Liability Insurance for Summer Activities

Hiking, boating, ATV tours, and, of course, fireworks—summer is all about enjoying the beautiful weather with friends and family. If you own a business offering tours, equipment rentals, and other services related to summer fun, you need to make sure you have liability insurance for summer activities.

Summer Fun—and Some Associated Risks

Each summer activity comes with its own risks. Though many of these are rare, they can happen, and you need to make sure you have the coverage for legal fees, medical bills, and more should someone file a claim against you after an incident.

• Boat, Canoe, and Kayak Rentals: Canoes and kayaks may capsize; those aboard may hit their heads on a rock or drown. The American Boating Association mentions drowning as the primary cause of death in recreational boating accidents and says there are several contributing factors that lead to death and injury, including alcohol use, inclement weather, excessive speed, operator inattention or inexperience, failure to wear life jackets, and more.
• Pools and Water Parks: Again, drowning is a major concern—it is the leading cause of death for children under the age of four (after birth defects) and the second leading cause for those under age 14. Other risks include slipping on stairs or pool decks, getting injured on a slide, getting kicked or hit by a fellow swimmer, contracting a water-borne illness, and getting injured by pool chemicals.
• Playgrounds: Every year, more than 200,000 children under the age of 14 visit the emergency room because of injuries they sustain on the playground. About 45 percent are very serious: broken bones, internal injuries, concussions, and even amputations. Trash and rusty or broken equipment can increase the risk of an incident.
• ATV and Other Rentals and Tours: Accidents caused by user error or equipment malfunction may result in scrapes and bruises, broken bones, concussions, and death.
• Mountain Biking and Hiking: Falls or bike crashes on a mountain can be devastating, complete with sprained ankles, broken bones, or worse. In high-traffic areas, there is a risk of colliding with other cyclists or vehicles.
• Scenic Chair Lifts and Gondola Rides: With well-maintained equipment, users are generally safe—however, there have been incidents like the one where a boy was left dangling from a ski lift twenty feet in the air. Fortunately, this child was saved, unharmed, but it is possible to slip and fall from a chair lift.
• Golf, Mini Golf, or Disc Golf: Hazards on the course, a poorly maintained course, or faulty equipment may lead to injury.
• Fireworks: In 2023, CPSC received reports of 8 deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries involving fireworks. Out of the 8 deaths, 5 were associated with firework misuse, 2 with a device malfunction, and 1 involves unknown circumstances.

You Need Liability Insurance for Summer Activities

If your business includes products and services for activities like the ones listed above, you need to protect yourself against claims and lawsuits. Though you may go years without an incident or a claim, it may only take one to financially devastate your business. Liability insurance is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself, your employees, and your company.

Liability insurance for summer activities, perhaps in combination with commercial property insurance (if you own the building or property), professional, personal, or general liability, is essential. Together, these plans can create the ideal amount of coverage for your needs, depending upon what type of activities you offer, how many people you serve, and how many people you employ. General liability, for example, is great to have in addition to other policies because it can go above and beyond the first policy to help cover medical bills or legal fees in the event of a lawsuit.

Camp Counselor Liability Insurance

With so many people going to summer camp year after year growing up, it’s easy to see why becoming a camp counselor when you’re old enough is so popular. Not only do you get to keep doing the things you love, but you also get to earn money in the process. But while it’s easy to get caught up in all the fun you’re having, you need to keep in mind that as a camp counselor, you’re faced with a world of responsibility, including the well-being and safety of all the kids.

This is why it’s so important to have a camp counselor liability insurance plan to protect yourself from civil lawsuits in the event the parents of a child file a claim against you for incidents including injury to their child, abuse, or negligence. While you might do your best to make sure nothing bad ever happens to a camper, you can’t always be there to prevent the unfortunate from happening. This is why you need to protect yourself from such cases, so take the next steps and get yourself covered with a custom camp counselor liability plan.

Liability Insurance for Summertime Businesses

National Safety Month is an annual campaign championed by the National Safety Council (NSC) every June. It’s a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of creating safer environments, from workplaces to every place in between. Since its inception in 1996, National Safety Month has been instrumental in providing a wealth of complimentary resources aimed at spotlighting the primary drivers of preventable injuries and fatalities.

Understanding the critical significance of this observance is essential for businesses and individuals alike. At XINSURANCE, we recognize that safety extends beyond a single month and must be a continual commitment. Let’s embrace National Safety Month as a prompt to unite in our efforts to enhance safety protocols, not just this June, but throughout the entire year. Together, we can proactively make everyone’s lives safer.

