If the scenario is someone suing DMS for providing the space to work on the car(which applies to every vehicle worked on at DMS), why would our existing organizational insurance not be in effect?
I think the concern is based on DMS being the owner of the vehicle.
I think the scenario is more along the lines of if the race car under ownership of Dallas Makerspace - or any piece of it - flies off the track and either kills or seriously maims a spectator … Who pays up if/when The Space gets sued?
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The policy specifies the address/facilities for which the policy coverage is written, they even had an auditor come out to view the facilities they were insuring.
If you do your own work on your own car - DMS doesn’t own the car or control the work that is done. With a car that DMS owns, maintains, and sponsors in a race that DMS members drive, we are encumbered with all aspects ownership and responsibility of the vehicle.
It is one of the prime reasons we have the rule that you can only work on your own car - not a car you don’t own. This helps shield DMS from liability - you have access to tools but it is really no different than you doing it in the driveway. It is also one of the prime reasons we’ve always had a prohibition for teaching a class on brakes, at least at this location. There are few things that can go wrong that equal the catastrophic results of brake failure. The prospect of “That’s how they taught me.” always looms large.
The issue of working on cars was such a concern as to coverage that it was raised with our current insurer when taking out the policy. The old policy didn’t specifically reference it. The concern was so much so, that one of our listed functions is “auto repair” that ensures make sure we were covered if some happens here and and they could not deny we do work on cars. They were also impressed with the records we kept on lift classes: attendance, lesson plan, and tests as well as they were kept on file.
Can you point to this no classes related to braking components policy in writing anywhere?
Sounds like DMS does not want to be associated with any activities that take place outside of DMS walls. Any competition from trebuchets, races, or picnics all take place outside the address/facility of the organizations policy.
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That was not based on anything in writing in policy documents and predates our current policy. If we are under some kind of blanket prohibition of certain topics there are some people who should probably be made aware of that.
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I do remember us saying we couldn’t have brake classes under our old policy. But now we are under a better policy that should enable us to teach them.
I’m not going to try and remember the specific wording, it would probably be picked apart for having a typo.
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If I’m not mistaken, DMS has a lawyer on retainer for answering precisely these sorts of questions.
We have expert advice available: use it 
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And if they arent good enough to trust their answers then
why are we paying them?
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why would I ask our lawyer first if someone knows already? I went to our insurance agent to see if we were covered. We will need to purchase race day insurance when it’s close to the next race.
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Again Kris what are you worried about insuring?
What specific type of incidents?
https://www.kandkinsurance.com/Motorsports/Pages/Racing-Owners-Sponsors.aspx
Take a look at the link above. This would be an example.
That does not show any details.
I am asking what problem is trying to be solved.
Insurance is just a side bet that something could happen. That being said there are going to be a ton of exceptions.
What exactly are you worried about?
Let’s try this…
I am worried about someone getting killed in the various lathes around the building.
I am worried about unsafe practices around the lift.
I am worried about people using the woodshop that are not follow and listening to safety advice.
I am worried about people that use gloves on rotational devices loosing a hand.
I am worried about someone breaking the Haas by slamming the spindle and the 20K bill that comes after it.
I am worried about an oxygen tank’s regulator catching on fire AGAIN (This has largely been stopped)
I am worried about trip and fall accidents from the amount of electrical wire and air lines that are on the floor.
I am worried about people that are not wearing safety glasses in the shop areas and someone loosing an eye.
But I can personally say I have never been worried about someone getting hit with a tire at lemons race. This is not Nascar we are talking about there are no spectators around most of the track.
So what exactly are you worried about?
MSR Houston
Motor Sport Ranch
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That’s true, but nearly every decision we make could accurately be described as a bet. It’s certainly true that you can never eliminate risk, but its also true, that it would be irresponsible not to address and mitigate obvious risks.
A significant and obvious risk which could easily force DMS into liquidation (death). Again, we’re talking about a high-risk sport, so a discussion about mitigating risk is just an obvious and responsible thing to do.
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Yes Robert, I am aware that the possibility of something happening is very small. But to make sure DMS and the driver are protected in case of an accident (maybe as an example the driver lost control for a mechanical reason and slammed into several bystanders killing them) insurance for this exists. This is what insurance is for, in case of a small possibility of something going wrong. If you would like to know more about how insurance works I’m sure I can find some resources for you to read.
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Brian I am right there with you but again these policy’s are not designed to insure the drivers health.
They will keep DMS operational if we are sued.
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