Museum Liability Insurance: Viral Accident Video

Museums are the cultural centers of cities and countries. The Louvre or the Smithsonian come to mind when considering great travel locations. One popular feature of museums is that they are open to children and adults alike. Most museums have museum liability insurance to protect themselves from accidents, theft, and even damage. Despite the protection, museum accidents are still shocking, especially when they involve priceless art. 

Viral Museum Accident 

Although there are many stories online about museum accidents, one, in particular, involving a young child damaging a sculpture, became an internet sensation in 2018. 

The story begins with a family with two young boys going to an art exhibit at the Tomahawk Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. As the family was moving through the exhibit, both boys ran ahead of their parents to explore. While searching the exhibit, the boys came across a statue called “Aphrodite de Kansas City.” The statue consisted of woven metal and glass and formed an elaborate bust. 

One of the boys quickly ran over to the statue and attempted to embrace it. Unfortunately, the statue was too heavy for him to hold up, and it dropped to the ground, presumably causing damage. 

According to the family, the exhibit keepers billed them a hefty $132,000 to cover the damages. The family’s insurance company reportedly covered $107,000 in damages, most of which went to the sculpture’s creator.

Despite its conclusion, this does raise questions about how museum liability insurance is involved in serious museum accidents. 

What is Museum Liability Insurance? 

As shown in the video above, accidents are simply a part of running a public venue. This is especially true when the public venue displays delicate art seen by many people every day. Slips, falls, damaged art, and architectural hazards are just some dangers that museums and visitors can experience. 

Museum liability insurance is how most public exhibitions address these risks. Museum insurance can protect museums from damages, such as visitor accidents, property, and exhibition damages. 

Insurance policies can also vary in terms of coverage. Some museum liability insurance policies are considered “all-risk.” These cover the basics, such as visitor accidents and other damages that can occur at the average public venue. Other policies include “fine arts coverage,” meant to protect specifically against damages to delicate and expensive exhibition pieces. Some museums may also have additional policies that protect against vehicular incidents, data privacy, or other specific damages.

Many museums will issue waivers upon entrance to protect themselves and outline visitor expectations. 

Who Pays For Museum Damages? 

The museum accident video shows that the family’s insurance company paid the hefty bill, but is this typical? 

Generally speaking, having a visitor pay for damages isn’t typical of most museums. Most places exhibiting fine art have museum liability insurance to cover possible damages. Thus, most museums will simply allow their insurance to cover accidents, even if they involve expensive art. Since hundreds of thousands of people usually enter their exhibits a year, museums understand the risk of damage to art. This is especially true for family-oriented museums. 

It is rare for museums to press charges or issue fines for damages. Nevertheless, it can still happen. Usually, museums will attempt to issue fines if it is clear that malicious intent was present to destroy or damage an exhibit. Other exhibits, such as the one in the video, may even issue fees if probable negligence caused the damages.

Who’s Responsible for the Viral Museum Accident?

There are many separate factors at play that influence who is truly responsible for this museum accident. Firstly, it is important to note that museums are responsible for securing and protecting their exhibits. This applies to any exhibition piece that can be easily damaged, pose a hazard to guests, or be regularly interacted with. The video shows that the statue had minimal security, suggesting the museum likely bears little responsibility for the accident.

Even if the statue had been fully secured, the incident would not have happened if the child had been closely watched by their parents. Legally speaking, parents have an obligation to supervise and monitor what their kids are doing, especially in public spaces. Seeing as the child caused the incident, and the parent was away from them in the public space, the parents would hold most of the liability. 

So, next time you go into a museum, take a moment to think about all the risks the exhibition had to consider when setting up. Although you’re unlikely to face a six-figure bill on your next visit, the viral accident might make you reconsider how you interact with exhibitions in the future!

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