Detrimental Claims
For the past 16 years, I have been in the insurance industry for pool service and repair professionals. I have seen quite a few claims come across my desk, from small to large and even fraud. There are many reasons we all carry so much insurance. Insurance helps consumers recover financially from unexpected events. There may never be an unexpected event, but claims do happen — and that what-if can be quite expensive.
The most detrimental claims are bodily injury or death. In one circumstance, a smaller claim, a child’s foot was injured on the railing getting into the pool. The claim ended up being thousands of dollars. In many cases, the indemnification is what costs the most. Legal fees for defending the insured can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. One of the largest claims we have seen was due to a young man breaking his neck and becoming a paraplegic after diving into the shallow end of a pool in an apartment complex. Because the No Diving signs were not visible and faded, the claim was determined to be the pool professional’s fault. While maintaining a public pool within an HOA, apartment complex or hotel, it is the pool professional’s job to meet the specific health guidelines for sanitary and safety. Keeping signs up to date and in superb condition is also the pool professional’s job, unless otherwise stated in a signed contract with the customer.
In another case, when draining a pool to do an acid wash, the customer’s pool popped right out of the ground. Most of the time, I see this sort of claim in areas like Florida where the water table is high, or even after a large storm. These claims result in thousands of dollars in damage.
Without being insured, pool professionals could incur financial repercussions. Whether it’s a small chemical spill causing damage to the customer’s beautiful walkway or a child drowning, insurance covers unexpected events. Having a low-cost monthly fee for general liability insurance could potentially cover a pool professional and his or her business from things like bodily injury and property damage. Accidents happen, and as a pool professional, you want the peace of mind insurance can provide.
