How do I file a claim?

If you have a claim (or potential claim), please email service@athosinsurance.com or call our office at 626-716-9800. An Athos Team member will email you a claim form to complete and email back to our office. This will begin the claim submission process. If you are filing a theft claim, be sure to file a police report immediately (in the city where the theft occurred). The claims adjuster will require this during the adjusting process.

What's the difference between Additional Insured and Loss Payee?

When you have a General Liability policy, you can name a location, city/government office, or rental house as an “additional insured.” When you have an equipment floater (inland marine) policy, you can name a vendor or rental house as a “Loss payee.” Some locations will require both, so it’s important to understand the difference.

A General Liability policy covers Third Party Bodily Injury (injury to bystanders and spectators who are not employees, or cast/crew members). Your policy will defend any Additional Insureds named on your policy only if BOTH your company and your additional insured are named on the lawsuit.

An equipment floater policy covers the theft and damages of the covered equipment. Your policy can name an entity or individual as a Loss Payee if they have a financial interest in the equipment (i.e. they own the equipment). When a company is named as a loss payee, it means a claim check can be made payable directly to the Loss Payee. It does NOT necessarily mean the Loss Payee can file a claim on the policyholder’s policy.

How can I get a copy of my policy or policies?

Please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to request a hard copy of your policy be mailed to you. All policies are emailed to reduce environmental impact.

What is your refund policy on your short-term equipment policies?

All our short-term equipment policies are NON-REFUNDABLE upon purchase. This is disclosed and electronically acknowledged before purchase. Please DO NOT purchase a short-term policy until you are ready to move forward. This is mandated by our insurance carrier.

What is your refund policy on your short-term liability policies?

All our short-term liability policies are NON-REFUNDABLE upon purchase. This is disclosed on our quotes. Please DO NOT purchase a short-term policy until you are ready to move forward. This is mandated by our insurance carrier.

What is your refund policy on your annual policies?

Depending on the insurance carrier, an annual policy typically has a minimum earned premium that is NON-REFUNDABLE. This can be an exact dollar amount or a percentage of the total premium. If there is unearned premium at the time of your cancellation request, this premium is eligible for a refund to you. All administrative and processing fees are NON-REFUNDABLE upon purchase.

How do I request a Loss History Report?

Please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to request your Loss History Report. Please include your policyholder name and/or policy number. We will email the form to you as soon as we receive it.

How do I make changes to my policy?

IF THIS IS FOR THE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM ONLINE:

Log into your account online
Under your dashboard, click on “Request Changes To Your Policy”
Under the “Make Changes” Drop down, select either

Short-Term Rented Equipment From Others Increase OR
All Other (Annual Changes or Special Requests)

Click SUBMIT: An Athos Team Member will then email you a response with either a payment link to move forward or additional questions

FOR ALL OTHER LINES OF COVERAGE, EMAIL US:

Email service@athosinsurance.com your requests for changes (be sure to include your policyholder name and/or policy number)

For our equipment program: requesting a short-term rented equipment endorsement, please include:

Total Value of Equipment being rented
Pick up date
Return Date

For our equipment program: Adding new equipment

Total value of new gear
Make, model, serial number, replacement cost of any single item over $5K
Confirm if you rent any of this equipment to other people unaccompanied by you (if yes, do you want to add Fraudulent renters coverage? How much Fraudulent Renters coverage?)
Confirm if any of the new equipment is taken above or under water. (If yes, how much gear?)

For all other changes

Please provide all the details of the changes you wish to make

Why do I need to use a rental contract or services agreement?

It is ALWAYS recommended to have a rental contract or service agreement to establish legal liability. The contracts must be activated before the job/event/rental takes place.

A contract should always include at least the following details: dates of the contract, parties involved with the contract, services agreed to, (if you’re renting equipment) replacement cost of the items being rented, responsibilities and fees exchanged for services, insurance requirements, the responsibilities of each party to the other, (if you’re renting equipment) what happens if rented gear is damaged, stolen, or not returned in the same condition at the time of pick-up, signatures/dates of both parties to activate the contract. The contract is a legal document, so we recommend that the rental agreement should be reviewed by both parties’ attorneys before implementing them.

What are your business hours?

Monday – Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm

We are located in California, so we are in Pacific (West Coast) Time zone.

How does Athos and Sharegrid work together?

Athos is proud to be Sharegrid’s exclusive insurance partner. Athos provides the short-term and annual insurance made available on Sharegrid’s website.

How can a Rental House become a marketing partner with Athos?

Please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to inquire about being a marketing partner with Athos. We thrive from long and healthy partnerships!

How can I get more information about Damage Waiver programs for online communities?

Please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to inquire about our Damage Waiver Program. This is something we have implemented successfully with many eligible business and/or websites wanting to offer this to their customers.

Why do I have to go through extra security when applying for online equipment coverage?

There are 2 main reasons for extra security when applying:

1) At Athos, we want to make sure all policyholders are true to the identity of the applicant details. This is also to protect the rental houses and equipment owners who depend on applicants to be truthful when applying for their insurance policies.

2) You may be asked to provide more details about rental houses and limits per rental house. Since our process is quick to purchase and issue certificates (within minutes), we want to make sure your equipment limits are accurate before submitting your certificates to your vendors. This may seem somewhat backwards, but it will save you a lot of headache and liability if you underinsure yourself. If you underinsure yourself and have a total loss, the rental houses can come after you personally for the balance.

