Production requesting my certificate of insurance!

[John atkinson]

Has anyone else noticed the trend of production asking for "your" certificates of insurance. The last few big shows I've done have all provided my with their insurance and immediately asked for mine. Sometimes asking for $3m-$5m liability which I don't have?

 

 

I guess its the legal departments wanting to share liability.

 

JA

 

[Nathan Chapman]

I work in Australia, so it is probably vastly different, but here are my experiences (other Aussie Ops, if you'd like to confirm or disagree):

 

We work as a subcontractor, and therefore have to have our own Public Liability Insurance to cover ourselves. If we were instead employees, we would be covered by the production's Public Liability, as well as their Work Cover (employee injury health & income insurance). $5-10m is standard in Australia.

 

Insurance for our own equipment is our own choice - sure, we don't have to insure it, but what happens when you take a fall..? Productions haven't asked for that, though they have required all my mains power cables to be tagged & tested.

[Louis Puli SOC]

Hi Nathan

The last 3 long form tv drama I have done 2 of them the production covered me Public Liability and my equipment insurance .The last one the production would not cover my gear so I charged them using my own insurance company but again they did cover me for public Liability.

Every PM is different and so I have everything covered and charge accordingly.

(another Australian op ).

[Aaron Medick SOC]

When I've worked as a subcontractor billing for gear and labor thru my corporation, I have been asked for liability insurance based on the location requirement. Meaning I've never had a production ask me for liability insurance but I've been required by venues to bring my gear on the premises. I've been working in episodic for a few years where I bill for gear only. Labor is paid via time card so I'm an employee of the production. Technically, we could be sued if our gear caused damage to a person or property

[Peter Abraham]

Exactly, Aaron. I have carried $ 2 million USD of Liability coverage for....hmmm...17 years? A small incident involving my arm and an actresses' cheek. She was fine. I did not get sued. But I could have lost everything.

Never been asked to provide it. I find the precedent to be chilling.

As the operator of the moving camera, I should not be liable if a extra in a shot stumbles and breaks her collarbone.

Now, my exposure in the situation would be significantly increased if Production had my Liability info.

The guy with the big coverage gets sued first.

I call bullshit on the concept.

 

Best to all,

 

Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

[David Allen Grove]

Interesting.

A production company that was interested in renting my rickshaw , last year I believe, asked for a COI from me after I told them the terms of my rickshaw rental which is Advanced payment and an insurance cert.

The person I talked to said their "Parent" company required it. Uh huh..

Red Flags went up and I told them sorry, I've never provided a Certificate of Insurance to a company I was renting my equipment too.

I'm hoping they run into enough "No's" that they stop asking for Certificates.

When I rent a car from Enterprise do I ask them for a certificate of insurance? No I don't. I have to either buy insurance coverage from them or I have to have my own insurance because I am using their property. I'm driving THEIR car so I'm responsible for the care for it if I damage it.


Having said that I also no longer have Liability insurance and I do need to be covered!

I DID have a business Liability policy until I moved to California, I had the same insurance company but now it was a different agent and they said they couldn't transfer the liability policy because of the business I was in.

Peter, do you have liability through Dolle or is it through another company.

How about others? How much liability insurance do you have and who is it through?

Thanks

[Janice Arthur]

David;

 

Yes walter p dolle does liability and mine is $425 a yr not sure how much it covers

They also Audit u each year to see if you are a risk for the amount they cover

 

It means u give them some proof of income and your "liability" to them. Just one more element to it

It's like disability u can't be insured for 5 mil and make 50k then have an "accident " and make a 5 million claim

 

I think it's essential in today's world and I've upped my own home owners liability too

 

The older u get the assumption is u can't afford to loose what u have; and u maybe even have more to loose.

 

The advice from way back is never volunteer your liability policy (if u can avoid it at all means) and also never have to use it because at least way back it was hard/expensive to get it renewed after that.

 

Lastly on cert for rental. I have some gear at a rental house and I have nothing to do w their rentals of my gear but now they collect a cert from me.

 

Right or wrong insurance at literally 10 levels in your life is the norm. House, liability, health, life, injury and about 6 more come to mind

 

I've begun to think of insurance as a xxx amount of days work to pay for it each month

 

Got to go. Shoot starting. Good luck

 

Janice