Body piercings and body art represent one of the most popular methods of self-expression today. There are tons of options for piercings, more than the average Joe can dream up. With all of these options for body piercings, there is also the possibility for mistakes. As an institution that performs body piercings, having adequate insurance coverage cannot be stressed enough. Body piercings don’t come without risk to the professional doing the piercing. Any service accompanied by risk needs to be adequately insured. If a body piercing goes wrong, and you find yourself on the opposite side of a lawsuit, make sure you’re covered.
Signed Consent
Every individual who has a piercing completed at a professional location should be required to sign a consent form. While this does not entirely release a professional or a piercing shop from all legal obligation, it remains an important document. It provides legal documentation that the individual getting pierced understood the risks prior to engaging in the action of the piercing. This is extremely important should a case ever be taken to court. Never complete a piercing without a signed consent form.
Always Be Clear With the Customer
Preventing problems is equally as important as having insurance coverage for when they do occur. All piercing shops should do their due diligence to be clear with the customer about what he/she wants and what the realistic expectations are. A belly button piercing is a good example. A young woman wants a belly button piercing but expresses that she’s trying to get pregnant. Obviously, the piercing may be compromised if the woman gets pregnant, and will not look the same during or after her pregnancy. It’s the responsibility of the piercing shop to explain this to her and allow her to make the educated decision about moving forward with the piercing. Obviously, a large percentage of young women may potentially become pregnant, that doesn’t mean that this discussion needs to be had with everyone. It simply provides a good example of information that a piercing shop should provide to inquiring consumers. Preventing problems by being clear with customers can help you avoid lawsuits down the road.
Allegations of Physical or Sexual Misconduct
Many body piercings can place the professional completing the piercing in a very compromising position. As a professional, it’s imperative to act as such even in such positions. Genital piercings are rather common and are most frequently related to any complaints of physical or sexual misconduct. Performing piercings of any kind, but especially those related to the genitals, are sensitive. Insurance coverage that provides protection for this type of claim is very important.
Infections
Infections of body piercings are not uncommon. And, they may be the result of poor hygiene on the customer’s end. Regardless of who’s fault, infections remain a very common source of lawsuits against body piercing shops. Obviously ensuring that body piercings are completed in a sterile environment is the first step to reducing liability in this area. Educating the customer about appropriate care of their piercing is another way to reduce the possibility of infection. Unfortunately, even after these measures are taken, infections still occur, all the more proving the importance of having quality insurance coverage for all piercing shops.
Botched Piercings
Some piercings just don’t end well. Whether the piercing was placed incorrectly or the customer didn’t care for it properly, sometimes it just looks downright weird. There are some obvious ways to avoid this from happening; take time and care with every single piercing. Ensure that the customer’s desires are understood prior to placing a piercing. And finally, ensure that appropriate piercing measures are taken (sterilization, clean jewelry, etc.). Even with all of these measures, some piercings are still rejected by an individual’s body or simply put, mistakes happen. If something is messed up, that customer has to live with the mistake likely for the rest of their life. Filing a lawsuit against the piercing shop in these cases is very common. Having adequate insurance coverage can prevent the financial demise of a piercing shop due to a lawsuit based on a piercing mistake.
Don’t Wait for a Body Piercing to Go Wrong, Call Marine Agency Insurance Today!
If you wait for a body piercing to go wrong, it’s too late to get adequate insurance coverage. In addition to taking the safeguards as mentioned above, having a quality insurance plan that covers liabilities related to body piercings is essential to ensuring the safety of your business.
Marine Agency Insurance has been providing insurance policies to tattoo and body piercing shops for the last 25 years. They are well equipped to meet your needs and answer your questions. Call today to get your policy started!
