markEdwardPhoto wrote:
Case 1: Model and photographer are at the photographers house. While shooting the photographer trips and knocks over a strobe and hits the Model in the face. The model get a severe cut on her face which scars her face for good.
Six months later you get a letter from a law firm say that you are being sued for neglegence. The model is sueing for $5 million because you ruined her potential modeling career.

Now what?

Are you LLC'd?  Do you have insurance?

If you don't you, your house and your family are at risk of losing everying you have.

Don't think it can't happen. I will!!! We are a very litigeous society.

Accidents happen all the time. Even if are aquitted in the lawsuit the cost associated with going to court is staggering.

So, how are you protecting yourself?

Models you should ask photographers if they are insured. What protections do you have against accidents on location or at the photographers studio?


M

Living in Texas helps a lot.

Your primary residence, retirement accounts, and wages are untouchable by creditors, which includes those that sue you. A smart lawyer would realize you might not be worth suing, and go after someone else with deeper pockets.

States differ, but often being "judgement proof" is the best defense against lawsuits, which simply means you aren't worth going after. I believe that LLC's and such play on this by putting funds in accounts that are out of reach of creditors.

Wouldn't having a large liability policy have the effect of making you a bigger target?

markEdwardPhoto wrote:
So, how are you protecting yourself?

Sand bag on the tripod

Having no real assets

Having a liability wavier signed

rp_photo wrote:
Wouldn't having a large liability policy have the effect of making you a bigger target?

so the assumption is that the injured party is abusing the system by suing?

oldguysrule wrote:

so the assumption is that the injured party is abusing the system by suing?

Maybe, maybe not.

A slick personal injury attorney could try and find out what the defendent is "good for" and set the suit amount accordingly.

Justin Huang wrote:
u know, they invented photoshop for a reason

Unfortunately, photoshop can not protect your home and your bank account. People will sue you given the oppurtunity. Just look in the papers.

M

Jessalyn_54 wrote:
tonight at a shoot I was joking with the photographer about having insurance....guess it isn't that funny? whatever, I laughed anyway  we were out on his boat and he asked me to stand on the very end of the boat and I thought I might fall and drown. then we were up on some craggy rocks shooting, nearly fell into the abyss and died.

I got hit on the head by a 40 pound rock that fell while I was climbing for a landscape nude shot. I didn't sue.

e-string wrote:
I got hit on the head by a 40 pound rock that fell while I was climbing for a landscape nude shot. I didn't sue.

That's horrifying. I'm so glad you survived.

e-string wrote:

I got hit on the head by a 40 pound rock that fell while I was climbing for a landscape nude shot. I didn't sue.

hit in the head by a 40 pound rock... you are lucky you can still spell "sue" LOL

_Cinnamon_ wrote:

That's horrifying. I'm so glad you survived.

I get hurt (or at least am put in uncomfortable situations like freezing water) almost every time we shoot.. and yet it's totally worth it! Hard work yields amazing results with someone as talented as he is.

e-string wrote:

I got hit on the head by a 40 pound rock that fell while I was climbing for a landscape nude shot. I didn't sue.

When you woke up was the photographer zipping up his pants?

ClevelandSlim wrote:

hit in the head by a 40 pound rock... you are lucky you can still spell "sue" LOL

I wanted to get the shot afterwards, and he wouldn't let me. lol

JM Dean wrote:

When you woke up was the photographer zipping up his pants?

haha. It fell, he didn't throw it at me.   He's a sweetie.

markEdwardPhoto wrote:
So, how are you protecting yourself?
M

I just try and be really, really careful.

That and my entire net worth is a '94 Toyota truck and one Pentax 6x7.