You are the head organizer for a massive, weekend-long fantasy LARP event. You’ve rented 100 acres of private woodland. 300 participants are showing up with foam swords, spell packets, and elaborate costumes. You are charging $50 a ticket to cover the portable toilets, the insurance, and the land rental.
On Saturday night, during a massive chaotic battle in the dark, a participant trips over an exposed root near a steep drop-off. They tumble down a 15-foot ravine, shattering their femur and suffering a severe spinal injury. A life-flight helicopter is called. A month later, the injured participant’s health insurance company sues you, the organizer, for $500,000, claiming gross negligence for failing to mark hazards in the combat zone.
The Brutal Truth: Why Standard Policies Deny This Claim
Do not even think about calling your personal homeowners insurance to defend you.
Because you charged $50 a ticket and organized an event for 300 people, this is a commercial enterprise. Your personal HO-3 Policy will immediately deny the claim under the Business Pursuits Exclusion. Furthermore, personal policies do not extend premise liability to 100 acres of rented commercial woodland. You are personally exposed to a half-million-dollar lawsuit.
If you thought the landowner’s insurance would cover it, you are mistaken. The landowner’s commercial policy protects them. In fact, their insurance company will likely subrogate against you, claiming you failed to safely manage the guests on their land.
The Platform Promise vs. Reality
You made everyone sign a robust liability waiver at check-in. Surely that protects you?
Waivers are deterrents, not impenetrable shields. In many states, a waiver cannot protect an organizer from claims of Gross Negligence. If the plaintiff’s lawyer proves that you organized a nighttime battle near a known, unmarked 15-foot ravine without putting up glow-sticks or caution tape, the judge will throw the waiver out. The waiver will not stop the lawsuit, nor will it pay for the $50,000 in defense attorney fees required to fight it in court.
How to Actually Protect Yourself (The Fix)
Running a LARP is exactly the same as running a music festival or a 5K race. It requires commercial event insurance.
- Buy a Special Event Liability Policy: You must purchase a short-term (1-3 day) Commercial General Liability policy specifically underwritten for live-action sports or theatrical events. This provides $1 Million to $2 Million in defense and settlement coverage.
- Name the Landowner as an Additional Insured: The private landowner will demand this anyway. Your policy must list them as an Additional Insured, meaning your insurance will defend them if they get dragged into the lawsuit.
- Form an LLC: Never run a 300-person event as a sole proprietor. Form an LLC, run all ticket sales through the business bank account, and buy the insurance in the name of the LLC. This protects your personal house and savings from being seized in a catastrophic lawsuit.
The Claims Adjuster’s Secret
When defending an event organizer, we subpoena the event’s safety and operations manuals. If you claim to have a dedicated “Safety Team” or “Marshals” who check the woods for hazards, we need documentation. If we depose your safety marshals and find out they were all drinking alcohol while on duty, or that no one actually walked the perimeter before the night battle, your defense falls apart instantly. Documented risk mitigation is the only way to win in court.
The Verdict (TL;DR)
The Risk Level: Extreme (Hundreds of people running through the dark guarantees bodily injury). The Solution: Form an LLC and purchase a Special Event Liability policy for the weekend. Estimated Cost: $300 to $800 per event, depending on attendance and activities.
A foam sword won’t hurt anyone, but an unmarked ravine will bankrupt you; buy the commercial event policy.