I never thought, but it happened to me! The number one comment we hear from a Health and Wellness Professional. Unfortunately, they call us in dismay after something has gone wrong. Saying “It happened to me” may not a great defence, but at least an honest one.
Picture this! Imagine a car 3 meters inside a studio, salon or medi-spa. Believe it or not, what is one of our more frequent insurance claims? A car is driving through the front window of a business. How? The driver is usually in distress. They slam on the gas rather than the brake. Speed launches the car over the curb. It travels on. Next, you hear the crackle and bang as the car crunches into the front window. Usually, thank goodness, airbags explode, and the only thing hurt is the driver’s pride. Imagine not having health and wellness insurance for this claim. In dismay, the client is saying, “It happened to me!”
This accident is not a rarity! And it usually happens during business hours. A display or reception area at the front window prevents injuries to the business staff. But the damage is done. In the past, we have received two or three “drive-in” claims a year, making this accident a common major claim out of 500+ businesses. The cost to the company alone is usually a minimum of $10,000. Plus, the loss of income during repairs. Now imagine if a staff member was hurt.
Health and Wellness Professionals are vulnerable to smaller injury clams. Clients can have allergic reactions. Even though they should be disclosing everything on their intake form, they sometimes miss items. Recently an article was posted about having hot wax dropped in an eye. Unfortunately, this damaged the client’s sight. After a short court case, the insurance company settled for $400,000. That’s a lot of money to be out of pocket. Professional and Commercial General Liability Insurance protects both the client and the sub-contractor or employee.
Equipment accidents can occur, as well. It is also essential to check all equipment you use in your business. Training and equipment manuals will tell you about service requirements. Make sure you do this regularly. Cars need an oil change every 5,000 km. Brake checks every 40,000 km. Whether you use the equipment once a month or once a day, make sure it is maintained.
Another primary type of claim is burns. Usually hot wax treatments, or the odd hot towel, sizzles while applied. Wax melts at 37 °C and skin start to burn at 44 °C. That is only 7 °C apart. “Hot wax treatments are not something you can learn from textbooks,” says Chris Stark at Advantage Insurance says, “It’s a hands-on course.” Massage therapists use hot stones. Yoga instructors teach hot yoga. Let professional instructors walk you through the different stages. Insight is invaluable. Training is crucial. The tricks of the trade and life lessons are worth their weight in gold. Always remember your training, don’t take shortcuts, and be careful!
Everything has odds. We don’t want you to say “it happened to me”, but it could. If you play a game of chance long enough, you will win. If you are in the Health and Wellness business long enough, the odds are you will have a claim of some kind. Hopefully, not a vehicle in your front window. Don’t be the one to say, “I thought it would never happen to me!”. Your insurance broker’s job is to make sure you are protected. Together, working with industry professionals to provide solutions for claims. Brokers work with you to provide solutions to protect and give you a Business Advantage.
If you know someone that is a Spa or Salon Business Owner make sure they have the Advantage Insurance Protection. Have them check out our Medi-spa insurance website.