Does my policy automatically renew?

No, all policies have to be renewed by you each year. This can be done online or by paying with a cheque in the mail upon receiving your renewal quote. At Athos, we do not store any credit card information, and we do not automatically renew policies by default.

Some policies (such as General Liability or Professional Liability) may offer an auto renewal. However, an Athos team member will always reach out to you before your renewal date to confirm if you wish to renew or not. This will be done before the insurance carrier auto renews the policy.

How do I make changes to my equipment renewal policy

60 days before your renewal date, all eligible accounts will receive a renewal quote. You can either renew directly online or by paying with a check in the mail. However, if you wish to make changes, you can log into your account and do the following:

Click on Manage Your Renewal
Click on “Edit Renewal Quote” (top center).
Review and edit each pre-filled application page as desired. You will notice the premium on the top center updates as you make changes, so you can see how it affects the price
Once you finalize all your changes, click through to the end to make payment to renew

How can I request for a certificate of insurance?

For policies with General Liability, Auto Liability, Umbrella, Excess, Workers Compensation, Professional Liability (or Equipment combined with any of these coverages), please email service@athosinsurance.com with the following:

Certificate holder’s name
Certificate holder’s full mailing address
Certificate holder’s relationship to your company
The certificate holder is the company asking you to provide them a certificate

For Policies through our Online Equipment Program. You can issue your own certificates anytime:

Click on the “Client Login” link on the top right of the screen, and login.
From your dashboard, click on “Issue Certificates”
Click on “Issue New Certificates (new vendors)” if this is for a new vendor
Enter the rental house name and address. If you have made any changes to your policy, please click on the “Choose Endorsement” drop down To select the most recent coverage.
Click on “Create Certificate”
Repeat as needed

Can I expect to speak with an Athos representative on the phone?

Yes! At Athos, we happily pick up the phone to answer your questions during our business hours:

Monday – Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm

We are located in California, so we are in Pacific (West Coast) Time Zone.

Why Is Equipment Insurance Called An Inland Marine Floater?

You may be wondering why our equipment policy is called an “Inland Marine Equipment Floater Policy.” It sounds like something made for sea life right? Inland Marine Equipment covers movable or transportable equipment and other types of property. It evolved from the term Ocean Marine insurance, for equipment transported by boat, to Inland Marine insurance for equipment on land or in transit. It is now commonly referred to as a Floater policy, since the coverages float with or follow the equipment wherever it goes (as long as that territory is not excluded on the policy)

What is Equipment That Goes Afloat, Above, and/or Underwater (including snow)?

On our online equipment program, you can add the optional Above or Underwater coverage if you plan to take your gear on a boat or underwater (i.e. an underwater camera operator). Snow would also be considered water. If you are filming near or next to water (and not physically above), then you do NOT need to add this extra coverage since accidents involving water will still be covered in this case. This can be added annually or on a temporary basis on your annual policy by endorsement. This is also available on our short-term rented equipment polices.

What is Continuing Rental Fees Coverage?

If you are renting equipment from a rental house or equipment owner and have a claim, continuing Rental Fees reimburses a rental house or equipment owner for their loss of income (rental fees) during the claims process. This coverage is an option made available with Rented Equipment From Others coverage. It has a 72 hour time deductible (waiting period) and will pay up to the limit you select for this option. If you’re renting equipment from other people or rental houses, we recommend checking your rental contracts to see if you’re responsible for this loss of income. If yes, Continuing Rental Fees should be purchased.

Scheduled vs. Unscheduled Owned Equipment

On the Athos Equipment program, any individual item that costs more than $5,000 to replace with a new item (including sales tax) must be itemized or scheduled onto the policy. Scheduled means Athos has the make, model, serial number (if applicable), and replacement cost on file. All other individual items that cost $5,000 or less to replace with a new item (including sales tax) are unscheduled equipment.

The rate is the same to cover both scheduled and unscheduled items. If you have a set of equipment that cannot be sold separately, that entire set would be considered 1 single item, which, if valued over $5,000, must all be scheduled.

We take the total amount of owned equipment you provide and subtract the total of scheduled items to calculate your unscheduled limit. If you do not schedule your equipment valued more than $5,000, that equipment will not be covered in the event of a claim.

What Is A Deductible?

In the event of a claim, the deductible is the amount you as the policyholder are responsible for before a claim payment is made. This doesn’t mean you actually pay this amount. When a claim is paid out, the carrier usually subtracts the deductible from the total claim payout. For example:

Total claim payout is $10,000

Deductible: $1,000

The insurance carrier would write a check to you for $9,000

This is because $10,000 - $1,000 (deductible) = $9,000

Deductibles are usually found on equipment, property, and auto physical damage policies, but they can be implemented for other lines of coverages too such as General Liability and professional lines. Deductibles can also be taken in the form of time (for example, you have to wait 3 days before the benefit pays out). Insurance carriers usually enforce deductibles to prevent small or frivolous claims.

What is Rental Reimbursement Coverage?

Rental reimbursement covers the out of pocket rental fees after you have a claim on your owned equipment. This is similar to the concept of rental car coverage on your personal auto insurance, where the cost to rent another car after an accident would be covered, except this is for your equipment. The purpose is to minimize the extra costs to continue working. For example, if your equipment was burned in a fire, and you have a job coming up next week, this covers the cost associated with temporarily renting additional equipment to get the job done while your claim is being settled. Rental reimbursement is an optional coverage you can purchase with Owned Equipment coverage. It has a 72 hour waiting period (time deductible).

