Liability Insurance

[dazza14]

Hi, my band need to get some 'Public Liability Insurance' for a few gigs we've got coming up later in the year but I've no idea where to start looking for anything suitable.
Google directs me to the typical 'comparison' sites but they seem more directed at businesses and not bands so does anyone know of a site or company I could look at??

[Dad3353]

[quote name='dazza14' timestamp='1504008010' post='3362058']
Hi, my band need to get some 'Public Liability Insurance'...
[/quote]

Have you considered the Musician's Union (MU...)..? PLI is one of the advantages of membership, and included in the subscription cost, which I gather is rather modest. Worth looking into to see if it fits your needs, maybe..?

Edited August 29, 2017 by Dad3353

[FinnDave]

I have renewed my band's PLI just a couple of hours ago. We've been using http://www.insurance4performingarts.co.uk for 4 years now, never had to make a claim but they seem reasonably priced and easy to deal with. I am fairly certain that we started using them as the result of asking a similar question to yours some years ago!

[stingrayPete1977]

Ampband works out far cheaper than the MU have a look at them.

[Blink]

I used to be in the MU but it became very expensive for the number of gigs I play. I insure my gear with Musicguard and you get free public liability insurance. This cover is for you as an individual but it can be extended to cover others in the band.

[fretmeister]

I insure my gear with Allianz. It comes with PL cover as part of the policy.

I wouldn't gig without proper cover even if the venue didn't demand it.

[FinnDave]

We haven't been asked for any evidence of PLI in the last 4 years, not even just asked if we have any. Still carry the insurance though, just in case.

[TimR]

Most home insurance will cover PLI as long as it's not for your business, trade or profession. So it's worth talking to you insurers exactly what that means if you are not technically running a business. Then get it in writing.

[roceci]

+1 for Ampband. Used em for years now.

[fretmeister]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1504018165' post='3362144']
Most home insurance will cover PLI as long as it's not for your business, trade or profession. So it's worth talking to you insurers exactly what that means if you are not technically running a business. Then get it in writing.
[/quote]

This is true - although I've seen a few decide "paid hobby" is excluded too.

So even if you make a loss, or the income only covers strings etc, it may well be excluded.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1504018165' post='3362144']
Most home insurance will cover PLI as long as it's not for your business, trade or profession. So it's worth talking to you insurers exactly what that means if you are not technically running a business. Then get it in writing.
[/quote]

Unless it was a free charity gig I can't see them covering you, I'd actually agree with them too.

Typical four piece band is less than £15 a year per member with Ampband, job done all legit.

[TimR]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1504023924' post='3362184']


Unless it was a free charity gig I can't see them covering you, I'd actually agree with them too.

Typical four piece band is less than £15 a year per member with Ampband, job done all legit.
[/quote]

My brother has done this. They agreed that the number of gigs he does and the amount he gets paid for the gigs meant no additional premium.

However, they wanted extra to cover his bicycle when out of the house.

People tend to take out lots of little 'specialist' insurance policies to cover their hobbies instead of talking to the company that handles insurance they already have.

There's a clause in my home insurance that excludes paying out on anything that already has insurance. Hence you are paying for your musical instruments to be covered separately at home, when they're already covered under your house insurance and the house insurance won't pay out if they're stolen from home. So part of your 'specialist' insurance is being wasted.

[stingrayPete1977]

The specialists are more often the ones you need to deal with the specific claim, that's why they are called specialists though. I wouldn't want to claim on my personal home insurance for an incident at a gig, I also wouldn't send my house insurance to wedding venue when specifically asked for PLI.

Edited August 29, 2017 by stingrayPete1977

[FinnDave]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1504018165' post='3362144']
Most home insurance will cover PLI as long as it's not for your business, trade or profession. So it's worth talking to you insurers exactly what that means if you are not technically running a business. Then get it in writing.
[/quote]

My home insurers are very helpful, but insist that playing gigs for money makes it professional use and therefore not covered under home insurance. I get a good deal from our local insurer as my wife works there, but they still couldn't bend the rules that far.

