First off, what’s an endorsement you ask? As defined by the Insurance Information Institute, an endorsement is a written form attached to an insurance policy that alters the policy’s coverage, terms, or conditions. When an insurance policy is endorsed, the premium paid for the policy can change. However, not by much considering the additional coverage provided.

The following four endorsements are not typically part of a regular property or general liability insurance policy, but they are a must if they apply to your operations.

1. Hired & Non-Owned Auto Liability: Hired & Non-owned auto is a small endorsement which can have a huge impact on your general liability insurance coverage. It protects your business from bodily injury and property damage claims caused by a vehicle you rent or borrow; or caused by vehicles owned by others, such as your employees. A simple errand to the store by an employee can put your business at high risk if you don’t have this endorsement on your general liability policy.
2. Employee Benefits Liability: Liability of an employer for an error or omission in the administration of an employee benefit program. Coverage is intended to extend to the “administration” of these plans, including counseling employees, handling records, enrolling/terminating/cancelling employees in specified plans on a timely basis, etc. This endorsement is usually added to the general liability policy but may also be provided by a fiduciary liability policy.
3. Earthquake Sprinkler Leakage (For CA & other earthquake regions): Earthquake is an excluded peril on a standard property insurance policy and your fire sprinklers bursting as a result of an earthquake and discharging water all over your property is not covered either. However, by adding an Earthquake Sprinkler Leakage endorsement to your property policy, you would be covered for the water damage caused by bursting sprinklers from an earthquake.  This is never more than a few hundred dollars to add.
4. Sewer Drain & Backup:  Fall and spring tend to be the wettest seasons of the year, making buildings and homes most susceptible to the backup of sewer or drain lines. These events don’t occur often, but when they do, it can become a small disaster. A standard property insurance policy excludes coverage for such an event. The backup of sewer and drains as well as the failure of a sump pump is also excluded on a standard property policy. The damage you sustain from either of these problems will not be covered and you’ll be responsible to pay for the loss and the clean up. You shouldn’t go without this coverage endorsement.

To reiterate, it’s never more than a few hundred dollars annually to add any of these endorsements to your existing property or general liability insurance policies.  In fact, it’s usually less than $100 in many cases for small businesses. With the amount of coverage provided by adding them, this is pocket change! Be sure to reviewyour policies today to see if you carry these endorsements on your current policies.

-JK

Two different methods are used by insurance companies to determine coverage when writing liability insurance:

1. “claims made” policies
2. “occurrence” policy

Most often, commercial general liability insurance is written on an occurrence basis while employee benefits liability, professional liability and employment practices liability insurance will be written on a claims-made coverage form.

On an “occurrence” policy, the coverage trigger is the date of the event or accident giving rise to a claim. The policy in force on the date of the event causing the loss must respond with both defense and/or indemnity. Even if a claim arises years after a policy has expired, the date you receive notice of the claim doesn’t matter. Occurrence policies do not provide coverage for prior acts. They do remain available for claims that arise years after a policy term has expired, however. If an accident or event occurs during the term of an occurrence policy, that policy must respond to any future claim.

As for claims-made policies, coverage is triggered by the date you first became aware and notify the insurance carrier of a claim or potential claim. The carrier’s policy in force on the date you became aware and give notice is the insurer who must defend and settle the claim.  A claims-made policy may reach back in time and provide coverage for claims made today from negligent acts, errors or omissions that occurred years before the policy was purchased.

The following conditions must be met before prior acts coverage is granted:

1. You must receive notification of a claim or potential claim situation during the policy period.
2. The claim or potential claim situation must be reported to the insurer during the policy period.
3. The negligent act, error or omission giving rise to the claim must occur after a “prior acts” or “retroactive” date listed in the policy declarations.
4. You or your firm had no prior knowledge of a mistake, error or controversy on the date coverage was purchased.

The “prior acts” or “retroactive” date is a crucial piece in a claims-made policy. Your policy declarations page will clearly identify a “retroactive” date that determines how far back prior acts coverage extends. Claims resulting from services rendered before the “retroactive” date are not covered.

Think before you decide to cancel or non-renew your claims made liability policy

If you decide to cancel or not renew your claims-made policy, you must consider purchasing an Extended Reporting Period or “TAIL” coverage to insure you for incidents which occurred while the policy was in force but was reported after the policy was cancelled. For example:

If you purchased a claims-made policy with an effective date of January 1, 2010 and chose to cancel or let the policy lapse without TAIL coverage or an Extended Reporting Period — any claims made after December 31, 2010 would not be covered. If you were sued in 2012 for a wrongful act committed in 2010 (during which time you were covered), the insurance company would not be responsible for paying any claim. An Extended Reporting Period Endorsement (TAIL) “extends your right to report a claim” to your prior insurance company after the policy has ended, canceled or lapsed.

As I often note, make sure your insurance agent is knowledgeable and experienced with claims made insurance forms. It gets complicated. Also, note that I am writing this from an insurance perspective; only to be used for informational purposes! My intent isn’t to provide legal advice here. That’s what lawyers are for…

-JK