What is Voluntary Parting Or False Pretense Coverage

Voluntary Parting is known as Fraudulent Renters coverage. If you are an equipment rental house or someone who rents out gear to others unaccompanied by you, it is common practice to require your renters to carry their own insurance to protect the rented gear against theft or damages. But if the renter never returns your gear, all insurance policies have a fraud exclusion, so the policy will not cover this criminal act. This is one of the greatest risks of operating a rental business, especially since insurance policies do not automatically cover this type of fraud.

At Athos, we offer the option to add up to $100,000 of Voluntary Parting or False Pretense Coverage on our online equipment policy to protect against this very type of risk. It has to be purchased together with the Rented Equipment To Others Coverage option. For larger rental house operations (needing more than $100,000 in coverage) we can provide full coverage for these larger sized companies through other programs we offer at Athos.

How do I file an equipment claim?

If you have a claim (or potential claim), please email service@athosinsurance.com or call our offices at 626-716-9800. An Athos Team member will email you a claim form to complete and email back to our office.

This will begin the claim submission process. If you are filing a theft claim, be sure to file a police report immediately (in the city where the theft occurred). The claims adjuster will require this during the adjusting process.

What happens if I don't have a receipt or proof of ownership of my gear?

In the event of a claim, you will need to provide the insurance carrier with proof of ownership of the involved equipment. If you no longer have a copy of the original purchase invoice(s) for the involved equipment, the assigned claims specialist will work with you on how to support your proof of ownership.

What's the difference between an Additional Insured and Loss Payee?

When you have a General Liability policy, you can name a location, city/government office, or rental house as an Additional Insured. When you have an equipment floater (Inland Marine) policy, you can name a vendor or rental house as a Loss payee. Some venues will require both, so it’s important to understand the difference.

A General Liability policy covers Third Party Bodily Injury (injury to bystanders and spectators who are not employees, or cast/crew members). Your policy will defend any additional insureds named on your policy only if BOTH your company and your Additional Insured are named on the lawsuit.

An equipment floater policy covers the theft and damages of the covered equipment. Your policy can name an entity or individual as a loss payee if they have a financial interest in the equipment (i.e. they own the equipment). When a company is named as a loss payee, it means a claim check can be made payable directly to the loss payee. It does NOT necessarily mean the loss payee can file a claim on the policyholder’s policy.

Who can I name as a Loss Payee?

A Loss Payee is a company or individual who has a financial interest in the equipment being covered. For example, if you are renting equipment from a rental house, the rental house would be the Loss Payee because they own the equipment. Another example would be if you are leasing equipment to own. The lending company (bank) would be the Loss Payee because they have a financial interest in the equipment, where the equipment is the collateral.

Do I have to be a US resident or business to have coverage?

At Athos, we are only licensed to sell insurance to US residents, US businesses, and individuals in the US through a visa. If you are applying for a short-term policy for a production or equipment rental, and are partnering with a US production company, you could conduct the entire rental through their company. We are then able to insure that other company because they are based in the US. This would also require that you have a contract in place with the US-based company to show the legal relationship.

Otherwise, the proper way to insure your company is to find a broker in your country who can insure your gear worldwide.

Is my equipment covered when I take it outside the United States?

Yes, the online equipment program Athos offers is worldwide. The only exception is that countries with US Sanctions are not covered (i.e. Iran, Iraq, North Korea). You can always reference these countries here https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/programs/pages/programs.aspx as they are continuously updated by the US Department of Treasury.

Please be mindful that if you are traveling through any of these countries, there would be no coverage at that time. Also, please note our policy has a $25,000 cap in coverage in the country of Mexico.

Is my equipment covered when I check in my bags on an airline?

Yes, the online equipment program Athos offers covers damages or theft while in the care of an airline

How do I issue a Certificate of Insurance for my equipment policy?

To issue your own certificates:

Click on the “Client Login” link on the top right of the screen, and login
From your dashboard, click on “Issue Certificates”
Click on “Issue New Certificates (new vendors)” if this is for a new vendor
Enter the rental house name and address. If you have made any changes to your policy, please click on the “Choose Endorsement” drop down To select the most recent coverage.
Click on “Create Certificate”
Repeat as needed

Are Drones covered by my policy?

The current online equipment program currently DOES NOT cover the actual drone itself or any equipment used as payload (when you attach your equipment to a drone).

If you are looking for a proper separate Drone/Aviation policy (liability and hull coverage), please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to request an application.

How do I update my equipment policy (bought equipment, sold equipment, update policy information)?

ONLINE:

Log into your account online.
Under your dashboard, click on “Request Changes To Your Policy
Under the “Make Changes” Drop down, select either

Short-Term Rented Equipment From Others Increase OR
All Other (Annual Changes or Special Requests)

Click SUBMIT: An Athos Team Member will then email you a response with either a payment link to move forward or additional questions

EMAIL US:

Email service@athosinsurance.com your requests for changes (be sure to include your policyholder name and/or policy number)

For short-term rented equipment, please include:

Total Value of Equipment being rented
Pick up date
Return Date

For New equipment being added

Total value of new gear
Make, model, serial number, replacement cost of any single item over $5K
Confirm if you rent any of this equipment to other people unaccompanied by you (if yes, do you want to add Fraudulent renters coverage? How much Fraudulent Renters coverage?)
Confirm if any of the new equipment is taken above or under water. (If yes, how much gear?)

