Gracie and James Durmon entered the “haunted” corn maze anticipating some harmless, Halloween fun. When a person dressed up as Jason from the Friday the 13th movies jumped out at her, Gracie ran frantically away. Unfortunately Gracie fell, breaking her leg. A lawsuit soon followed.
This incident in Dixie, LA, points out the importance of having the proper liability coverage for special events – especially during this time of fall-themed attractions. Even though the verdict worked out in the defendant’s favor, they had the foresight to mention to their insurer that they ran a corn maze on their property. If they had not, any accident wouldn’t have been covered by their insurance policy.
In other words, your clients who have these seasonal events need to be made fully aware of every possible exposure that awaits them.
Burns & Wilcox offers coverages for a broad range of events and can provide up to a $5 million primary limit. These solutions also cover the participants/patrons as well. In fact, unique programs can be created for periodic amusements such as:
- Apple Picking
- Concerts
- Corn/Straw Bale Mazes
- Halloween Contests
- Haunted Houses/Forests/Trails
- Make-Your-Own-Scarecrow Contests
- Paintball Performances
- Pumpkin Patches
- Trackless Train Rides
While bounce houses, haunted mazes and scary monsters may be fun and games for some, they do present serious risks for your clients. To guide you through the maze of exposures that could affect your clients, talk with an expert wholesaler first. The only things that should be scary this time of year should be ghouls and goblins, not liability issues.
