Lloyd’s stretches cover to yoga instructors

Demanding consumer expectations and an increasingly litigious society mean liability insurance has become a must for yoga instructors, Lloyd’s of London has cautioned.
While yoga is a relatively low-risk activity, the biggest risk factor for an instructor is if they fail to recognize that a student has some pre-existing health condition, such as back pain, Lloyd’s of London said in a release.
“There have been claims of £2 million (about Cdn$3 million) or more in instances where patients with previous condition have been paralysed after wellness treatments such as massage,” the Lloyd’s release says. “While unlikely, such claims can be a real risk for yoga teachers.”
It is now common practice for yoga instructors to buy liability insurance, but those that don’t risk losing more than just their reputation.
Increasing costs of litigation and legal advice, as well as large court awards for bodily injury, may stretch beyond a yoga instructor’s own limited assets, it continues.
“Providing professional indemnity insurance for yoga instructors is profitable business for insurers. Even though premiums are relatively small, the incidence of claims are low and the growing popularity of yoga means the market has reached a critical mass.”