Professional Liability Insurance
- Thread starter xmass-Eve
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I am an instructor, yesWith SSI. But where I was teaching before, it wasn't expected from us to have a liability insurance. So I don't know lots about it
So you are an SSI instructor, then why not contact SSI to get your question(s) answered by SSI? I am a NAUI instructor and when I had a question about instructor's insurance while teaching in Libya, I went to NAUI for an answer not SB not FB not SSI and not even DAN.
OP
xmass-Eve
Contributor
Because for SSI you don't have to have one. But maybe this resort does. I asked them, I didn't get a good response. So that's why I am asking what other people are using because I want to be ahead and I don't know anybody that has one. But maybe that's because of the place I was teaching. In the US, things are lots more strict. People sue over everything there so yes, you'd need one.
I just want to know from people who do have a liability insurance, which one they use.
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OP
xmass-Eve
Contributor
You need to have insurance that is approved by SSI and that covers SSI instructors and knows the SSI standards. You can't just randomly select insurance company for teaching diving. The insurance company and the certification agency need to be in sync of each other. In other words, you need to contact SSI and get their recommendation/approval/suggestion on what insurance policy/company to get. SSI's insurance company that insures SSI instructors in North America maybe the one that you are looking for and you should get through SSI.
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Well, that's how I do it here in the States, but I don't think you'll find that very common. If I cover them then I KNOW they are covered.
OP
xmass-Eve
Contributor
I am not a US citizen. I am European, at this point moving out of the US too.
On the SSI website, there is nothing to find about it. If I remember correctly, written in their standards it said you only need a liability insurance when teaching in the US or Queensland. Also, apparently the one SSI recommends (I found that answer on a forum) I can't get as it is only for the US. And recommending is just recommending. That's apparently because they get a commission then.
Anyway, IF it's indeed a liability insurance I need, I will ask the instructors there then. I would just be nice if I would have know some options before hand. But it looks like nobody is insured as nobody gives me any answer on which one they use...
OP
xmass-Eve
Contributor
I am not completely sure, but with SSI you are affiliated to a dive center. You don't work for yourself at a dive center. That's why they should only hire you if they believe you are a good instructor. Also that's why, I guess, they should cover you. That's what my old boss said...
I just don't believe people will sue me in the Maldives, unless if they are locals. And it also should be because of very wrongdoing. Only US citizens seem to sue for everything, but I guess they won't stay on the atolls for suing because they got a painful ear...
My shop has a group professional liability insurance policy that covers all pro staff. Nobody on staff has to pay for their own insurance. I know another local shop that requires each pro on staff to get their own insurance. So, what to expect is, well, anything. It's all part of the total compensation package you have to work out. If you provide your own insurance, they should pay you more. If they provide insurance coverage for you, they will pay you less.
Even if you are teaching in the Maldives, somebody could leave there, come back to the U.S., and sue you. If they get a judgment against you in a U.S. court, it seems possible that U.S.-EU cooperation would still result in them "getting to you" in the EU. I'm no lawyer, so I'm not sure about that. Or at least make it where you could never enter the U.S. again (without paying a judgment first).
If you do decide to get your own liability insurance, one thing that was brought to my attention by a DAN insurance rep is that, IIRC, DAN pro insurance has liability limits, but they also provide unlimited legal defense coverage in addition to that. In other words, if you have coverage for $1M in liability coverage, and your legal defense costs $1M, with another company that could mean that the other company could walk away at that point, leaving you to pay for the rest of your defense and any damages that are awarded. With DAN, your legal defense could cost $2M, the plaintiff get a $1M judgment for damages and it still wouldn't cost you anything out of your pocket. I think. Once I determined that I would just accept coverage under my shop's umbrella, I quit worrying about it too much.
I like DAN.
Even if you are teaching in the Maldives, somebody could leave there, come back to the U.S., and sue you. If they get a judgment against you in a U.S. court, it seems possible that U.S.-EU cooperation would still result in them "getting to you" in the EU. I'm no lawyer, so I'm not sure about that. Or at least make it where you could never enter the U.S. again (without paying a judgment first).
If you do decide to get your own liability insurance, one thing that was brought to my attention by a DAN insurance rep is that, IIRC, DAN pro insurance has liability limits, but they also provide unlimited legal defense coverage in addition to that. In other words, if you have coverage for $1M in liability coverage, and your legal defense costs $1M, with another company that could mean that the other company could walk away at that point, leaving you to pay for the rest of your defense and any damages that are awarded. With DAN, your legal defense could cost $2M, the plaintiff get a $1M judgment for damages and it still wouldn't cost you anything out of your pocket. I think. Once I determined that I would just accept coverage under my shop's umbrella, I quit worrying about it too much.
I like DAN.
OP
xmass-Eve
Contributor
My American bf said I wouldn't be able to enter to US anymore, so that can give a problem for us later...
The DAN one is 650euro or dollar. That's kind off expensive. Dive instructors aren't rich... We do this because of the love of diving... The indepths.org one i found was only 100 pounds but there is not US coverage. And it's just that what we need. Anyway, I have send my documents to the dive center, without any liability insurance. Didn't get an answer I missed on that one, yet.
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