Last night Rami Malek was inaugurated into a unique group of individuals -- and no, we aren’t talking about his award for Best Actor.
Joining the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Garner, Barbra Streisand, and Meryl Streep, Malek is now on the list of actors who have had wipeouts (or near wipeouts) at the Oscars.
After accepting the Oscar for his role in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” where the star did a stellar performance of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury, Malek was returning to his seat when he tripped and fell. While it wasn’t captured on the live feed due to a commercial break, photographers captured the moment of him falling to the ground and nearby attendees quickly getting to their feet to lend the actor a hand.
Following the incident, Malek was attended to by paramedics. While he didn’t seem to have any lasting injuries (he was later seen walking and giving interviews as normal), the incident calls attention to the various insurance policies that event organizers should have in place to protect themselves against lawsuits in situations similar to this one.
The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, home to the annual event, certainly has its own insurance policies. However, The Oscars are organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The Dolby Theatre most likely requires them to show their proof of insurance coverage, and for the occasion, AMPAS probably has robust Special Events coverage, which includes:
- Rental Coverage for damage to any rented property
- Third Party Property Coverage for any sort of damage done to the rental space
- Employers Liability Coverage to cover employee injuries
- Vendors Coverage to protect against damage done by contracted vendors
- Host Liquor Liability for protection against alcohol-related incidents
- General Liability Coverage for bodily injury
- Umbrella Liability for additional coverage, and more
AMPAS contracts out much of the work that goes into putting on an event as massive as the Oscars, and the chances are very high that they require vendors to carry insurance of their own and produce Certificates of Insurance to prove their coverage. In the case of Malek’s fall, the incident would probably be covered by the Special Events coverage. However, if the incident was the fault of a contractor (for example, if he tripped on a cord that was negligently left by a vendor), the incident could fall to the vendor.
Malek clearly isn’t the first star to have trouble on the stage, and there are always risks involved including lighting, stairs, slick floors, and A/V equipment. For women, there is the addition of navigating moving around in floor-length dresses and high heels, only increasing the chances of an epic wipeout.
Although it seems like Malek won’t be filing any sort of lawsuit, it’s always wise to have coverage in place for anything that could go wrong. When you’re hosting any event, it’s important to make sure you have the right insurance in place to be protected.
Hosting an event? Get a quote today for Special Events coverage.