Arachnid Shows - Liability Insurance?

Evan J Armstrong

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Messages
4
I'm hosting arachnid exhibits for the NW of Florida but before I can officially start, I'd like to get liability insurance, since I will be offering an up close look at some of these animals.

However, this is my first time buying any sort of insurance. What kind of insurance do places that offer animals get and where do they get them? I've been googling everything.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I'm hosting arachnid exhibits for the NW of Florida but before I can officially start, I'd like to get liability insurance, since I will be offering an up close look at some of these animals.

However, this is my first time buying any sort of insurance. What kind of insurance do places that offer animals get and where do they get them? I've been googling everything.
Contact Lloyds of London a reptile breeder/dealer I know uses them for such a purpose for himself.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
Are you going to be paid to host the exhibits? Or is it also a volunteer thing? Are your presentations covered by the insurance policy of the venue where you are holding them?

I did an exhibit of South American tarantulas for a Geography Day event at my local public library. The library insisted that I provide proof of $1 million liability coverage. My insurance agent told me that, since they were my pets and not a business venture (the exhibit was a volunteer thing, not paid) they would be covered under my homeowners' policy, the same as my pet dog. All I had to do was purchase an inexpensive umbrella policy to increase the coverage amount to the $1,000,000 required amount. He was able to provide a certificate for the library to let them know that my tarantulas and I were covered. If I were being paid to do the presentations, they said they could also hook me up with a commercial liability policy - though that would have been a bit more expensive. (Not all insurance companies are willing to provide coverage for live animals; my agent with State Farm said they would not cover live animals, either through a homeowners' policy as personal pets or through a commercial liability policy. My agent with Farmers Insurance was much more accommodating. They were the ones that provided the certificate of coverage for the library and offered me the commercial policy if I ever decided to try making money off the presentations.)

I also do various insect/spider presentations at my kids' school and teach summer school bug/spider classes there as well. For events that take place at the school, their liability policy covers any potential incidents - though so far (knock on wood!) there haven't been any. The worst thing we've had happen was a dropped hissing cockroach that wedged itself into a heating register - but it was, eventually, recovered unharmed.
 
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