Usually, yes, someone at your event needs liability coverage, and most of it should come from your venue and your vendors rather than from you. For a racing simulator, ask the rental company for a certificate of insurance. If your venue requires it, ask that the venue (or you) be named as an additional insured. SimsForHire is fully insured in the United States and provides certificates of insurance on request. Here is what each piece means.
Who carries what
- The venue generally has its own liability insurance, as the Insurance Information Institute notes, and often requires vendors to show proof of theirs.
- The vendor (here, the simulator company) should carry commercial general liability for its equipment and staff.
- You, the host, may need extra coverage in some cases, especially for events at home. The same III guidance says a home host may want liability coverage beyond a homeowners policy.
What commercial general liability covers
According to the Insurance Information Institute, a commercial general liability (CGL) policy covers:
- Bodily injury and property damage to others caused by the insured's negligence.
- Personal and advertising injury, such as libel or copyright infringement.
- Limited medical payments for non-employees injured in an accident on the insured's premises, on a no-fault basis.
- Legal defense costs, up to the policy limits.
The III also lists what CGL excludes, including workers' compensation, professional liability and liquor liability. If alcohol is served at your event, ask your venue or caterer how liquor liability is covered. A simulator vendor's CGL policy won't cover it.
Certificates of insurance: what they do and don't do
The standard form most U.S. vendors send is the ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance. The form itself, as filed with the New York State Department of Financial Services, states that it is issued as a matter of information only and confers no rights on the certificate holder. It also says that if the certificate holder is an additional insured, the policy must have additional-insured provisions or be endorsed.
In practice:
- Certificate holder means you (or the venue) get proof that the policy exists.
- Additional insured means you are actually covered under the vendor's policy for claims arising from its work, which takes an endorsement. If your venue contract requires it, tell the vendor early.
Event cancellation insurance is a separate product
Liability insurance doesn't refund your costs if the event can't happen. Special event or cancellation insurance does. The NAIC explains that it can cover postponement for bad weather, illness or injury of key participants, and a vendor who fails to deliver after taking a deposit. It also warns that most policies exclude pandemics and communicable diseases. The III suggests checking what your credit card, homeowners or renters policy already covers before you buy.
A simple checklist for planners
- Read your venue contract for insurance requirements, including limits and additional-insured wording.
- Send those requirements to every vendor, including the simulator company.
- Collect certificates before the event, and confirm endorsements where required.
- Sort out liquor liability with the venue or caterer if alcohol is served.
- Decide whether you want cancellation coverage for the event as a whole.
This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your broker can tell you what your situation requires.
How SimsForHire handles insurance
SimsForHire is fully insured in the United States, and we provide certificates of insurance on request. Insurance is billed as its own line on your quote; it is not included in the rig price. Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum — all plus tax and insurance. We deliver, set up, staff and tear down the rigs. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote the delivery fee on request. See pricing, or read our simulator safety guide. Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or start a booking. We reply within 24 hours.