[TimR]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1504033503' post='3362270']


My home insurers are very helpful, but insist that playing gigs for money makes it professional use and therefore not covered under home insurance. I get a good deal from our local insurer as my wife works there, but they still couldn't bend the rules that far.
[/quote]

How many gigs and what types of gigs are you doing? Did they not even suggest an additional premium?

[FinnDave]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1504038495' post='3362317']
How many gigs and what types of gigs are you doing? Did they not even suggest an additional premium?
[/quote]

Around 30-40 gigs per year, pubs, festivals and bike rallies. No, they simply decline to insure once they knew I was using the equipment to play gigs for money. Believe me, they have bent over backwards to accommodate me over the years, and they were turning away business, not trying to get more.

[TimR]

Yes. That's definitely more than a hobby.

[xgsjx]

Home insurance most likely won't cover the full ban, but if each band member has home insurance, then there's a chance everyone can be covered..
It will cover "you" and your responsibility to the public as long it is within their terms. My home insurance allows me to note items as "Tools" if I use them for business, but if I was doing fairly regular gigs, then they may not cover.

In the past, I used New Moon for my gear & they give band PLI with their cover.

[ratman]

I give Music Guard another thumbs up. Very reasonable prices and helpful & friendly staff.

[BassBunny]

Another vote for Ampband. Used them for years.

[Dan Dare]

[quote name='Blink' timestamp='1504010692' post='3362088']
I used to be in the MU but it became very expensive for the number of gigs I play. I insure my gear with Musicguard and you get free public liability insurance. This cover is for you as an individual but it can be extended to cover others in the band.
[/quote]

The top rate of MU sub's is only around a fiver a week, as far as I'm aware. If you're earning the kind of money that puts you in the higher rate, it's peanuts.

[thebrig]

[color=#282828][font=Helvetica]
I suggested getting PLI cover for our band, but one of our members is against it because he says we are "[i]acknowledging and creating a legal entity that has legal obligations[/i]".[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=Helvetica]
I'm not sure what he means by this, but is it something to be taken into consideration?[/font][/color]

[BassBunny]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1504343910' post='3364186']

[color=#282828][font=Helvetica]I suggested getting PLI cover for our band, but one of our members is against it because he says we are "[i]acknowledging and creating a legal entity that has legal obligations[/i]".[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=Helvetica]I'm not sure what he means by this, but is it something to be taken into consideration?[/font][/color]
[/quote]
I'm not sure what he means but if you are playing in a band and accepting money in payment you are providing a service and are effectively a business. A local band has a legal eagle amongst their ranks and they are of the opinion that if you are only playing Pubs, as you are invited by the Landlord to play, you are covered by the pubs PLI.

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

We've bought PLI through AMPband at a cost of about £80 for the year. My reasoning is that if a drunken punter knocks over a PA speaker on themself or someone else then I don't want to risk being in a situation where someone's coming after me personally for compensation. It works out at a few quid each between the six of us so it seems like a no brainier to me.

[thebrig]

[quote name='Gottastopbuyinggear' timestamp='1504352715' post='3364305']
We've bought PLI through AMPband at a cost of about £80 for the year. My reasoning is that if a drunken punter knocks over a PA speaker on themself or someone else then I don't want to risk being in a situation where someone's coming after me personally for compensation. It works out at a few quid each between the six of us so it seems like a no brainier to me.
[/quote]I totally agree, and I actually suggested that apart from the five members of our band, we include our partners as band members/roadies etc, because they often help with carrying things in and out, then the band policy would cover any accidental injuries/damage should they happen.
To cover up to ten people with AMPband, it's just £79 per year, and split five ways, that's just £15.80 each per year for £10m Public Liability Insurance Cover and £250,000 Legal Cover.