Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about WFTDA Insurance.
Coverage is purchased online. Obtain instructions from your league's insurance representative. If you do not know who that is, or if you do not currently skate with a league and wish to purchase coverage as an unaffiliated skater, contact insurance@wftda.com for the link and instructions.
Note: you must purchase the same insurance coverage as your league. If your league does not have WFTDA insurance, you would need to purchase the same coverage your league has in order to avoid issues with general liability coverage.
Adult leagues must be based in the United States and adhere to the WFTDA safety protocols in order to qualify for coverage. For additional information, contact insurance@wftda.com.
WFTDA Insurance coverage includes general and excess liability coverage in the amount of $5 million, as well as personal accident coverage, which is intended to supplement a skater’s primary insurance.
We strongly recommend that all skaters carry primary insurance; your league may require that you carry primary insurance. The personal accident coverage through WFTDA insurance is intended to supplement primary insurance, not replace it. Roller derby injuries are expensive. If you do not have access to primary insurance, we recommend additional supplemental coverage like that offered through Extreme Sports Insurance (see <xsinow.com> for additional information) in addition to the coverage available through WFTDA Insurance.
Coverage through WFTDA insurance is not limited to personal accident coverage, it also includes general liability coverage, which protects the skater, fellow league members, and the league from third party liability. All skaters must purchase this type of insurance in order to avoid gaps in coverage.
Your league may refuse to allow you to participate if you do not purchase insurance coverage. General liability coverage is a basic business requirement, and your league is a business, first and foremost. General liability coverage protects you, your league, and your fellow league members.
WFTDA Insurance does not send out ID cards – they are expensive to administer and a huge waste of resources. You may log in to verify your ID by going to <www.wftda.com/login> and going to your profile page.
Any WFTDA insured skater or league. The WFTDA also has reciprocity agreements with MRDA, CRDi, RSC, Francis L Dean, and USARS.
Note: If you host a USARS skater or league, as part of our reciprocity agreement, USARS requires that host leagues sanction or charter through USARS in order for their insurance coverage to be in effect. Regardless of insurance, all visiting skaters may be required to sign a liability waiver prior to being permitted to participate.
It means we have a mutual agreement with those insurers to recognize and honor that coverage. This means skaters are not required to purchase additional insurance coverage when they visit a league that has different insurance. If you sustain an injury, you would file a claim with your own insurance provider.
WFTDA accident reports must be submitted within two weeks of your date of injury or your claim may be denied. Your league insurance rep has the necessary forms and paperwork. Forms may also be found on the WFTDA Sharepoint site, or requested from claims@wftda.com.
If you have primary insurance, all claims must first be submitted to your primary insurer. After your primary insurer has paid on the claim, they will mail you an explanation of benefits (EOB) statement, and you will receive bills for the excess amounts from your medical providers. When you start receiving EOBs and bills, please contact claims@wftda.com to request claim information. You will receive a proof of loss form and instructions from American Specialty in the mail. Complete and return the proof of loss form, along with all bills and EOBs. American Specialty will subtract your deductible ($2500 for skaters with primary insurance, $7500 for skaters without primary insurance), from any payments made. After you have submitted the initial accident report, you may claim expenses incurred for that injury up to twelve months following the date of injury.
All billing and claim information should be sent directly to you. You will then forward it to our insurer for payment or reimbursement after you have initiated a claim. Please do not have your doctor submit bills directly to WFTDA, as this will only delay the payment process. Again, all bills should be sent to you.
Your league insurance number is the Cert Number, located on the top right corner of your league’s certificate of insurance.
Certificates of Insurance, or COIs, are provided to leagues, not individual skaters. Your league may request a COI by completing and submitting the COI spreadsheet, which may be obtained from insurance@wftda.com. Allow a minimum of three business days for processing. COIs for your venue should only be requested if your venue requires to be listed as a certificate holder or additional insured. If your venue does not request a COI listing them as a certificate holder or additional insured, your league COI is sufficient to provide as proof of insurance. Your league may request up to five COIs at no cost. Additional COIs may be requested for $5 each.
