Most news reports about yoga focus on the positive effects it has on practitioners’ mental, physical, and spiritual health. Sometimes, however, a yoga class or a single instructor makes the news for less favorable reasons.
These five real-life yoga claims made headlines and cost instructors time, money, and aura reputation points. Learn what happened, how to prevent similar accidents, and what to do if you’re faced with situations like these, so you can breathe easier in class and in managing your practice.
Yoga Claim Examples (That Liability Waivers Might Prevent)
Claim Example 1: Student Safety Negligence
Yoga Claims Examples
- An iguana attempting a “super-hero” landing
- Hilaria Baldwin (wife of actor Alec Baldwin)
- A car crashing into a building
- Former NBA player Brandon Hunter
A:
Claim Example 1: Student Safety Negligence
What went wrong:
During a popular New York yoga class, a participant fell from his handstand into a sixth-floor window. The window broke and the man suffered a gash in his leg that required 40 stitches.
The participant sued the celebrity yoga teacher for negligence, stating the class was overly crowded. According to the claim, allowing too many people into the class forced the man to perform poses too close to the window.
How to mitigate the risk:
Overcrowding increases the risk of class members injuring each other and themselves by not allowing them enough space to “fail” safely. Even with ample space students may still fall, but the chances of falling into another person or object are much lower.
Prevent injuries and claims stemming from overcrowding by:
- Knowing and enforcing the the class size limit
- Ensuring there is reasonable space between each student
- Make sure no one sets up too close to something that could cause additional injury if someone were to fall into it (like a window or mirror)
- Remove potential injury hazards from the room entirely
Claim Example 2: Outdoor Class Injury
A man taking a free outdoor yoga class in a Miami park was practicing the corpse pose when an iguana fell out of a tree and hit him in the face. The class was being live-streamed on the teacher’s social media page when the accident happened, allowing her to have proof for a possible claim that the accident was truly just an unexpected accident.
Claim Example 3: Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit
What went wrong:
A student slipped and fell on sweat that had pooled on the floor after a hot yoga class, injuring her elbow to the point she needed surgery. The student sued the New Jersey yoga teacher leading the class, and named the gym in the lawsuit as well.
The student’s claims were dismissed by the court, but the teacher was still stuck paying thousands in legal defense costs.
How to mitigate the risk:
Sweating is normal in most fitness classes, especially hot yoga. Regular students likely know this, but it’s still best practice for teachers to give friendly reminders, such as:
- Clean your area after class
- Watch out for slippery floors
- Drink water before, during, and after class to stay hydrated
Another best practice is to require liability waivers. Waivers outline the inherent risks in participating in the activity and help instructors and studios establish “informed consent.”
While liability waivers are designed to inform attendees of risks and to deter them from suing, they’re not always enforceable. However, the waiver did contribute to the court dismissing the claim in the case above.
You can’t always stop someone from suing, even with waivers, which is why yoga insurance includes coverage for legal defense costs.
Claim Example 4: Accidental Death During a Class
What went wrong:
Former NBA player Brandon Hunter reportedly collapsed at the end of a yoga class and was unable to be resuscitated. His mother-in-law told reporters at the time that he regularly attended these hot yoga classes and his collapse was a shock.
Because Hunter suffered a medical incident in the yoga studio that may have been triggered by his participation in the class, the yoga teacher and studio could be held liable for his unexpected death.
How to mitigate the risk:
Accidental deaths during yoga classes are rare, but severe health events are always a risk. To reduce the chances of them happening in your class, you should have current health history forms from all students.
Health history forms, like the PAR-Q form, help you identify:
- If a student has been or needs to be cleared by a doctor before participating in yoga
- If a student has underlying medical conditions or injuries to be aware of
- If a student is taking medications that may affect their ability to participate or level of participation
For example, one student may have a knee replacement that limits their mobility. Another may be on blood thinners, which makes them more susceptible to dizziness.
Knowing these things helps keep you from accidentally instructing a student to perform a movement more likely to hurt them. Additional tips for reducing the risk of medical events include:
- Provide modification options for poses and transitions
- Remind students during class that they are encouraged to use these modifications if needed
- Get updated health forms on a regular basis (for example, once a year)
- Monitor students for signs of distress
Claim Example 5: Damage to Gear and Equipment
What went wrong:
A driver lost control of their car and crashed through the window of a Boston yoga studio. Luckily, the studio was closed at the time, but there was significant damage to some of the equipment and the building.
How to mitigate the risk:
With the right business owners’ coverage, the studio was able to file a claim and get help fixing their facility.
If you were an instructor at this studio who had equipment in the building, your gear and equipment insurance (aka inland marine coverage) could help you repair or replace the damaged items.
Different Yoga Styles, Different Risks: What You Might Not Expect
- The type of yoga you teach can also influence the risks you face while teaching. For example: Goat yoga (or puppy or kitten yoga) adds the risk of a participant getting bitten
- Hot yoga increases the risk of heat-related fatigue, injury, and dehydration
- Relaxation yoga that includes use of essential oils, incense, bolsters, or blankets increases the risk of students experiencing an allergic reaction
Regardless of how risk-aware you are, it’s impossible to plan for every potential accident in every class you ever teach. That’s why you need yoga instructor liability insurance to protect you if and when an accident does happen.
Get the Best Liability Insurance for Yoga Teachers
Yoga teacher insurance from Insurance Canopy covers dozens of yoga styles — including goat yoga! And one policy covers you for multiple modalities at once, whether you teach in person, online, or both.
While an attorney can cost anywhere from $50–$1,000 per hour, Canopy policies start at just $159/year or $15/month.
Learn more about liability insurance for yoga instructors and get covered in minutes with our easy online checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga Insurance and Yoga Claims
Client injuries are the most common claims for yoga instructors. Since 2020, 50% of Insurance Canopy claims were for bodily injuries related to slip-and-fall incidents.
Yoga teacher insurance from Canopy includes coverage for rented spaces. So, if you rent studio space to teach, you would be covered for damage done to that studio.
Damage to equipment you own and use for teaching is covered under Gear and Equipment Insurance, also known as inland marine insurance. This is an optional add-on coverage you can add to your base policy.
Keep in mind, the specifics of what types of damages are covered and the amount available for these claims depend on the language in your policy.
- For serious or potentially serious injuries, call 911 immediately
- Perform first aid and CPR as necessary, to the extent you’re qualified to do so
- Document any and all injuries with as much detail as you can
- Notify your insurance provider as soon as possible
