Coaches Liability
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A New Jersey high school student has filed a lawsuit against his coach for benching him, allegedly in retaliation for the student's refusal to play with an injured leg.
You thought baseball was the great American pastime? Nope. It's suing.
Even if you're not getting paid but instead coaching as a volunteer for your kid's team, it's wise to take precautions.
First, ask the league what insurance it carries for its coaches. If the league doesn't carry insurance on your behalf, you can look for coaching associations that may offer liability insurance, or check your homeowner's policy which may cover you against lawsuits done in a nonprofit capacity. But the best way to prevent lawsuits is to prevent injuries, so inspect the field before you play for dangers. Implement procedures like keeping kids away from a swinging bat to prevent injuries and, perhaps most importantly, teach them good sportsmanship to understand that you win some, you lose some, but you don't sue some.
