Coverage for Space Used for Special Events
There are occasions when space owned by another individual or organization is needed for use by the Team for AFS events and activities. In providing this space, the owner may require a certificate of insurance for protection against losses. When such a request is received, a copy of the Certificate of Insurance application form should be completed and forwarded to Field Finance in the NY Office. Upon receipt of this form, a certificate of insurance will be prepared and mailed directly to the owner requesting the certificate with a copy going to the Team volunteer who submitted the application.
Liability Insurance
AFS Liability Insurance does not cover individual participants or host families. If an accident occurs at school or during a school-sponsored activity, the participant may be covered under the school insurance. AFS and its staff and all volunteers are covered by the AFS liability policy. This policy covers volunteers while performing duties directly related to their volunteer job. In some situations this is secondary insurance coverage. If there is an incident that may generate a liability claim against AFS, notify the Director of Risk Management and Quality Assurance immediately.
Volunteer Insurance
The AFS International Insurance Program: Coverage for Volunteers Worldwide The following is a summary of the types of insurance coverage that AFS provides for its volunteers worldwide. Please address any questions you have about the following information to the Director of Risk Management and Quality Assurance. It is important that all volunteers participating in AFS activities understand how they are covered as well as those things for which they are not covered. To this end, we encourage you to share this information with all of the volunteers in your team or chapter.
AFS carries liability insurance from covered losses that are allegedly caused by its volunteers worldwide.
AFS has had volunteers added wherever possible to its insurance policies as Additional Insureds. This status means that insurance will extend to protect the volunteer if they are sued by name for a covered action allegedly done on behalf of AFS. Note that there is an exception for host families. They are not additional insureds, and are therefore not personally protected by the insurance. When a volunteer is also serving as a host family, the AFS liability coverage would cover them in the case of a lawsuit resulting from events or activities specifically related to their volunteer duties such as an accident which occurs during an AFS group activity. AFS liability would not cover them however if they were sued for events or circumstances specifically related to their hosting of an individual participant.
Here are the insurance policies under which volunteers are Additional Insureds:
- General liability. This includes bodily injury, personal liability and incidental medical malpractice (this means emergency services provided by somebody who is not a medical professional).
- Automobile liability. The organization is protected from covered losses that are caused by a volunteer. See the section below about the automobile liability insurance for which volunteers remain personally responsible
- AFS insurance protects the organization and volunteers from liability caused by the volunteer's operation of a rental vehicle resulting in damage to another vehicle or physical injury to others. This coverage does not include physical damage to the rental vehicle. Any offered insurance by the rental company should be purchased. For more information please contact Rory Vibar
- Umbrella/Excess liability insurance (which increases the limits of coverage for general liability and automobile liability)
- Crime insurance. This covers money and securities belonging to AFS, and includes embezzlement, loss on and off the AFS premises, and computer fraud
- Directors’ and Officers’ liability. This addresses alleged wrongdoing or losses allegedly caused by poor judgment, including by volunteers
- Travel accident insurance, for certain medical expenses which volunteers may encounter while traveling internationally on AFS business
Here are areas where volunteers do not have coverage:
- Professional services are not included in the insurance coverage. A professional service is one that’s usually licensed, such as a medicine, law, architecture, counseling or engineering
- Workers’ Compensation insurance is not provided for volunteers
- Personal automobile liability is the responsibility of the volunteer. This means that the automobile insurance of the volunteer will have to respond in the event of an accident involving their car, even if the accident happened while the volunteer was driving for AFS. The AFS insurance can provide coverage when the volunteer’s insurance is exhausted, but not instead of it. This is a standard insurance requirement
- There is no insurance for the medical or disability expenses of volunteers who may be hurt or become ill while volunteering for AFS in their home country
- There is no coverage for physical damage to volunteers’ cars
- There is no coverage for the property of volunteers