Insurance Explanation

The a purpose of this page is to provide a summary of the insurance coverage carried by the MARC National Club and how it will be administered. Additionally a “Request for Certificate of General Liability Insurance” form may be obtained after reading the MARC Insurance Summary by clicking the link below.

NOTE: If it is determined that an additional Special Event Liability Insurance Policy, or General Liability Policy is required this additional policy may be obtained from any number of sources, it is not required to be purchased from the MARC insurance provider.

The Model A Restorers Club, Inc.

A Letter to members explaining our new MARC Insurance Policy
From: The MARC Board of Directors
To: All members of MARC
Liability protection is one of the most important and significant products MARC provides to its members. This benefit, while “quietly” in place for many years, has recently come to the forefront of discussion because of the notoriety given to a lawsuit in another organization similar to ours. Our previous carrier, after reviewing our policy and reevaluating our needs, chose to drop our club from its roles rather than negotiate a new policy with appropriate coverage and premiums. MARC and its members would have been without liability coverage on the first day of May, 2014. Your Board worked diligently to find a broker with the credentials and an array of companies from which to choose, to obtain a liability policy that would not only cover MARC and its members under nearly every situation, but did so in a very short period of time, and with a significant amount of increased cost. However, bringing MARC’s liability coverage into the 21st century has its costs and we will work very hard to mitigate these increases as we move forward. In the interim, we are presenting this material to you, the membership, to help you understand the importance of safe activities, well-planned outings, and the benefit of membership in this premier auto club. As you read through the following document, please keep in mind this is a new beginning for MARC and there will be more information available as time goes on. Be sure to check the FAQs at the end and be assured your questions and comments are most welcome.
The intent of this letter is to make sure all members of MARC have a clear and concise understanding of the Liability Policy provided to all Regions and Special Interest Groups of MARC located within the United States. We all can appreciate how difficult it is to understand an insurance policy and how it protects our membership. We want all of our members to know what, why and how they are covered on our new policy purchased by the National MARC with the intention of covering our members should an unfortunate accident occur. The Model A Restorers Club, Inc.(MARC) and its Regions have a long history of safe activities and it is our hope that all Regions understand the importance of making sure all their activities are supervised and carried out in a safe manner. Using the one-time Ford Motor Company slogan: “Safety is Job #1”, it is our goal to make sure we follow that sound advice at every event.

MARC provides General Liability to Regions and Special Interest Groups that are in good standing and located within the United States. The Board of Directors’ desire and plan is to continue this coverage into the future as we believe that not only is this an exceptional policy for all of us, but that it is truly a necessity in today’s world. Regions and members located outside the United States are not covered by this policy because the carrier only operates within U.S. jurisdictions and complies with applicable U.S. laws. Regions outside the United States are encouraged to investigate purchasing their own insurance through local or international brokers.

The following is a coverage summary and is subject to the actual policy; the answers are not intended to replace the terms and conditions in the actual policy.

CLUB INSURANCE COVERAGE

WHAT COVERAGE?
Commercial General Liability, Non-owned Automobile Liability
WHO IS INSURED?
The Named Insured (the Model A Restorers Club, Inc. and its Regions and Special Interest Groups hereafter known as MARC), all its members including Officers and Directors. Coverage is limited to Bodily Injury and/or Property Damage Liability arising out of an occurrence associated with activities of MARC and its Regions subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.
WHERE IS COVERAGE?
Regions of MARC are covered for an occurrence on property rented, leased or used by MARC for approved activities and events of  MARC subject to the terms and conditions of the policy Activities include, but are not limited to meetings, dances, tours, picnics, flea markets, banquets, shows, malls, shopping center shows, and parades subject to the event reporting requirements on the policy. You may or may not need an additional rider for a specific event.
WHAT ARE THE COVERAGES?
Coverages are listed below. The items listed are a limited summary of the coverages under the General Liability and Non-owned Auto Liability.
MARC INSURANCE AGREEMENT
The policy will pay those sums which the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which the insurance applies.
PERSONAL INJURY LIABILITY
Covers false arrest, detention or imprisonment, malicious prosecution, libel, slander and invasion of privacy.
ADVERTISING INJURY LIABILITY
Covers MARC for all forms of advertising used by MARC and indemnifies to the extent of any final judgment for money damages resulting from libel, slander, or defamation; infringement of copyright, title or slogan; piracy; unfair competition or misappropriation of ideas; or an invasion of privacy broadcast all subject to exclusions.
CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY
Covers MARC for Lease of Premises Contracts, as well as other written contracts in which MARC assumes the tort liability of another to pay damages because of bodily injury or property damage to a third party or organization if contract is made prior to the incident. Regions entering into contract with indemnification clauses (Hold Harmless Clauses) must refer copies of the contract to EPIC for review.
PRODUCTS LIABILITY
Covers MARC for Liability resulting from goods or products sold, handled or distributed by MARC at its events or as part of MARC activities and includes, but is not limited to food, drinks, clothing, jewelry, or toys.  See Liquor Liability Exclusion Below as regards drinks.
NON-OWNED WATERCRAFT LIABILITY
Covers MARC for use of non-owned craft less than 26 feet in length. Note: If MARC hires a watercraft 26 feet or longer for outings, please refer the contract to EPIC for approval and additional coverage.
LIQUOR LIABILITY
Covers MARC except if MARC is in the business of manufacturing, distributing, selling, serving, or furnishing alcoholic beverages. Also not covered – causing or contributing to intoxication, serving person under the legal drinking age, violation of statutes or ordinances.
NON-OWNED AUTO LIABILITY
This coverage is designed to protect MARC when a member is using a vehicle not owned by MARC in connection with MARC activities. Note: Each member must maintain adequate Personal Auto Liability and Physical damage on all of his/her vehicles, including Antiques, Classics, and modern vehicles.
FIRE LEGAL LIABILITY
This coverage protects MARC for up to the policy limits, on buildings being used, but not owned by MARC for activities such as meetings, banquets and dances. Additional limits are available upon request and review by EPIC

