Do Music Bands Really Need Liability Insurance?
Well you're not breaking the law by not having it, however ....
What if something untoward happened at the event and you, or a
member of your band, were deemed responsible? It could be damage to the venue
with a repair bill of thousands to rectify or, worse still, someone
is injured and there are medical bills, compensation and (ouch!)
hefty legal bills to pay.
Without Liability Insurance you
would be expected to foot those bills yourself and, whilst a claim
for a couple of thousand pounds probably won't lose you much sleep,
what if it were for tens of thousands of pounds, or more?
"It'll
never happen to us, we're always careful".
With todays'
Health & Safety Laws & guidelines everyone in the band needs to be aware, but we're
all human. Lapses, errors of judgement and silly mistakes are all
part of human nature from which no-one is immune; therefore no-one
can guarantee that a liability event and claim will never happen at
some point in your musical career.
The number of venues and
events where Public Liability Insurance is required before you can play
there is also at an all time high (for good reason as their insurance
will not cover you). Bands without PLI cover will find that they'll lose out on bookings and as the PLI cover for
bands is so easily available and at such a low price, compared to
the cover provided, it does make sense to have it; whether it's
required or not.
There are varying levels of cover available from different providers.
To help you make your choice please
see the advice we have provided here.
See also these topics: Public Liability Insurance - What do gigging bands need ? and
Insurance and Running a Band
Health & Safety Advice
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