I'm done with teaching. It's time.

[BoltSnap]

I am not sure you are required to be insured for 7 years. I think that is a strong recommendation because you have to be insured when the lawsuit occurs. The fact that you were insured when the event took place doesn't matter.

I said: "Insurer" meaning the insurance company that insures you as a dive professional.

Different subject:

One thing for sure, if you stop teaching this year, this doesn't mean that you should drop your dive instructor insurance at the end of the year too.

 

[BoltSnap]

As someone rapidly approaching the end of instructing myself, that is a matter of some interest. Given the steep price of insurance, it would be very tempting to give it up if you haven't had anything remotely like a potential incident for at least 7 years prior to retirement.

Just stop teaching these pesky, lawsuit hungry Americans and all will be fine

 

[boulderjohn]

One thing for sure, if you stop teaching this year, this doesn't mean that you should drop your dive instructor insurance at the end of the year too.

OK, so at what point would it be safe to drop the insurance? Perhaps that is a thread of its own.

 

[Darcy Kieran]

(...) because you have to be insured when the lawsuit occurs. The fact that you were insured when the event took place doesn't matter. (...)

It depends on the insurance policy you have. I remember at one point having seen a professional liability offering that covered you for the time the course (or whatever you are blamed for) happened. Switching from one type to the other would leave you uninsured in some cases. But I believe what you are saying is true at the moment for all the liability insurance policies currently offered to instructors in the USA.

 

[BoltSnap]

OK, so at what point would it be safe to drop the insurance? Perhaps that is a thread of its own.

I can't remember now but I believe that there is a reduced rate insurance for retirees.

 

[Darcy Kieran]

OK, so at what point would it be safe to drop the insurance?

You can buy an insurance policy that covers you for your past actions while you are no longer teaching. It's less expensive than a full coverage liability insurance.

The same applies to a dive center. I purchased such a coverage once after I had sold the assets of a dive center but the corporation remained alive. At the time, I got it from Vicencia (PADI). I just add to ask for a special quote. The same should be available to a dive instructor.

 

[boulderjohn]

I am starting a new thread in the Instructor to Instructor forum.

 

[drrich2]

You can buy an insurance policy that covers you for your past actions while you are no longer teaching. It's less expensive than a full coverage liability insurance.

Interesting. I wonder if your insurance options use terminology is similar to medical malpractice insurance. I recognize the concepts explained in some of these posts, but I don't see the terms I'm used to.

1.) Much medical malpractice insurance is Claims-based. That means you need to have an active policy at the time the lawsuit is filed. If you resign a position and your coverage ends, and 6 months later a lawsuit is filed based on an incident that occurred while you were employed and insured, you don't have coverage!

2.) Occurrence-based coverage covers you for claims made regarding incidents that happened while you have insurance coverage. This is what anybody would rationally want, but from what I saw claims-based was more commonly offered.

3.) Tail coverage. This is what you describe in the bit I quoted. You resign a position, your claims-based coverage ends, and you (or better yet, your employer) then pays for coverage going forward, to protect you from lawsuits made for incidents while you were working.

 

[Darcy Kieran]

1.) Claims-based.
2.) Occurrence-based
3.) Tail coverage.

Right on!! I was just too lazy to dig out the proper terms...

 

[BoltSnap]

2.) Occurrence-based coverage covers you for claims made regarding incidents that happened while you have insurance coverage. This is what anybody would rationally want, but from what I saw claims-based was more commonly offered.

For a very long time in the past, NAUI had this type of coverage in the US. I don't know what they have now since I am not in the US and not teaching Americans.