Liability Insurance Details
Understanding What’s Covered for You
Through Texas Parks & Wildlife, Master Naturalist volunteers will have up to $1 million Personal Liability Insurance coverage. The policy may offer some protection for volunteers for injuries or death resulting from accidents during their service as volunteers for TPWD. Texas Master Naturalist volunteers are volunteers for TPWD and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The insurance is excess volunteer insurance. It is secondary to a program participant’s personal insurance (homeowner’s insurance) (up to $25,000 medical and $2,500 accidental death, dismemberment, or loss of sight). This is NOT co-insurance.
What it Does and Does Not cover
* It does cover a TMN volunteer in the event they hurt someone or damage property through the act of performing TMN-approved volunteer service
* It does cover a volunteer in transit to and from the area where the approved TMN volunteer service is conducted
* It does NOT cover vehicle collision, personal injury, or accidents
* It does NOT cover criminal acts
* It does NOT cover a volunteer when working on a project where TPWD is not a partner
* It does NOT cover anyone performing restitution of any sort
What do Volunteers need to Do?
* Volunteers need to be aware of and sign the application, which contains the Participant Waiver and Hold Harmless Form.
* Volunteers need to confirm their own personal insurance coverage. Often times a volunteer can purchase a rider along with their homeowner’s insurance for a nominal fee. (Personal Injury Coverage Endorsement #HO201 covers liable, slander, and physical injuries. Or Business Pursuits Liability Endorsement #HO220 both are around $10 to $20 per year). Contact your insurance agency for details.
What does the Chapter need to Remember?
* Approved volunteer service projects need to have specific event information on the dates, times, expected duties and names of volunteers working on projects.
* The Chapter Board and Committee Chairs need to ensure that volunteers complete the TPW Liability release form to be covered.
* Chapters need to keep an accurate master list of volunteers in the chapter. The means dropping inactive volunteers from their roster and keeping track of chapter transfers and new enrolled – this is probably the single most important aspect needed in the event of defending a claim.