

PPA offers a decent program.

 

Chris

[wedding-photography-denver]

Hill and Usher

[teresa_earnest]

Ok, I am waiting on my ins agent to call me back now. The rep at the resort e-mailed me again and said that if I am a guest at the resort I do not need insurance. At $180.00 a night, no thanks! I can almost get coverage for a year for the 2 nights I would need.

 

Thanks for all of your help!!! Hopefully I will never need it.

[teresa_earnest]

Danny,

What did the Photographers do, what did the coupls do? Was money refunded???? My Bride just told me baout this late last week. Technically I have held the date for her so how would that work legally if I couldn't perform my duties. I will get insurance and shoot the wedding, but if I had gone to the wedding and they had banned me (if the bride hadn't told me) where would I have stood legally?

 

Anyone know?

[steve_gibbs1]

Hotels & resorts, like anyone else, need to protect their assets. The world is

full of 'scammers' who make a living (sometimes a good one!) in insurance

fraud. Just being on their property opens them up to a whole world of liability

suits. The fact that you're MAKING MONEY on their property should mean that

you can cover your own ass if something happens to you or your client.

It really is common sense.

 

To run a LEGITIMATE photo biz here in Idaho, you need $2,000,000 liability

coverage minimum. And if you're taking equipment out of your studio or home,

you need an extra rider to cover the equipment on location. (The liability part

covers studio and location accidents & injury only)

[steve_gibbs1]

Oh yeah.....Farm Bureau has a decent business coverage plan. My liability is

at $3mil, and I have $100,000 coverage on equipment and assets. I only pay

about $200 every three months.

[lukas_kisiel]

IF you're a member of PPA you can get insurance through them. I think it's competitively priced and quite good. I don't have the info in front of me but you can learn more at PPA web site.

[KenPapai]

Maybe I am too damned honest and have good health insurance but what does $3M insurance coverage mean? If I am at fault and hit someone with my car I do carry very high auto liability insurance so they cannot take my house as well, should they sue me.

<p>

How does this relate to shooting a hotel wedding or reception? If I am at fault and slip and fall then my health insurance covers that. What does $3M liability ins. cover? How does that protect the paranoid hotel?

[steve_gibbs1]

If the photographer damaged the hotel's property or hurt a guest (or burned it

down..etc) the hotel has somewhere to turn for compensation. If that happens

with an uninsured photog, the most the hotel can get is his/her home and life.

That doesn't help much.

On the other side: If my studio caught fire and blew up a gas line & killed

someone, my personal health insurance is not going to cover it, nor my auto

policy. I could see that going into the millions easily.

My old boss' strobe fell on a guest at a wedding (kids playing too close) and

the guest sued him AND the venue and won. (Not for $3M, but you get the

idea) He would have been out of business if he wasn't insured.

 

I have no idea what COULD happen. Negligence is a big word and can mean

many things. There was a $15-20 difference between $2 million and $3

million coverage. My lawyer advised it to be a "no brainer", so I listen.

[steve_gibbs1]

"If I am at fault and hit someone with my car I do carry very high auto liability

insurance so they cannot take my house as well, should they sue me. "- Ken

 

If you are ON A JOB and hit someone, your home & auto insurance won't

cover it.

[john_aceti]

I use State Farm but 600K plus 15K for equipment $230/yr. My attorney say I really need to do an S corp or LLC as soon as I can. It could protect me from loosing everything including my personal assets. I also have PPA.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Yes I do have liability insurance . My policy is with The Hartford through USAA. I also priced through Hill & Ushher and a couple of other agencies as well through ASMP, APA, and PPA membership.

 

PPA's insurance package is very good especially for wedding shooters who opt for the re-shoot option.

[dizeman]

<p>Here in Las Vegas we have what is known world-wide as THE TRIPOD LAW which means if you break out a tripod or show up with professional looking equipment on the streets of Las Vegas, you will be assigned commercial status by local law enforcement which means you could be fined $1,000 for taking a photo or worse, arrested if you refuse to stop taking photos.<br>

Anyone thought to be taking photos for commercial purposes or of a commercial nature in the city limits of Las Vegas, the county limits of Clark County, off in the desert on BLM land (the people's land by the way) will be fined and STOPPED from taking photos or possibly arrested.<br>

I have argued with the city, county and state authorities about this for a year, but they make the final judgement as to whether you are in violation of the law or not.<br>

I asked them... "So if a tourist stands beside me with a tripod shooting the famous WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS sign and I am using the same tripod and camera, it is okay for them to take the photo, but because I own a photography business it is illegal for me to take the same photo?" The answer was, "You understand the law very clearly... YES! it is against the law for YOU as a photographic professional to take the photo, but it is fine if the tourist takes the photo."<br>

The solution to this problem... which only compounds if you take a photo on Fremont Street since that is governed by at least two government and one private agencies and you have to deal with each.<br>

But... the solution. The State of Nevada, Clark County and the City of Las Vegas require that photographers who shoot commercially or own a photography business or charge fees or look like pros... have a $5 million liability insurance policy within which all three agencies and the Fremont Street Experience owners be named as insured.<br>

Whomever allowed this to happen... this law to be passed in any town and city should have their butt kicked.<br>

It is no more DANGEROUS for a professional photographer to set up a tripod on Fremont Street and take a photo of a client than it is for Joe Tourist from Aintwelucky, Oklahoma to set up his tripod and shoot his daughter in front of the lights. BUT JOE CAN DO IT FOR FREE without any fear of being arrested, yet the PROFESSIONAL photographer, trained in how to handle his or her equipment RISKS BIG FINES AND JAILTIME if he or she takes a photo without $5 million in liability insurance and associated fees and yes... in some cases there are additional fees.<br>

Something has gone horribly wrong in America... soon it will be illegal to take a BREATH OF AIR without being insurced or paying a fee of some sort.</p>