Mud bogging (A.K.A., mud racing, mud running, mud drags, or just mudding) is popular motorsport in the U.S. Like many sports of its kind, finding insurance coverage for facilities and promoters can be a challenge. Many insurance providers refuse to provide coverage for several reasons. Carriers may not want to insure a venue, modified vehicles, lack of crowd control, or claims from previous events.
How do you get insurance for mud bogging events, and what type of insurance do you need? Let's take a closer look.
What Does Mud Bog Insurance Cover?
Insurance for mud bogging events typically covers bodily injury and property damage claims from your participants and spectators.
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance protects any business or individual from incurring a sizable expense from defending and settling a claim. This insurance has two major components:
● Duty to Defend — This is a term used to describe an insurer’s obligation to provide an insured with defense to claims made under a liability insurance policy. As a general rule, an insured need only establish that there is potential for coverage under a policy to give rise to the insurer’s duty to defend. Therefore, the duty to defend may exist even where coverage is in doubt and ultimately does not apply. Implicit in this rule is the principle that an insurer’s duty to defend an insured is broader than its duty to indemnify.[1] This is an extremely important component as the cost to defend an organization can be extremely expensive. The policy will on your behalf provide and pay for defense counsel.
● Pay Covered Claims on Behalf of the Insured - The insurer will pay all sums that the insured is legally obligated to pay as damages because of property damage and bodily injury resulting from an occurrence. ... WE WILL PAY THOSE SUMS THAT THE INSURED BECOMES LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO PAY AS DAMAGES.[2]
Accident Insurance
One way to mitigate bodily injury claims is to provide your participants with accident insurance. This coverage is excess of any other insurance the injured person may have but will provide accident medical coverage, a life benefit, and a dismemberment benefit.
How Much Does Mud Bog Insurance Cost?
Whether you are holding a one-day, single event, or own a facility that hosts mud bog events throughout the year, the cost of insurance for special events depends on several factors such as:
● The number of participants and attendees
● The level of risk of property damage or injury
● The total amount of coverage you need
● Your incident history or previous lawsuits against you
● The condition of the facilities or property you want to insure
Your Jones Birdsong insurance agent can work with you to determine the right type of insurance and the amount of coverage to meet your needs.
What About Waivers: Are You Protected?
In theory, yes. You are protected. However, waivers are no guarantee that your company or property will not get sued. Furthermore, waivers often cover injuries that are predictable or expected at a mud bogging event. Events like mud bogging that offer little participant or crowd control create opportunities for damages that are not outlined in the waiver. They do not always account for certain variables.
Therefore, you may still have to pay out if someone is injured during your event. The best way to mitigate your financial risk is to take out mud bog insurance. Also, you want to make your facility as safe as possible to avoid accidents.
We will work with you to present the best risk mitigation plan available.
Liability Insurance for Your Event
Remember, some states require you to carry insurance for official mud bogging events. If you do not have insurance, then speak with an insurance broker today.
At Jones Birdsong, we can help you find full coverage for your event and all entities involved. We offer insurance plans for landowners, race teams, individual competitors, employees, and company executives.
We specialize in service after the same and provide 24-hour claim service, quick quotes, and can help you with all endorsements and other documentation. We work for you to help you secure the best insurance in the industry at affordable rates. To get a quick quote from one of our brokers, call us today at 952-467-6111, or you can message us at ballen@jonesbirdsong.com.
[1] IRMI Glossary
[2] IRMI Glossary