For all other changes

Please provide us with all the details of the changes you wish to make

How can I increase my rented equipment from others coverage temporarily?

If you have an annual owned equipment policy, you can request a temporary endorsement to increase your Rented Equipment From Others limit for a short period of time. This is perfect for people who need to rent a high valued rental a few times a year. When you add the temporary endorsement, it may be more cost effective since you’re only charged for temporary time versus the whole year. The minimum charge for each of these endorsements starts at $60 (depending on the number of days and value of rented equipment). There are 2 ways to request a temporary endorsement:

ONLINE:

Log into your account online
Under your dashboard, click on “Request Changes To Your Policy”
Under the “Make Changes” Drop down, “select Short-Term Rented Equipment From Others Increase”

Answer the pop up questions accordingly

Click SUBMIT: An Athos Team Member will then email you a response with either a payment link to move forward or additional question

EMAIL US at service@athosinsurance.com the following:

Your Policyholder name and/or number
Total Value of Equipment being rented
Pick Up Date
Return Date

What kind of equipment is covered under the Owned Production, Sound, Cameras, and Event Equipment?

The equipment program policy form defines the covered Production Equipment as: Cameras, camera equipment, sound, audio visual, lighting and grip equipment, communications equipment, portable electric equipment, editing and projection equipment, office personal property, generators, mechanical effects equipment, props, sets, wardrobe, event equipment, theatrical equipment, computer equipment including desktops, laptops and monitors, and all similar personal property and any related production equipment. Any one item cannot exceed $150,000 in replacement value.

What kind of equipment is covered under the Owned Sports, Leisure and Recreational Equipment?

The equipment program policy form defines the covered Sports, Leisure & Recreational Equipment as: Sporting goods and equipment, gym and fitness equipment, business personal property, sport event property, race timing machines, racing chips, banners, office personal property, ROTC related equipment, rock climbing equipment, kayaks, non-motorized boats less than 13 feet in length, canoes, water sports equipment, and any related Sports & Recreational equipment not to exceed $150,000 any one item.

What kind of equipment is covered under the Owned Musical Instruments and Sound Equipment?

The equipment program policy form defines the covered Musical Instruments and Sound Equipment as Musical Instruments, sound equipment, vintage and classical musical instruments, similar personal property, office personal property, and any related musical equipment not to exceed $150,000 any one item.

With mostly sound equipment, should I choose Production or Musical and sound equipment?

If you are looking to insure your sound equipment, it can be eligible for both Production/Camera/Photo equipment AND the Musical Instruments/Sound equipment. The rate is slightly less under the Musical Instruments/Sound Equipment classification.

However, please note that if you have any gear this is solely production or film related (i.e. a camera, lens), this has to be classified under the Production/Camera/Photo equipment. Similarly, if you have a musical instrument (i.e. a guitar or piano), this has to be classified under Musical Instruments/Sound Equipment.

When do I need a rental contract for valid coverage?

ALWAYS. In order to have a valid rental for coverage to apply, there must be an activated rental contract in place before the rental occurs. The rental contract should include at least the following details of the rental: rental dates, parties involved with the rental, items being rented, replacement cost of the items being rented, responsibilities and fees of the renter, insurance requirements, the responsibilities of the renter if the gear is damaged, stolen, or not returned in the condition it was picked up in, signatures/dates of both parties to activate the contract. The contract is a legal document. We recommend that the rental agreement be reviewed by an attorney before implementing these contracts.

Why do I have to go through extra security when applying for online equipment coverage?

There are 2 main reasons for extra security when applying:

Does my equipment policy automatically renew?

No, all policies have to be renewed by you each year. This can be done online or by paying with a check in the mail upon receiving your renewal quote. At Athos, we do not store any credit card information, and we do not automatically renew policies by default.

How do I make changes to my equipment renewal?

Click on Manage Your Renewal
Click on “Edit Renewal Quote” (top center)
Review and edit each pre-filled application page as desired. You will notice the premium on the top center updates as you make changes, so you can see how it affects the price
Once you finalize all your changes, click through to the end to make payment to renew

What kinds of coverages do I need for my production?

Depending on your budget and type of production, you may only need 1 or multiple lines of coverage. Some insurance carriers will package multiple types of coverages, including ones you may not need.

General Liability

This provides coverage for bodily Injury to Third Parties (3rd parties are non-cast and non-crew members such as bystanders or spectators). Some carriers may include Physical Damage to Third Party Property/Locations if you film at a location less than 7 consecutive days automatically, while others exclude it completely.

Allows you to issue certificates naming entities as “additional insured”
May include coverage for stunts, fight scenes or hazardous activities such as drones, if added for more premium
Available for foreign productions taking place outside of the U.S. or Canada

Third Party Property Damage

If you are renting a location or space, Third Party Property Damage is one of the most important coverages to have. If the General Liability policy excludes Physical Damage to Third Party Property/Locations or you will be filming at a location for more than 7 consecutive days, you will need this extra coverage to cover damage to rented production locations.
This covers property damages to premises rented to you (subject to any deductibles), such as damages to floors, walls, and other property damage of the space. Some production liability policies EXCLUDE Third Party Property Damage, so it’s important to check your general liability quotes for this coverage.

