Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
International Mountain Bicycling Association lose general liability insurance coverage
This letter is to inform the City of Fort Worth that as of midnight, Saturday, March 1, 2014 the Fort Worth Mountain Bikers’ Association (FWMBA), a 501c3, non-profit mountain bike club will no longer have a general liability insurance policy to indemnify the City from FWMBA’s operations within Gateway and Marion Sansom Parks. FWMBA was informed by their insurance agent, Marsh & McLennan Agency of this news Saturday, February 15, 2014. This decision to not renew the policy was not the result of any claims filed against FWMBA. FWMBA has a spotless run/loss statement. FWMBA is actively seeking a carrier to secure insurance. However, insurance agents have stated that it will be impossible for FWMBA to retain a new general liability policy before the March 1 deadline. Therefore, per our license agreement with the City, which requires the club maintain a general liability insurance policy, FWMBA will not be in compliance with the agreement.
Unless some breakthrough happens, on Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00pm FWMBA will inform our membership and the general public via our website forum and social media outlets of this news. FWMBA will cancel their planned trail building day on March 1 and will cease all sanctioned maintenance activity in the parks in which they operate until this issue is resolved. Of course, FWMBA desires to see our trails remain open through this crisis. FWMBA is requesting a statement from the City before Noon this Friday, February 28 regarding whether or not the mountain bike trails are to remain open so that we can advise our membership.
Marsh & McLennan Agency and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) work together to provide insurance to their chapter and affiliated clubs (FWMBA is an IMBA affiliated club). Through a ”master policy” written to IMBA, the insurance underwriter and IMBA provided a means for mountain bike clubs like FWMBA to purchase insurance at a discounted rate. Unfortunately, Marsh & McLennan Agency and IMBA were unable to come to terms as to how the 2014 “master policy” would be structured. As a result mountain bike clubs across the country like FWMBA were summarily dropped by Marsh & McLennan Agency with less than two weeks to find insurance elsewhere.
IMBA is actively seeking an underwriter to secure insurance. IMBA executive director, Mike Van Able writes, “IMBA staff is working very hard to find suitable replacements for a national insurance program. We have already interviewed nine potential brokers, with several additional interviews scheduled in upcoming days. However, it's not likely a new program will be in place in time to avoid a lapse in coverage, given the current policy's expiration on Feb. 28.”
Unless some breakthrough happens, on Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00pm FWMBA will inform our membership and the general public via our website forum and social media outlets of this news. FWMBA will cancel their planned trail building day on March 1 and will cease all sanctioned maintenance activity in the parks in which they operate until this issue is resolved. Of course, FWMBA desires to see our trails remain open through this crisis. FWMBA is requesting a statement from the City before Noon this Friday, February 28 regarding whether or not the mountain bike trails are to remain open so that we can advise our membership.
Marsh & McLennan Agency and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) work together to provide insurance to their chapter and affiliated clubs (FWMBA is an IMBA affiliated club). Through a ”master policy” written to IMBA, the insurance underwriter and IMBA provided a means for mountain bike clubs like FWMBA to purchase insurance at a discounted rate. Unfortunately, Marsh & McLennan Agency and IMBA were unable to come to terms as to how the 2014 “master policy” would be structured. As a result mountain bike clubs across the country like FWMBA were summarily dropped by Marsh & McLennan Agency with less than two weeks to find insurance elsewhere.
IMBA is actively seeking an underwriter to secure insurance. IMBA executive director, Mike Van Able writes, “IMBA staff is working very hard to find suitable replacements for a national insurance program. We have already interviewed nine potential brokers, with several additional interviews scheduled in upcoming days. However, it's not likely a new program will be in place in time to avoid a lapse in coverage, given the current policy's expiration on Feb. 28.”
More at http://fwmba.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6041 . (Fort Worth Mountain Bicycling Association)