All visitors, including non-skating volunteers, must sign the event waiver, which may be obtained on the WFTDA Sharepoint site or by emailing insurance@wftda.com.
For practices/scrimmages: visiting skaters are not required to have insurance. If the visiting skater has USARS and they become injured, the host league must sign their USARS accident report.
For bouts/boot camps/events open to the public: All skaters must be insured. If the visiting skater(s) has (have) USARS, the event must be sanctioned through USARS. The visiting USARS skater/league must comply with USARS sanction requirements. Sanctioning is not required for visiting USARS officials.
We do not insure skaters trying out. Be sure all skaters sign a liability waiver prior to being permitted to try out. Skaters are not required to purchase insurance coverage until they have completed their tryout period and joined your league.
All skaters with your adult league must be 18 or older. Our liability waiver states that the signer is 18 or older. Minors may not indemnify your adult league, and our insurer will not cover the liability of a minor skating with an adult league. Yes, even if the minor is 17 years, 364 days and 23 hours old. Skaters must be 18 or older. Absolutely no exceptions!
Everyone who participates with your league must sign the event waiver, which states the signer is 18 or older. If they cannot indemnify your league (and minors cannot), they should not be permitted to participate with your league. Our insurer won’t cover the liability of a minor involved with an adult derby league. All volunteers must be 18 or older.
Minors present an enormous liability because they cannot indemnify your league, nor can a parent waive the rights of a minor. Adults may only participate with juniors in a coaching or officiating capacity, and background checks may be required of adults who do participate in this manner. Junior participation at your adult bout must be limited to their involvement with their junior league. For example, they may sell merchandise or pass out fliers for their junior league at your adult bout. They may also participate in a halftime or demo (juniors only) bout. This is the extent they may participate with your adult league.
Plan ahead! At least 30 days in advance, your league should request a certificate of insurance from the visiting league so that you may verify their insurance. If the visiting league has WFTDA insurance, CRDi, RSC, MRDA, or Francis L Dean, nothing further must be done. All visitors must sign the event waiver prior to participating.
If the visiting league has USARS, the visiting league must sanction through USARS. You must provide a certificate of insurance to the USARS league 45 days in advance, allowing them sufficient time to sanction the event through USARS. Request a copy of the sanction once it has been processed. All visitors must sign the event waiver.
If a visiting referee has USARS, USARS will cover the referee without requiring the event be sanctioned through USARS. This applies to skating officials, only. The visiting official must sign the event waiver.
Please do not wait until the day before your bout to take care of insurance requirements. All visitors must sign the event waiver prior to participating. That includes volunteers, officials, photographers, skaters, coaches, ALL visitors.
The host league is responsible. The host league must verify that everyone participating has insurance coverage. This ensures there are no gaps in the general liability coverage. If a spectator were to be injured by a skater, the spectator may bring suit against both of the leagues, and their skaters. This is why BOTH teams and all skaters must have insurance. This is also why, if a league hosts a USARS skater or league, the visiting league must sanction through USARS, so that their insurance coverage is in effect.
Most fund-raising activities are covered under the general liability policy. Alcohol liability is excluded unless your league purchases separate coverage. For additional details, contact insurance@wftda.com.
Nothing “voids” your coverage, but certain activities, like failing to adhere to the safety protocols, not wearing required safety gear, or skating under the influence, will result in claims being denied if an injury is sustained as a result.
WFTDA Insurance covers skaters at league practices, scrimmages, bouts, tournaments, and boot camps that comply with the safety protocols. Coverage is limited to roller derby activities, no other skating activity is covered.
At this time, coverage through WFTDA insurance is limited to the United States and Canada. If you are traveling elsewhere, contact your primary insurer to determine if your coverage is valid in the country you will be traveling to. You may also look into purchasing travel insurance to cover you while abroad.
Yes, you may purchase coverage if you will be participating in roller derby activities while in the United States. Contact insurance@wftda.com for more information.
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