Rented Equipment and/or Props, Sets, and Wardrobe

If you plan to rent production equipment from a rental house or location, Miscellaneous Equipment or Rented Equipment From Others Coverage, covers accidental damage to or theft of equipment and/or props, sets, and wardrobes while it is in your care, custody or control.
Please note that some carriers separate Props, Sets, and Wardrobes as its own separate limit. Under the Athos online equipment program, the Rented Equipment From Others limit includes Props, Sets & Wardrobes in the total limit.

Miscellaneous Equipment allows you to issue certificates naming rental houses as “loss payee”

If you are hiring crew with equipment, it is recommended that you include their total replacement value of equipment being brought on set to the total Miscellaneous Equipment limit. This ensures that if you have a total loss, all “Hired” or “Rented” equipment will be covered for your production

Owned Equipment

This covers accidental damage to or theft of production related equipment you own

Non-Owned and Hired Auto Liability

If you plan to rent a truck or vehicle for production use, you will need this type of auto liability. This covers your production company if the driver causes harm or damage to other vehicles and/or people
If a third party is injured due to your loading and unloading equipment from non-owned and hired autos, this also covers those types of claims. (Third Party is a non-cast or non-crew member)

Non-Owned and Hired Auto Physical Damage

This coverage is typically purchased in addition to Non-Owned and Hired Auto Liability. If you plan to rent a truck or vehicle for production use, you will need this coverage to pay for theft of or damages to vehicle(s) you rented or use on behalf of the production.

Workers' Compensation

This is statutory coverage for employees you hire as cast and/or crew (including 1099s) for production-related injuries or illness.
Only US Citizens and Residents with a social security number are eligible

Accident Medical

This is a supplementary coverage for employees you hire as cast and/or crew for production-related injuries, if they are not covered by Workers’ Compensation coverage.
Only US Citizens and Residents with a social security number are eligible
The coverage is in excess of any existing health insurance
There is a deductible that applies
The limits are maxed to only $100,000 or less per accident, per claim

Travel Accident

This provides medical reimbursement to cast/crew for injuries while traveling to or from production locations.
Only US Citizens and Residents with a social security number are eligible
The coverage is in excess of any existing health insurance
There is a deductible that applies

Excess Liability

This policy covers additional limits to supplement an existing general liability policy.

Negative Film

This covers the loss as a result of damage to your film media (i.e. raw films, videotape stock, exposed motion picture film, etc). This includes the extra expenses to re-shoot the damaged media. This does not include losses due to faulty materials, cameras, processing, etc.

Faulty Stock

This is usually purchased together with Negative Film coverage. This covers the loss as a result of production stock (faulty stock). This includes the extra expenses to shoot the media due to the faulty stock.

Extra Expense

This covers the loss due to an event interruption, postponement or cancellation of a production as a direct result of damage to or destruction of property or facilities. This does not include loss of earnings or profits.

Media Liability (E&O) insurance

After a distributor picks up your film for distribution, they will require this policy to cover lawsuits involving defamation, invasion of privacy, infringement of copyright, plagiarism (resulting from the content of your film), etc.

Special Event coverage

If you are hosting or planning film premieres/screenings, this will provide general liability (third party bodily injury such as slips and falls) for your event.

Weather or cancellation insurance

This policy will reimburse the loss of expenses sustained if your event (film shoot) gets cancelled as a result of weather conditions or a venue being deemed unusable. The loss of potential expenses is set before the policy commences. The policy must be purchased at least 14 days before the event (film shoot) begins.

Cast/Crew Insurance

If an insured cast or crew member cannot perform due to death, injury or illness, this covers the net losses or extra expenses incurred to begin or complete the film.

Abuse and Molestation coverage

If the coverage is available, this will cover claims against your production for sexual abuse and molestation lawsuits.

Coverage for animals

This covers the costs associated with the death, illness or injury of an insured animal on your production shoot.

What is the difference between equipment liability and location liability?

Equipment liability only covers the liability associated with the maintenance, operation or use of equipment leased to you by a third party for the purpose of production related activities. In other words, when you rent your equipment from a rental house, this type of policy will satisfy their general liability requirement. It covers the liability associated with the equipment that you’re renting (i.e. This policy will respond if the gear you rented fell, causing bodily injury to a spectator, and he/she sued your production and the rental house for the injuries)

Location Liability covers the liability associated with the rented production location/venue. This covers third party bodily injury claims occurring on the premise of your rented production location. In most cases, when you purchase a location liability policy, these production policies will ALSO cover equipment liability. The only exception would be a scheduled location type policy such as a TULIP (Tenant User Liability Insurance Policy).

If I just need to rent equipment and no locations, what coverages do I need?

If your project only involves renting equipment, and the locations are already covered by another policy (i.e. your school’s insurance), you can simply apply for our Equipment Floater (Inland Marine) policy online

https://www.athosinsurance.com/buy-equipment-insurance

From here, you can quote, purchase, and issue certificates for all your rental houses instantly naming them as “loss payee”.

All applicants are subject to our immediate online verification system. If you are unable to be verified, we will require further review (which may take up to a few business HOURS maximum to proceed)

Do I have to be US resident or business to have coverage?

At Athos, we are only licensed to sell insurance to US residents, US businesses, and individuals in the US through a visa. If you applying for a short-term policy for a production or equipment rental, and are partnering with a US production company, you could conduct the entire rental through their company, and that would work for us to insure that other company. This would also require that you have a contract in place with this other partner to show the legal relationship.

Otherwise, the proper way to insure your company is to find a broker in your country who can insure you while living there and traveling worldwide.

