Header bg
  • section background

    Five Reasons Why Personal Trainers Need Professional Liability Insurance

    Hero bg 2
    personal-trainer-feature

    Being a personal trainer isn’t just a job — you’re also a business owner. This means considering risks that can negatively impact your practice.

    Accidents can occur on the job — whether you’re directly or indirectly working with a client. These incidents can lead to lawsuits, which typically result in significant legal and settlement fees. It’s important to carry professional liability insurance for your training business to cover the costs affiliated with these types of accidents. Insurance for personal trainers usually encompasses two separate forms of protection:

    • Professional Liability Insurance: Protect against claims from clients that result from directly providing services to them. For example, you tell a client to do an exercise, which results in an injury.

    • General Liability Insurance: Protects against claims resulting from an incident related to you but where you were not directly involved. For example, during a training session with a client, they slip and fall on a wet floor.

    It’s essential to have both. This provides your business with the best protection against legal claims. In this article, we offer five reasons why you, as a personal trainer, should have personal liability insurance ready.


    Need Insurance for Your Personal Training Business?

    Learn More


    Your gym’s insurance protects the gym. Your insurance protects you. 

    You may work at a gym or contract with one. Gyms provide you with a place to host your clients, the equipment you need for your job, and leads for new business. It’s growing more common for gyms to require their trainers to have personal liability insurance, as this is the best way to keep both you and the gym out of trouble.

    However, even if your gym doesn’t require you to own personal liability insurance, you still should have it. Your gym may have coverage for itself, but this insurance won’t necessarily protect you. The gym’s insurance likely pays legal fees and settlement costs if an individual is suing the gym. But that doesn’t mean you’re protected if someone sues you.

    Related: How do I start a freelance business personal trainer?

    Protect your business from accidents 

    Dealing with a lawsuit can ruin your business. Suddenly, legal fees are draining your bank account, and the stress of dealing with these costs and issues may affect how you work with remaining clients. But, if you purchased insurance, your insurance company generally deals with the costs of the lawsuit.

    They may even take on the whole lawsuit on your behalf, causing minimal disruptions to you and your career. A reputable insurance provider can also help save time by expediting your claim to take care of issues faster.

    Make your business look professional

    With the internet, a lot more individuals are trying to provide personal training services as a hobby. The fact you have insurance can be a differentiating factor that shows clients that you’re a professional and that personal training isn’t a “side hustle,” but a full-time career.

    An insurance policy also indicates that you’re prepared for the worst-case scenarios and understand how to manage your risks as a business owner. This ultimately makes you stand out and helps build trust between you and potential and current clients.

    Safeguard your career from frivolous claims 

    “I simply won’t make any mistakes as a personal trainer. I don’t need insurance.”

    Even if this was true, it doesn’t stop individuals from making legal claims even when you didn’t do anything wrong. If a client believes you were negligent or, for some reason, contributed to their pain or suffering, they can still file a lawsuit against you, and you’d have to handle the associated legal fees.

    Personal liability insurance protects you from these claims, as well. As mentioned, a good insurance policy covers your legal costs and help expedite your claim to take care of your issue faster.

    Sleep well knowing that you’re protected 

    An essential aspect of purchasing any insurance policy is the peace of mind it provides. With insurance, you know that if anything happens with a client that results in a lawsuit, the cost for legal services won’t generally be from your wallet, but the insurance company’s. Without personal liability insurance, even empty threats of a lawsuit from a one-off, angry client could keep you up at night.

    Professional liability insurance is an integral part of your training business. You should purchase both professional and general liability insurance to ensure that all your bases are covered. Although insurance isn’t free, you’ll be more than glad you bought it when the time comes.

    Related: How to Start a Personal Training Business from Home


    APOLLO Has You Covered

    Get the protection you need in minutes with custom Personal Trainer Insurance from APOLLO.

    Learn More


    Originally published August 27, 2020, updated August 25, 2023

    Back to APOLLO Magazine
    Share this article

    Get Tenant Insurance in less than a minute

    Get no-nonsense coverage that's the best value for your money. Purchase policies from your computer or phone, receive your documents instantly, and save when you buy online.

    Get a free quote

    4.6 rating

    Google Logo

    Get Tenant Insurance in less than a minute

    Get no-nonsense coverage that's the best value for your money. Purchase policies from your computer or phone, receive your documents instantly, and save when you buy online.

    Relevant articles

    section background
    section background

    Getting insured is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3

    Tell us (very little) about yourself
    1

    Tell us (very little) about yourself

    Just tell us your address, your name, email and phone number. And that's it. We'll give you a price in less than a minute.

    Pay online easily and securely
    2

    Pay online easily and securely

    You can choose to pay monthly or save money by paying for the entire year in one easy payment.

    Get your documents in your inbox - instantly
    3

    Get your documents in your inbox - instantly

    As soon as you complete your purchase, you'll find your proof of insurance and policy documents waiting for you in your inbox.

    Get covered today - it couldn’t be easier

    We’ve provided more than 1,000,000 quotes to Canadians just like you. Give it a try!

    Google Logo

    Reviews

    4.6 rating

    1,554 reviews

    view all

    Across Canada

    Contact Us
    Apollo logo

    © 2024 APOLLO Insurance Solutions Ltd.

    111 Water Street, Unit 210, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 1A7

    APOLLO Insurance Agency Ltd. (o/a APOLLO Brokerage in the province of Ontario only) is a licensed retail brokerage, offering our clients with a comprehensive set of insurance solutions to meet their individual needs. APOLLO Insurance Agency Ltd. maintains necessary corporate licensing in provinces across Canada. Availability of products and service depends on licensing and product availability. The information that appears on this page is provided for information purposes only. Advertised products and prices are not guaranteed and vary based on insurance provider and/or insurance company's discretion and product availability.

    Transparency and Disclosure: APOLLO Insurance Agency's role is to provide you with exceptional service and the best insurance products that suit your needs. As a licensed retail brokerage, our compensation is based on a commission basis already built into your insurance premium and varies based on the product purchased through our platform. For a description of how APOLLO Insurance Agency is compensated and how this is calculated, please refer to our Compensation Disclosure document. For consumers in Ontario, please review the RIBO Conduct Fact Sheet and the RIBO Conduct Guidance document.