IN SUMMARY

  • We hope this document adds some clarity to your concerns about your new MARC insurance policy.
  • Contact the MARC National office at: 734-427-9050 or modelarestorers@sbcglobal.net for additional help or copies of any insurance documents available to members.
  • When requesting a Certificate of Insurance for a special event or reporting an event, please use the form on the MARC website: www. modelaford.org.

MARC Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’S)
Model A Restorers Club, Inc. Liability Insurance Policy
MARC is a national nonprofit corporation consisting of approximately 197 Regions and over 7,700 members. Because MARC members participate in various organized functions and distribute information internationally in the form of newsletters, pamphlets, website content and extensive material in our magazine, MARC (consisting of its Regions and members) are exposed to legal liability for personal injuries, libel, intellectual property and real property damage. The MARC liability policy is purchased by the MARC National office to cover the expenses of all MARC members from being personally liable for legal fees and potential damages resulting from a lawsuit brought against them for their participation in MARC activities as a MARC member.
An accident can happen at anytime and anywhere and may cause an injury to another club member or maybe a public person attending or passing by an event hosted by your Region. If any MARC member is accused of being negligent or actually causing damages to persons or property, or if an article by a member results in a claim of libel or a copyright violation, for instance, a lawsuit may be brought against the member, the Region and also the MARC National organization. Even if the MARC member is not negligent and someone gets injured (by falling, as an example) or the lawsuit eventually is determined to have no merit, the Region and MARC National still have to defend against those claims and that will cost a lot of money in lawyers’ fees and expenses. The MARC policy is in place to cover these expenses. The policy also covers the amount of settlements and verdicts in the case of actual liability.
Unbeknownst to us, our former insurance policy was significantly inadequate to cover the potential exposure of MARC members. The insurer failed to pay attention to the number of active MARC members and the number of events held annually that needed coverage (which we estimate to be well over 3,000). Once the insurer discovered they had more risk than they initially presumed, they refused to renew the policy effective May 1, 2014, because that small policy would not cover the actual amount of exposure. After being canceled, the MARC Board engaged in an exhaustive search to find a suitable policy from a reputable insurance company. To obtain the necessary coverage for our expansive club membership and breadth of activities, the rates were adjusted accordingly as the premium now accurately reflects the protection we need.
All members of MARC National are covered against accusations that they were negligent or responsible for damages arising from their conduct or inaction. All MARC and Regional events are covered such as tours, parades, car shows, picnics, meetings, holiday parties, parts swaps etc. Please note that there may be instances when the venue or location of a particular event may require another policy or to be named as an additional insured on our policy, such as a National meet in the U.S. where a parts swap is held, but MARC will not require a separate policy. EPIC will assist in providing whatever is needed to secure the necessary insurance paperwork. Criminal activity, acts involving fraud, and intentional unlawful acts by MARC members are not covered.
Guests or family members of MARC members are not covered by this policy for their negligence or conduct unless they are volunteering to work for MARC during a MARC event. However, if a guest or family member is injured during a MARC event, MARC’s insurance will cover the Region and its members against claims that they caused the injury.
Any person not a member of MARC National as defined in the MARC Constitution is not covered by the MARC insurance policy. If your Region currently allows your Regional members to choose to not become a member of MARC National, those non-members are not covered by the MARC insurance policy. Those individuals are not recognized by MARC as members of your Region because Regions are mandated by the MARC Constitution to require MARC membership from their members. Non-MARC members who pay money to Regions are essentially providing a donation to your Region because they are not entitled to the benefits of Regional or MARC membership and that money may not be considered “dues.” It is the responsibility of the Regions to make this policy clear to non-MARC members, who assume full responsibility for their personal liability concerns.
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