This topic has been mentioned all over the Café, so a new topic has been created to address this issue.

What Insurance Company Do You Use As A Magician?

This discussion was mentioned related to Hypnotists in the UK. Because this area (hypnosis) is now being recognized by the medical field, that insurance would be different than that of a magician.

Below are links and information related to the mentioned insurance companies which do insure Magicians.

• World Clown Association Insurance
  
• SAM Insurance for Members:
  A $1,000,000 liability insurance policy is an optional benefit available to members of the S.A.M. This policy is available at a reasonable cost through a Best 'A' rated insurance company. The program covers all participating S.A.M. members who are residents of the United States for their performances in the U.S.A., Puerto Rico, U.S. territories and Canada. Coverage provides spectator liability and premises liability including property damage.
  Contact: Steve Scollard 800-676-8818 for Specific Coverage and Information
  Contact: Richard Blowers 314-846-5659 for Applications
  
  
• IBM Liability Insurance Information
  

A Brief synopsis of IBM Liability Insurance Information is below. Visit the IBM site for full information
The Insurance Carrier is Clarendon National Insurance Company and they are very comprehensive with respect to the entertainment exposure attendant to the diversity of magician's acts and performances. Clarendon is more flexible in their underwriting. In addition, Clarendon is one of the largest and most competitive carriers in the marketplace today.

The following types of performances are NOT ACCEPTABLE and are NOT COVERED:

• Hypnosis
  
• Competition Racing
  
• Pyrotechnics/Explosives (Flash boxes covered up to $5,000.00 maximum.) Flashpaper is acceptable.
  
• Throwing objects in and around audiences (juggling is acceptable).
  
• Production Management or Promotions Management for hire.
  
• Mechanically Operated Amusement Devices (Ferris Wheels, Moonwalks, Merry-Go-Rounds, and/or Carnival Type Rides).
  
• All animals EXCEPT performing dogs, doves and rabbits
  
• Musicians and Disc Jockeys, except magicians who engage in these activities as part of their act.
  
• Copyright infringement exclusion (i.e. Barney, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny)
  

The cost of this insurance is based upon four levels of gross receipts as follows:
Yearly Gross Receipts Annual cost:

• Less than $25,000 $99.00
  
• $25,001 - $50,000 $189.00
  
• $50,001 - $75,000 $256.00
  
• $75,001 - $100,000 $301.00
  
• $100,001 - $125,000 $345.00
  
• $125,001 - $175,000 $433.00
  
• $175,001 - $250,000 $595.00
  
• Over $250,001 contact carrier for cost
  

If you would like to share your company and approximate cost, Please do.

I too would be interested in any insurers of mentalism acts. It is something I dabble in.

Art

ANY act can and should protect itself with insurance.
So, you say you juggle marshmallows and who could get hurt with them?
Well, the person in the third row who will sue you because he/she has a dread of marshmallows and your act caused the infamous "pain and suffering".
And, as I mention elsewhere on the Café, it's good for business.
More and more malls, for example, are turning down acts that don't have insurance.
In fact, very often the only way, the ONLY way, to ensure a booking is to carry your own insurance.
North America is a litigious society; that's simply a fact.
Be prepared, if you are going to work in that society.

Funny story, (or maybe not) as a teen I performed a Disecto routine. My volunteer was a very large woman whose arm barely fit in the opening. As I moved the blade down, I met with some resistance but kept on going. She looked up at me and said, "you're cutting me, you S.O.B." The blade, even though retracted, still protruded enough to scratch her arm, luckily not seriously. Routine finished, audience never really understood what was happening, and lady ended up taking my apology (sure added to the realism!).

Anyway, as an adult I now shudder at this memory and NO WAY would I perform today without liability insurance. (don't care to lose my house)

Can you imagine the possibility? Let's see, emergency room fee, pain & suffering, etc...
My .02 worth.

Peter,

You are right on the money! I'm an attorney here in Dallas, Texas. I agree that America is a litigious society. But, if it wasn't, I couldn't afford to purchase from Collectors Workshop! LOL!

Art

Peter,

Would you laugh so hard if you lived here in the U.S. and had to pay higher prices due to lawsuits that lawyers encouraged their clients to file (let's sue the fastfood establishments because I'm too stupid to realize it makes me fat?)

Just a grumpy post from an otherwise good-humored man.

Probably.
It's not so different here in Canada; a while back a woman sued McDonald's because she spilled a coffee on herself and it was too hot! Just think of Canadians as unarmed Americans with health care!

O.K., Peter, that's funny!

If I remember correctly, after the required poking fun time frame, McDonald's appealed and got the judgement reduced to an amount that resulted in the lawyers only profiting.
Which is the usual result, right?

Since we are on law suit craze how about these true cases:

The Annual Stella Awards:

It's time once again to consider the candidates for the Annual Stella Awards.

The Stella's are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonalds.

That case inspired the Stella Awards for the most frivolous successful lawsuits in the United States.

The following are this year's candidates:

1. Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $780,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving little toddler was Ms. Robertson's son.

2. A 19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hub caps.

3. Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage door to go up since the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut.

The family was on vacation, and Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued the homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of $500,000.

4. Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded $14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams who was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.

5. A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her coccyx (tailbone). The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

6. Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, successfully sued the owner of a night club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses.

7. This year's favorite could easily be Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mr. Grazinski purchased a brand new 32-foot Winnebago motor home.

On his first trip home, having driven onto the freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly, the R.V. left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the owner's manual that he couldn't actually do this. The jury awarded him $1,750,000 plus a new motor home.

The company actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit, just in case there were any other complete morons buying their recreation vehicles.

Now I ask you...Is it possible a magician can be sued?
What insurance company do you use?

Can anyone recommend any public liability insurance in the UK.

thanks

Here's another true story. My brother is a cop and a robber tried to kill him and his partner by running over them with a car. They jumped out of the way and the robber hit a tree. Following normal proceedures, and it was unknown if he had a gun, they were prepared with guns drawn. It was quite evident he tried once to kill them, they were not taking any chances.

While they are trying to aprehend him and cuff him, he fought them in trying to escape. When my brother's partner pushed him against the car his gun went off hitting the robber in the spine. The City fired the cop and awarded the robber $600,000 dollars, rather than drag it through the courts.

Does IBM have insurance also?

Yes, See link in first post above.

I know the IBM offers Health Insurance, but does SAM offer it also?

Thanks
Andrew

Here's an interesting story about liability insurance. I go through HMK (the same company which advertises in the Linking Ring), and have had great luck with them.

Not long ago, we were doing a show and were fortunate enough to have access to the venue the day before. It was sprung on us during load-in that the promoter (mind you, it was junior league baseball putting this on) had no insurance.

In addition to my existing policy, they wanted me to purchase ANOTHER, and have the venue, promoter & city put on it.

Typically, I would have just went on with my business & told them to straighten it out themselves. (How could it possibly be my responsibility if the sponsor has no insurance?!) However, the city was threatening to cancel the event. In turn, I went along with their requirements, of course, billing the organization for my expenses.

By the way, it was a real adventure getting this all taken care of the day before a show!