Why do I need to have all my vendors and contractors sign a contract or services agreement?

It is ALWAYS recommended to have a rental contract or service agreement to establish legal liability. The contracts must be activated before the job/event/rental takes place.

A contract should always include at least the following details: dates of the contract, parties involved with the contract, services agreed to, (if you’re renting equipment) replacement cost of the items being rented, responsibilities and fees exchanged for services, insurance requirements, the responsibilities of each party to the other, (if you’re renting equipment) what happens if rented gear is damaged, stolen, or not returned in the condition it was picked up in, signatures/dates of both parties to activate the contract. The contract is a legal document, so we recommend that the rental agreement be reviewed by both parties’ attorneys before implementing them.

If I am filming outside of the United States, what kind of coverage do I need?

If your production company is based in the United States and plans to film in a foreign country, you will need a foreign production policy. A foreign production policy can include General Liability, Equipment, Auto Liability, Workers Compensation, and Excess Liability. This can be purchased short-term (1 project) or annual (for multiple foreign productions).

The Athos online equipment policy is worldwide so this coverage does not have to be purchased again on the foreign policy. If you have another equipment floater policy (other than Athos’ online equipment policy) please confirm if it includes worldwide coverage.

If I am using stunts and hazardous activities, how can I get this covered on my production?

You can apply for short-term production insurance on our website and indicate all your planned stunt scenes. This will allow our underwriting team to review each stunt, and provide the best quote factoring in your planned stunts. You can apply for our short-term production coverage here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/shorttermproductions-insurance

Why would I need non-owned and hired auto liability and physical damage?

If you plan to rent a truck or vehicle for production use, you will need this type of auto liability. This covers your production company if the driver causes harm or damage to other vehicles and/or people.

If a third party is injured due to your loading and unloading equipment from non-owned and hired autos, this also covers those types of claims. (Third Party is a non-cast or non-crew member)

Non-owned and hired auto liability and physical damage cannot be purchased by itself. It has to be added as an option to general liability coverage on a short-term or annual production policy.

You can apply for short-term production insurance on our website here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/shorttermproductions-insurance

You can apply for annual production insurance on our website here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/annualproductions-insurance

Why would I need general liability for my production?

General Liability provides coverage for bodily Injury to Third Parties (3rd parties are non-cast and non-crew members such as bystanders or spectators). Some carriers may include Physical Damage to Third Party Property/Locations if you film at a location less than 7 consecutive days automatically, while others exclude it completely.

You can apply for short-term production insurance on our website here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/shorttermproductions-insurance

You can apply for annual production insurance on our website here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/annualproductions-insurance

Why would I need accident medical coverage for my production?

This is a supplementary coverage for your cast and/or crew for production-related injuries if they are not covered by workers compensation coverage. If your budget does not allow for workers’ compensation coverage, we recommend applying for accident medical coverage at the the very least in order to offer some coverage for people you’ve hired in case they suffer a production-related injury or illness.

Only US Citizens and Residents with a social security number are eligible
The coverage is in excess of any existing health insurance
There is a deductible that applies
The limits are maxed to only $100,000 or less per accident, per claim

Why would I need Media Liability or Producer’s Errors and Omissions Coverage?

After a distributor picks up your film for distribution, they will require this policy to cover lawsuits involving defamation, invasion of privacy, infringement of copyright, plagiarism (resulting from the content of your film), etc.

Why would I need Excess liability for my production?

This policy covers additional limits to supplement an existing general liability policy. If you are working with a venue, city or client that requires very high limits (more than the standard $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability policy), the higher limits can be achieved through an excess liability policy.

Why would I need Miscellaneous Equipment coverage for my production?

If you plan to rent production equipment from a rental house or location, Miscellaneous Equipment or Rented Equipment From Others Coverage, covers accidental damage to or theft of equipment and/or props, sets, and wardrobes while it is in your care, custody or control.

Please note that some carriers separate Props, Sets, and Wardrobes as its own separate limit. Under the Athos online equipment program, the Rented Equipment From Others limit includes Props, Sets & Wardrobes in the total limit.

Miscellaneous Equipment allows you to issue certificates naming rental houses as “loss payee”

If you are hiring crew with equipment, it is recommended that you include their total replacement value of equipment brought on set to the total Miscellaneous Equipment limit. This ensures that if you have a total loss, all “Hired” or “Rented” equipment will be covered for your production.

Why do I need Third Party Property Damage for my production?

If you are renting a location or space, Third Party Property Damage is one of the most important coverages to have. This covers property damages to premises rented to you (subject to any deductibles), such as damages to floors, walls, and other property damage of the space. Some production liability policies EXCLUDE Third Party Property Damage, so it’s important to check your general liability quotes for this coverage.

If I am using a drone on my production, how can I get this covered on my production?

Drones should always be covered by an aviation policy for both liability and hull (property damage) coverage. Annual aviation policies are much more cost effective than short-term policies if you want to cover both liability and hull coverage. However, if you’re looking to cover simple drone scenes in your production, some carriers can add these to a short-term production liability policy by scheduling the scene onto the policy. The cost to add liability is much less expensive than adding both liability and property damage for the drone on the short-term production policies.

You can apply for short-term production insurance on our website and indicate the aircraft/drone stunt scene, to inquire about the cost to add this scene.

You can apply for our short-term production coverage here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/shorttermproductions-insurance

Why would I need workers’ compensation, even if I don’t have any employees?

Workers Compensation is statutory coverage. It also covers your cast and/or crew (including 1099s) for production-related injury claims.

Most people think that hiring Independent Contractors mean you’re off the hook for Workers’ Compensation, but this is not the case. If someone you hire (even a volunteer or 1099) is injured, and he/she cannot claim any workers’ compensation coverage through their own company, he/she can go after the hiring company (your production company) for the damages.

We recommend always asking your cast/crew if they are covered by or carry their own workers’ compensation coverage. If not, this cast/crew member should be added to your workers’ compensation policy. If you choose not to purchase a workers’ compensation, even if you’re hiring 1099s and volunteers, understand the risks involved by not covering them. It may also be a good idea to have signed waivers in place for these 1099s and volunteers, although this may not always protect you in a lawsuit.

Can you cover productions with nudity or nude scenes?

Unfortunately at this time, we are UNABLE to offer General Liability Insurance, Auto Liability and Physical Damage, Workers Compensation, or Excess Liability for productions involving nude scenes. Nude scenes are defined as those where cast members are bottomless, topless (females), or showing any private parts. Productions with swim wear or bikinis (with both tops and bottoms) are still eligible for General Liability Insurance, Auto Liability and Physical Damage, Workers Compensation, or Excess Liability. If your production has any nude scenes, we currently can only offer Equipment Insurance coverage (i.e. Rented Equipment or Owned Equipment).

What's the difference between Additional Insured and Loss Payee

When you have a general liability policy, you can name a location, city/government office, or rental house as an “additional insured.” When you have an equipment floater (inland marine) policy, you can name a vendor or rental house as a “Loss payee.” Some locations will require both, so it’s important to understand the difference.

A general liability policy covers Third party bodily injury (injury to bystanders and spectators who are not employees, or cast, crew members). Your policy will defend any additional insureds named on your policy only if BOTH your company and your additional insured is named on the lawsuit.

Who can I name as an additional insured?

On a General Liability policy, Additional Insureds can be locations, venues, city/government entities, permit offices, unions (i.e. SAG), payroll companies, rental houses, or entities that have a liability interest associated with your project or company operation(s).

Do I have to be a US resident or business to have coverage?

At Athos, we are only licensed to sell insurance to US residents, US businesses, and individuals in the US through a visa. If you are applying for a short-term policy for an event liability coverage, and are partnering with a US event company, you could conduct the production through their company. We are then able to insure that other company because they are based in the US. This would also require that you have a contract in place with the US-based company to show the legal relationship.

Otherwise, the proper way to insure your company is to find a broker in your country who can insure your event activities worldwide.

What is General Liability coverage?

A general liability policy covers third party bodily injury (injury to bystanders and spectators who are not employees, or cast/crew members). Some policies may include Third Party Property Damage coverage under the General liability, but it is not common with Short-term event policies. It is always recommended to make sure Third Party Property Damage (damage to the property of others, including rented locations’ wood floors and walls) is covered.

Why do I need to have general liability coverage as an event organizer?

A general liability policy covers third party bodily injury (injury to bystanders and spectators who are not employees, or cast/crew members). As the event organizer, you are at the top (imagine a triangle). All the liability flows to the top. If there are claims arising from activities from vendors or subcontractors (all on the bottom of the triangle), your organization will most likely be named in that lawsuit as well. This is why you must always have contracts between you and all vendors, sub-contractors, volunteers, independent contractors, and companies you hire, naming your company as an Additional Insured. On the flipside, your policy can defend your organization in the event of a lawsuit.

Why do I need to have general liability coverage as a vendor of an event?

A general liability policy covers third party bodily injury (injury to bystanders and spectators who are not employees, or cast/crew members). As a vendor at an event, you are at the bottom (imagine a triangle). Your event organizer will require that you have your own policy naming them as an Additional Insured for any claims associated with your business. As a vendor, you should always sign a contract between you and the event holder/organizer, outlining your responsibilities and liabilities.

Why should I have Non-Owned & Hired auto liability as an event organizer?

If you are an event organizer, you may have staff or volunteers who use their own vehicles (or autos not owned by your company). If one of these people run a business errand and gets into an accident causing bodily injury or property damage, your organization may get sued. This is why it’s important to carry the Non-Owned Auto Liability. Moreover, if you hire (or rent) any vehicles, the Hired Auto Liability would cover auto related liability lawsuits.

Another exposure to consider is if someone is loading and/or unloading equipment into their vehicles. Since a commercial general liability policy excludes claims arising from property being loaded and unloaded to and from an automobile (including trucks and vans), it’s important to consider having auto liability coverage. The loading and unloading exposure would be covered on the auto liability policy.

What is considered a low-hazard special event under the Athos program?

Low hazard special events are those:

Without stunts
Without hazardous activities, or live band performances
No more than 500 attendees
No longer than 5 consecutive days
Listed in the Eligible list: https://securelowhazardinsurance.com/athos Click on “Covered Types of Events” If you find your event on this list, you can proceed to purchase a policy from this page

What qualifies as a vendor under the Athos vendor program?

