Volunteers are covered by the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA), an intergovernmental membership organization which provides for the risk management needs of our agency. For any questions about this subject matter, discuss with your volunteer coordinator.
Are volunteers covered by the District’s Liability Policy? Volunteers are afforded the same liability protection through PDRMA as are District employees. In order for that coverage to apply, volunteers must be acting within the scope of their authorized volunteer duties. Please keep a hard copy of the Job Duties document that you received from your coordinator.
Are volunteers covered under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation statutes? The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that persons not receiving pay for their services are not employees within the meaning of the Workers’ Compensation Act and are therefore not covered.
What if a volunteer is injured while performing volunteer duties outlined on the Volunteer Job Description? The claim should first be processed through any health insurance or Medicare coverage the volunteer may have. If you have no insurance or your insurance does not pay all expenses, PDRMA will provide Volunteer Medical Accident Insurance within certain limits.
What coverage is provided by the Volunteer Medical Accident Policy? The policy provides $5,000 in medical expense payments for injuries incurred while the volunteers are performing their volunteer duties. There is no coverage for lost wages from another job. The coverage is in excess over all other insurance the volunteer may have. The volunteer will be required to sign an affidavit attesting to what other insurance they may have, and provide bills and copies of explanations of benefits before this policy will cover any outstanding bills of out-of-pocket expenses.
Am I covered under the Medical Accident Policy? All District volunteers are automatically covered.