Liability Issues

Village Witch

A friend of mine who is a psychic/medium told me she has insurance against liability for any readings she does. She is also a reiki practitioner which is covered under the same insurance policy. She also asks her clients to sign a waiver stating that readings are for entertainment purposes only and that reiki should never be used in place of seeking professional medical attention. I have a disclaimer saying such on the back of my business cards.

I am assuming fortune telling or tarot reading would fall under the same category and would be insurable against liability. I need to check into that.

Just wondering what any of you do to protect yourselves against liability or lawsuits or if you ever worry about such issues. Curious as to what the laws are about such things around the world.
 

Grizabella

I can't imagine there being any insurance company anywhere that would give liability insurance to a Tarot reader or any other kind of psychic profession. She must be talking about something other than liability insurance for that.

And if she's making people sign waivers, there wouldn't be any need for insurance to cover her business activities, anyway.

Maybe you misunderstood her or she misunderstood you. It will be interesting if you can find out.
 

intothemusic

Seriously!!? This isn't something I worry about it. If I get the slightest vibe that someone is crazy-- or crazy enough to sue me - I wouldn't read for them. But not to mention, I can't imagine any attorney would take on such a case or any court would take it seriously. The only thing that would stand in court would be "not getting what you paid for."
 

nisaba

Village Witch said:
Just wondering what any of you do to protect yourselves against liability or lawsuits or if you ever worry about such issues. Curious as to what the laws are about such things around the world.
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I assume that the new age shop and the café where I read have their own public liability insurance, so that if anyone trips, falls and does themselves an injury as my client they'll be covered. That is, in the unlikely event that they might even think of suing, rather than just getting on with things.

In thirty-plus years, I've never been sued for anything I've said - or for anything else, as it happens. Why should I worry?
 

ravenest

They put the stall fees up at the markets I went to to cover liabilities ... my little 4 aluminium poles and shade roof had to be covered against a $1,000,000 claim. I said that was ridiculous and I was asked "What if a big wind picks it up and it lands leg first in a baby's eye lying in a stroller?"

< puts fingers in ears>

"Okay! Okay! Here is the extra money." :bugeyed:

- Apparently Australia is one of the most litigious countries in the world

http://doelegal.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/global-litigation-rates-us-is-not.html
 

Disa

In both my Reiki and my life coaching courses, they do recommend having a waiver signed.

I suppose one could be done to encompass the readings along with her psychic/medium readings if for no other reason than to clarify and get in writing that the client understands what is said in the reading isn't set in stone and they make their own choices regarding their lives rather than relying solely on "the reader made me do it".

There is also mention of getting liability insurance for Reiki through the International Center for Reiki in the event someone falls off the Reiki table or something like that.

As far as Tarot goes, the most I've heard is put disclaimers up on your website and brochures, etc.

I'm not sure how you get insurance to cover actual readings? OR the actual practice of Reiki if someone claimed it didn't do what they thought it would do-the waivers are good for explaining what is supposed to happen.

Better safe than sorry. I don't see any harm in looking into it.

I've also heard of events having the practitioner pay for the liability in the stalls or wherever their "tents" are set up in the event of falling poles, etc.
 

DownUnderNZer

Well, it seems "Fortune Teller Public Liability" insurance is offered it seems.....WOW!!!!
But makes sense in case of slip and falls, physical accidents etc and for anyone that has a business really. So, do not know why FORTUNE TELLER needs to be included.

http://www.blackfriarsgroup.com/public-liability-insurance/fortunetellers.html

Kgirl said:
This!

As someone who used to work in an insurance company for over ten years, I can't imagine any company giving insurance cover for this. Ever.

At the same time, as a lawyer, I can't imagine anybody successfully suing a tarot reader.
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Kgirl

Yeah that is standard public liability. Possibly they are using "fortune teller" in the title as a marketing type ploy to attract tarot readers that set up shop at different venues, but that example does not disprove my point.

That is not for the reading itself, it is for someone who may get injured on their way to a reading etc
 
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