Vendors are businesses that operate to vend their business (i.e. a booth or concessionaire at a trade show or event)

The ELIGIBLE types of vendors for this program include:

Antique & Collectibles; Apparel & Accessories; Arts & Crafts; Celebrity, Mascot, or Character Appearances/Photo Booths; Cookware; Disc-Jockey (for private events less than 200 attendees); Face painting; Food & Drink; Game Trailers or Booths; Gift Wrap Booths; Micro-Reality Race Tracks; Photo Booth; Produce & Floral Vendors; Product Demos- Static; Product or Service Display Exhibits; Retail Carts; Souvenir Sales; Sports & Camping Equipment; Vehicles, Equipment or Hardware Sales on Display- Static; Wedding vendors (for weddings less than 200 attendees)

The INELIGIBLE types of vendors for this program include:

Body piercing or tattooing; Catering Companies; Christmas tree retail lots; Corn or Hay maze; Disc-Jockeys for events over 200 attendees; E-commerce selling; Entertainment and Film Industry Vendors; Fireworks sales & displays; Food Truck Vendors, Haunted attractions; Hot wax impressions; Live animals; Live Bands; Marijuana and other cannabis products and/or paraphernalia, Massage; Mechanical or inflatable amusement devices; Medical testing; Motor sports activities; Nutritional/health supplements; On-site installation/service/repair of products; On-site equipment rental; Oxygen/aromatherapy; Storefront operations; Time share sales; Tobacco products; Vehicles in motion; Watercraft exhibits on water; Weapon sales; Weight-loss plans or products; Wholesale business; Production Companies

How do I apply for group vendor policies?

At Athos, we offer a very low cost group vendor rate (starting at $77.00 per vendor).

If you wish to apply for this, please email us at service@athosinsurance.com and request for a Group Vendor Form to complete.

How do I receive a customized group vendor link so I can offer this to all my vendors at my event?

If you are an event organizer with many vendors seeking insurance coverage, we have a very low cost group vendor rate (starting at $77.00 per vendor) we offer. We can also customize a website link for you with your prefilled event details and additional insured (certificate) information. When your vendors purchase their policies through this customized link, your preset certificates automatically get issued to you (naming your company and location as additional insured).

If you wish to apply for this, please email us at service@athosinsurance.com and request for an Event Holder Website Form to complete.

What is the difference between Athletic Participant Liability and Spectator Liability insurance?

If you are a facility owner or hosting a sports event with athletic participants, it’s important to consider purchasing General Liability with Participant Liability coverage. Athletic Participant Liability covers claims made by athletic participants, whereas spectator liability only covers claims made by people attending the event (spectators.)

If a participant is injured and sues you (the organizer or facility owner) for negligence, your General liability policy will not respond unless you have Athletic Participant Liability coverage.

If you only purchase Spectator Liability coverage, and rely on the participants to sign waivers, then this is risky, as waivers do not always stand in court. If a participant signs a waiver, he/she can still always take you to court for negligence.

What is accident medical insurance?

Accident Medical Insurance is a secondary policy available in conjunction with your General Liability policy. Limits through Athos can be purchased up to $100,000 per person, per accident. This is a no-fault based policy that reimburses for medical related expenses, excess of any health insurance and the policy deductible. This policy is effective to prevent small injury incidents from becoming large lawsuits on the General Liability policy.

What is the Junior Roller Derby Association, or JRDA?

JRDA stands for the Junior Roller Derby Association. This is an association and governing body for junior roller derby leagues. Athos has a special program through this association, with discounted rates. You can apply for the discounted rate through the JRDA website after becoming a member:

https://www.juniorrollerderby.org

How can I get my skate park covered?

At Athos, we can help get your private skate park covered if it is eligible for our carrier’s program. We can offer General Liability (with athletic participant coverage), Accident Medical coverage, and Equipment coverage. You can apply for this coverage by completing our skate park insurance application and emailing it back to our office: https://www.athosinsurance.com/skate-parks

How can I get my martial arts studio covered?

At Athos, we can help get your martial arts studio covered if it is eligible for our carrier’s program. We can offer General Liability (with athletic participant coverage), Accident Medical coverage, and Equipment coverage. You can quote and purchase instant coverage online with a credit card by clicking here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/martial-arts-insurance

How can I get my dance studio covered?

At Athos, we can help get your dance studio covered if it is eligible for our carrier’s program. We can offer General Liability (with athletic participant coverage), Accident Medical coverage, and Equipment coverage. You can quote and purchase instant coverage online with a credit card by clicking here: https://www.athosinsurance.com/dance-studios-insurance

How can I get my sports camp covered?

At Athos, we can help get your sports camp covered if it is eligible for our carrier’s program. We can offer General Liability (with athletic participant coverage), Accident Medical coverage, and Equipment coverage. Coverage can be purchased for 1 event, multiple events, or on an annual basis. You can quote and purchase instant coverage online with a credit card by clicking here: https://securecampinsurance.com/Athos/Highlights

How can I get my sport event covered?

How can I get my roller derby league covered?

If you belong to, or plan to join the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA), you can apply for discounted insurance through their website

https://www.juniorrollerderby.org

Athos has arranged for discounted rates for this association.

If your league is not associated with the JRDA, Athos can still offer very competitive rates for junior and adult roller derbies. Please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to ask for an application.

Do you cover adult roller derby leagues?

Yes, Athos can offer roller derby coverage to both junior and adult roller derby leagues. Please email us at service@athosinsurance.com to ask for an application.

Do I need to enforce signing a waiver?

Anytime you are conducting any athletic activities, your organization should ALWAYS enforce a waiver signing system. Waivers should also be updated regularly and kept on file.

Do you cover unsupervised skate parks?

Currently, the insurance carriers we work with are no longer covering unsupervised skate parks. We will update this, if the market changes.