The NSC provides free resources for topics like safety engagement, roadway safety, risk reduction, and slips, trips, and falls.

Know The Facts

Nearly 2 million Americans are injured each year from popular summertime activities, according to hospital tracking data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some of the most common summertime accidents are car accidents, heatstroke, water accidents, bike crashes, sunburns, food poisoning, playground accidents, bug bites, fireworks, and pet hazards.

Let’s break it down by common summertime activities:

• Water Sports – 29,000 injuries each year
• Amusement Parks, State Fairs, Carnival Rides – 37,000 injuries each year
• Volleyball – 59,000 injuries each year
• Trampoline – 83,000 injuries each year
• Swimming – 181,000 injuries each year
• Soccer – 214,000 injuries each year
• ATVs, Mopeds, Mini Bikes – 221,000 injuries each year
• Playgrounds – 244,000 injuries each year
• Baseball and Softball – 261,000 injuries each year
• Bicycles – 550,000 injuries each year

In addition, there were an estimated 11,000 fireworks-related injuries in 2016 and 7,600 of those injuries happened between June 18 and July 18.

Summertime activities typically require a lot of physical activity, leading to a common injury – a slip and fall. In 2023, there were 8 million fall-related injuries that resulted in a trip to the emergency room, making them the leading case of emergency room visits.

Are you taking proper precautionary steps to ensure safety? Is it enough?

Insurance Coverages For Summertime Businesses

It doesn’t matter if your business is new, small, or a fortune 500 company. We provide liability insurance solutions even if you’ve been dropped, non-renewed, or canceled. We are here to help you if you’re struggling to get liability insurance for the summer season. No matter what the case may be, don’t be a victim of insufficient coverage. Let XINSURANCE be your partner and give you the true peace of mind you deserve so you can focus on running a successful business.

We provide customized insurance solutions through an all-in-one approach to fit your needs. Coverages can include:

• Commercial General Liability
• Equipment Rental Liability
• Commercial Auto Liability (available in most states)
• Professional Liability
• Products Liability
• Spectator Liability
• Premises Liability
• Special Events
• Riot & Civil Commotion Liability (new coverage option)
• Excess Medical
• Property Coverage
• Communicable Disease Liability Coverage (new coverage option)
• D&O, E&O
• Wrongful Acts
• Animal Liability
• Active Shooter Liability
• Alleged Sexual Abuse and Molestation Liability
• Alleged Assault & Battery Liability
• And More!

How We Can Help

At XINSURANCE, we believe everyone deserves the peace of mind that comes with liability insurance. That’s why we’re happy to work with you to customize a plan to suit your needs. It doesn’t matter what type of summer activities you specialize in. It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is. It doesn’t even matter if you have a history of claims or have been denied coverage by other companies. We’re here for you.

As members of America Outdoors and the World Waterpark Association, we’re passionate about these types of activities and encouraging people to participate. The growth and ongoing success of your business is a part of that.

Whether you run an equipment rental or tour company year-round or specialize in summer events, including fireworks, contact us and get a quote. You can call us any time at 877-585-2853 or send an email to

Authored by Rick J. Lindsey, President, Chairman, and CEO of XINSURANCE

Rick J. Lindsey hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. He began working in the mailroom of his father’s Salt Lake City insurance firm, getting his introduction to the business that became his lifelong career. Rick J. Lindsey quickly rose through the ranks while working in nearly every imaginable insurance industry job. As an entrepreneur, specialty lines underwriter, claims specialist, risk manager, and a licensed surplus lines broker, Rick J. Lindsey is highly skilled in all levels of leadership and execution. As he progressed on his career path, Rick J. Lindsey discovered an urgent need for insurers willing to write policies for high-risk individuals and businesses. He was frequently frustrated that he could not provide the liability protection these entities desperately needed to safeguard their assets. He also formed the belief that insurance companies acted too quickly to settle frivolous claims. Rick J. Lindsey decided to try a different approach. He started an insurance company and became the newly formed entity’s CEO. This opportunity has enabled Rick J. Lindsey to fill a void in the market and provide a valuable service to businesses, individuals, and insurance agents who write high-risk business. XINSURANCE also specializes in helping individuals and businesses who live a lifestyle or participate in activities that make them difficult for traditional carriers to insure. If you’ve been denied, non-renewed, or canceled coverage, don’t give up quite yet. Chances are XINSURANCE can help.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]