Howdy from a constant reader, who seldom chimes in, but I'll make an exception for this question:

You are held to different standards when you give a bike away, as opposed to selling a bike.

Also that you are a not for profit rather than a profit motivated organization and that influences the standard, though there are many and much evidence that would say that line is fast and increasingly blurring.

The bottom line though remains in our nations litigious response to everything, file a lawsuit, and worry about its "correctness or validity" afterward. Yes, your "CoOp" needs liability insurance unless you want to risk literally everything, and I mean everything.

So sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I am sure you can purchase a policy through an organization or industry group. I would bet others will respond shortly with sources for you to do that through.

Best of luck, and keep up the good work you do,

Matt

-----Original Message----- From: Sylvie Baele sylvgrb@gmail.com To: thethinktank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Tue, Mar 22, 2016 3:38 pm Subject: [TheThinkTank] Liability Issues

Hi yall!

I am working to revive Holy City Bike CoOp- a bike collective in Charleston, SC.

Recently we had a someone voice a concern about liability with repaired bikes. For instance, what if someone is given or purchases a bike that the collective has repaired and it breaks or malfunctions while they are riding it? Is the collective responsible? Do we need liability insurance?

Thanks for the help!

Sylvie Baele

Bicycle Advisor & Event Coordination Trek Bicycle Store of Mt. Pleasant

​​B.A. International Studies, Environmental Studies College of Charleston, Spring 2015​

"It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. — Charles Darwin"

The ThinkTank mailing List <a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

We have liability insurance. We also have a policy regarding used carbon fiber.

http://www.affordablebikesrecyclery.com/#!carbon-fiber/oz0t1

nozomi ikuta and James Watson

On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 7:12 PM, Angel York aniola@gmail.com wrote:

Yes, liability insurance. Here's the wiki page on insurance: https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Insurance

Bikerowave in California had a lawyer volunteer write up a liability waiver. It's available here: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/htdig.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org/... I have vague memories of being told that in CA the best way to do it if you're going to use waivers is to have each person sign a complete copy of the waiver, keep that on file, and also they have the opportunity to have a copy themselves. https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Insurance

On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 2:52 PM, Deb Salls deb@bikeworks.org wrote:

...

Yes- You should get insurance

Deb Salls

Executive Director

206-695-2607

bikeworks.org

Building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling

*From:* Thethinktank [mailto: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] *On Behalf Of *Sylvie Baele *Sent:* Tuesday, March 22, 2016 12:19 PM *To:* thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Subject:* [TheThinkTank] Liability Issues

Hi yall!

I am working to revive Holy City Bike CoOp- a bike collective in Charleston, SC.

Recently we had a someone voice a concern about liability with repaired bikes. For instance, what if someone is given or purchases a bike that the collective has repaired and it breaks or malfunctions while they are riding it? Is the collective responsible? Do we need liability insurance?

Thanks for the help!

Sylvie Baele

Bicycle Advisor & Event Coordination

Trek Bicycle Store of Mt. Pleasant

​

​B.A.

International Studies, Environmental Studies

College of Charleston, Spring 2015

​

*"It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. — Charles Darwin"*

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