Insure4Sport Claims Index 2026: Personal Accident claims rise 70% 

More than four in five Insure4Sport claims involved either Personal Accident or Loss of Earnings, highlighting how an injury can affect sports professionals and participants both physically and financially. 

Whether you take part in sport for work or for leisure, an injury can have consequences beyond simply missing a training session. For coaches, personal trainers and instructors, being physically active can also be an important part of earning a living. 

To understand more about the incidents affecting our customers, we analysed claims and claim notifications reported under insurance policies arranged through Insure4Sport between January 2025 and July 2026. 

Our analysis found: 

• Personal Accident claims increased by around 70% in January-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 
• Personal Accident was the most common claim category, accounting for 57% of all claims included in the index 
• Loss of Earnings was the second most common category, accounting for 29% of claims.  
• Personal Accident and Loss of Earnings claims together accounted for more than four in five claims. 
• Public Liability claims were less frequent, but had the highest average claim cost 
• Lower-limb, knee, back and shoulder injuries featured repeatedly in Personal Accident claims, with fractures, ligament injuries, and physiotherapy also prominent 
• Of the claims where a sport could be identified, football featured most often, appearing in 23% of claims 

Personal Accident claims increased by 70% in 2026 

Personal Accident was the most frequently reported claim category, representing 57% of all claims and notifications included in our analysis. 

Comparing the Personal Accident claims reported between January and July 2025 with the same period in 2026, there was an increase of around 70%. 

They represented 48% of claims reported during the first seven months of 2025 and 64% during the same period in 2026. 

A number of factors will be contributing to that increase and our analysis shows that Personal Accident claims span a wide range of sports, injuries and circumstances, from strains and fractures to falls, collisions and sudden movements. 

The findings shouldn’t be taken as evidence that sport, coaching or fitness instruction has become less safe. Instead, they give us a clearer picture of the types of injuries being reported by Insure4Sport customers. 

Personal Accident claims show a wide range of injury patterns 

Looking more closely at the Personal Accident claims, we found injuries happening in a variety of ways across both participants and sports professionals. 

Lower-limb injuries featured particularly strongly. Among claims where the injury was described in more detail, ankles, feet and lower legs were mentioned in around a third, while knee injuries appeared in around one in five. 

Some incidents also involved more significant injuries or treatment: 

• Fractures or broken bones featured in around one in four  
• Physiotherapy was mentioned in three in ten descriptions 
• Ligament and tendon injuries, including those affecting the knee and Achilles, appeared repeatedly 
• Some claims involved surgery, hospital treatment, scans, X-rays, or dislocations  

The circumstances were just as varied, from awkward landings, tackles, and collisions to sudden changes of direction, trips, and falls. 

Coaches can get injured while coaching, too 

Sports safety naturally tends to focus on the person taking part. But when we looked more closely at the claims, we also found injuries affecting the people delivering sessions, including coaches, instructors, and personal trainers. 

Claim descriptions included sports professionals being injured while: 

• Demonstrating exercises or sporting techniques 
• Leading classes and coaching sessions 
• Taking part in drills or activities alongside participants 
• Moving equipment around and training spaces 
• Repeating physically demanding movements over time 

The incidents span one-to-one sessions, group classes and demonstrations, with examples ranging from trips around gym equipment to strains and joint injuries sustained while showing movements or taking part in drills. 

Current guidance also highlights risk assessment as one way of identifying and managing foreseeable risks. The Health and Safety Executive recommends a sensible and proportionate approach focused on real risks, while UK Coaching highlights the importance of considering changing circumstances during a session. 

Nearly three in ten claims involved Loss of Earnings 

Our analysis also shows that the impact of an accident can extend beyond the injury itself. 

Loss of Earnings was the second most common claim category, accounting for 29% of all reported claims, while the number of Loss of Earnings claims increased by around 23% in January-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. 

Participants, coaches, personal trainers, and instructors may all find that an injury affects their ability to work. Sports professionals may be unable to lead sessions or work with clients, while other participants may need time away from their usual jobs while they recover. 

Football featured most often in the claims descriptions 

Personal Accident claims span a wide range of sports and activities. 

Of the claims where a sport or activity could be identified, football featured most often, appearing in 23% of those claims, followed by rugby. 

Other sports appearing in multiple claim descriptions included: 

• Dance and Zumba 
• Boxing 
• Cycling and mountain biking 
• Yoga and Pilates 
• Martial arts 
• Tennis, hockey, and cricket 

These figures aren’t adjusted for the number of policies arranged through Insure4Sport for each activity, so they shouldn’t be read as a ranking of which sports are most likely to result in an injury. 

What they do show is the breadth of sports and activities represented within the claims reported by Insure4Sport customers. 

Would you be financially protected if an injury stopped you from working? 

Looking across the findings, one thing is clear: the effects of a sporting accident don’t necessarily stop with the injury itself. 

An injury could affect someone’s ability to take part in their sport and, in some circumstances, also mean time away from work. 

For coaches, instructors, and personal trainers in particular, being physically able to deliver sessions can form an important part of earning a living. 

Can sports insurance cover these risks? 

Depending on the policy selected and relevant terms, sports insurance with Insure4Sport can help provide financial protection against risks including: 

• Personal Accident following an eligible insured sporting or coaching activity 
• Loss of Earnings following an eligible accident 
• Dental treatment and hospitalisation following an eligible accident 
• Public Liability if a third party is accidentally injured or their property is accidentally damaged 
• Professional Indemnity for eligible coaching or instruction claims 
• Theft, loss, or accidental damage to insured sports equipment 

Cover, limits, exclusions and optional benefits vary depending on the policy and activity selected. 

Customers can check the relevant policy documents for full details of the cover, conditions, limits, and exclusions that apply. 

Find out more about sports insurance by Insure4Sport. 

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About the Insure4Sport Claims Index 

To create the Insure4Sport Claims Index, we analysed claims and claim notifications reported under insurance policies arranged through Insure4Sport between 8 January 2025 and 31 July 2026. 

Year-on-year comparisons are based on the date each claim was received and compare 1 January to 31 July 2025 with the same period in 2026. The 2026 figures are year-to-date and may include claims that remain open or under assessment. 

The Public Liability finding is based on separate 2026 Public Liability claims data and is not included in the category percentages calculated from the  claims above. 

Some claims contain more information about the sport, injury, treatment, or circumstances than others. Where we have analysed those details, the findings are based on claims where the relevant information was recorded, and individual themes may overlap. 

Claims figures haven’t been adjusted for the number of policies arranged within each profession, sport, or activity. This means they shouldn’t be used to suggest that someone taking part in one activity is more likely to make a claim than someone taking part in another. 

Reported incidents may include accepted, rejected, withdrawn or ongoing claims. No specific customer claim values or payout amounts have been published. 

The information in this article is provided for general information and shouldn’t be treated as personal insurance, legal, health and safety or medical advice. Insurance cover is subject to the relevant policy terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions.