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Insurance for Teachers
Being a teacher makes you responsible for the whole tutoring process, including plans, schedules, classes, students, their work and progress, etc. This type of responsibility involves strong qualifications and love of teaching. However, sometimes it may happen that teaching also presupposes being responsible for incidents, errors and omissions or negligence made while on the job.
It is essential to realize that being a teacher you expose yourself to risks in a wide range of circumstances that is in the class room, on various school sanctioned functions, while you are running a music and drama club or coaching a volleyball game. In recent years the courts have been known to hold schools liable in case they fail to protect a student who is harassed or sexually abused by another student at school or if the school fails to take reasonable steps in order to protect students from hurting themselves. Teachers' responsibilities increase and they may find themselves personally and financially liable for their presumptive actions or inactions.
Ask yourself who will pay for your legal representation in case you are sued and whether your Personal Liability Insurance or the school's insurance company will pay for legal representation.
What legal expenses can you afford? You should understand that more often than not as little as just a suggestion of a lawsuit may result in loss of your reputation and financial ruin.
To ensure protection in case something happens while you are performing school approved duties, you need Professional Liability Insurance. The school normally provides Professional Liability Insurance for teachers. It is important to review the coverage which the school has in force and find out what is covered and what is not. Professional Liability Insurance for teachers is normally provided for both full-time and part-time educators. Some states require by law that teachers have such coverage.
Teachers who choose to work outside the course of employment and undertake private work without appropriate protection should be aware that they can be exposed to liability claims made against them by students, their parents or third parties. Such claims might arise from the teachers' mistakes, professional negligence or any other liability. Professional Liability policies were designed especially to answer the insurance needs of educational institutions, teachers and other employees.
Professional Liability Insurance for teachers is relatively inexpensive. It may turn out to be much more expensive to go without insurance. Teachers should consult insurance professionals or teachers association about costs of the coverage and ask questions if something remains unclear. By purchasing appropriate Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance coverage teachers and educators insure against all the above-mentioned risks and limit their responsibility to the scope of their work.
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