For all of our artist and craft artist friends out there, we’re sure that you have questions about exactly what coverage we offer with our Master Policy. Well good for you, and we’re right here, ready with answers. You’ll find a lot of information about the ins and outs of using the Master Policy in our FAQ section, but for point blank coverage questions and definitions of terms, we thought we’d spell things out here.
First off, know that our Master Policy offers you liability insurance at your home or studio premises and at any exhibition sites you may travel to. It also provides full product liability coverage for items you have sold. Here’s what that looks like.
Commercial General Liability Policy
Like any comprehensive liability policy, your Commercial General Liability (CGL) is broken into specific areas of coverage.
Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
This coverage is in place in the case that something happens in your place of business, while you’re exhibiting at a venue, or as a result of a product you’ve sold. If a victim claims that they have suffered bodily injury or property damage as a result, Insurance for Artists can help to rectify the situation, whether claims are made by persons or organizations.
What’s Covered:
bodily injury
property damage
court fees
legal defense
What’s Excluded:
clear negligence or ignored risk
claims that fall under workers compensation, unemployment, or disability coverage
claims of pollution (e.g. discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release, or escape of pollutants)
aircraft, watercraft, auto and mobile equipment
war or warlike action
Personal and Advertising Injury Liability
Personal and advertising injury liability exists to defend you against anyone seeking damages based on an advertising injury claim. This could be in print, audio, or video form. That said, Insurance For Artists is here to help with costs associated with defending you against such claims. The only time we would not be able to step in and save the day would be when it is determined that there was prior knowledge of a potential violation or that the material in question was knowingly published. If promises made in advertising aren’t kept or advertising somehow infringes on another party’s copyright, trademark, or trade secret, then that would also be excluded from coverage.
Medical Payments
Under your Master Policy, medical expenses caused by an accident on or nearby premises you own or rent or as a direct result of your business operations are covered. That is regardless of determined fault–we will take care of people. Of course there are some stipulations in place, and a few exclusions state that medical payments cannot be paid to an insured party or hired employee, except for volunteer workers (that’s what workers compensation was built for). Other exclusions may apply–see your Insurance for Artists agent for full details.
Supplementary Payments
As part of the investigation of any given claim, there will be costs incurred. Whether these are court costs, attorneys fees, judgment interest, or another cost that was necessary to discovering the truth about a claim, it’s covered as a supplementary payment.
Defining Terms
Now that we know what’s covered and what isn’t, it can also help to put some real-life terminology behind the typical insurance-speak you’ll encounter in contractual documents. We’ll start it off with a big one.
Insured: A person covered by the policy. If you are designated in the declarations as an individual, then you and spouse are insured. If your business is a partnership or joint venture, a limited liability company (LLC), of another organizational structure, or a trust, then there are specific guidelines in place regarding who is and is not considered as an insured individual.
Personal and advertising injury: Any injury including consequential “bodily injury” resulting from situations including false arrest, detention, malicious prosecution, and more. Injury may include oral or written, published material that slanders or libels or makes use of another individual’s advertising ideas. This can include infringing on copyright, trade dress or slogan of another party.
Pollutants: Any solid, liquid, gaseous, or thermal irritant or contaminant.
Property damage: This can entail physical damage to tangible property or loss of use due to damage.
Temporary Worker: An individual who is temporarily taking the place of a permanent employee or otherwise working on a seasonal or short-term basis.
Volunteer Worker: A person who is not an employee but who donates their time to your business and is not paid a fee, salary, or other form of compensation.
Your product: Any good or product (other than real property) that is manufactured, sold, handled, distributed, or disposed of by you, those in your employ, or volunteers. This term can also apply to any containers, parts, materials, or equipment that accompanies or is related to your goods or products.
Your work: Any work or operations performed by you or on your behalf. But it can also refer to any containers, parts, materials, or equipment furnished with or in connection with your goods or products.
Checking Every List Twice and Keeping You Safe
At Insurance for Artists by Zinc, we stand behind our Master Policy and its wide net of protection. Sure, we know that this wasn’t a fun and funky deep dive into some previously unexplored scenario that shows just how important our Master Policy is to your ongoing success, but sometimes it’s important to know what’s behind our promises of protection. We can say all we want, but it’s ultimately your policy that determines just how protected you are. Another good thing? You’re able to choose the coverage limits that best suit your needs. No worries though–there’s always an Insurance for Artists agent just a phone call away, ready to assess and suggest.
Stay tuned for a detailed rundown of what’s covered by the Business Property portion of our Master Policy. And if you’re an artist or craftsperson who sells products to others and is starting to think, “Hey, I might need liability coverage,” then please don’t hesitate–get in touch with us today!
This blog post does not provide insurance advice and is intended for information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional insurance advice from a licensed representative. Never ignore professional insurance advice because of something you have read in this blog post. Contact your licensed representative if you have any questions about your insurance policy.