Menu
Blog Banner Image

The Road to Insurance Recovery

Insights for Policyholders
Posts from .

The modern accessibility of DNA testing has led to an unprecedented rise in exonerations of the wrongfully imprisoned and a surge in civil rights lawsuits against public officials and municipalities for suppressing exculpatory evidence. These lawsuits present complex liability issues including qualified immunity, Monell liability, statute of limitations bars, etc.

One of the most complex ancillary issues is whether these public entities are protected for civil rights claims under their insurance programs. Particularly for financially distressed municipalities, the availability of insurance proceeds is often the most critical issue because of the potentially enormous liabilities these entities face resulting from law enforcement misconduct claims.

More often than not, the dispute over coverage hinges on the “trigger issue.” “Trigger” is a shorthand insurance concept used to describe what event must occur before a particular liability policy applies to a given loss. What events “trigger” coverage wholly depend upon the language of each particular insurance contract, just like any other private contract negotiated between two parties. If there is a governing rule in insurance jurisprudence (or Contracts 101), it’s that an insurance contract should be construed as written. 

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

From the “Bomb Cyclone” winter storm that roared across the East Coast; to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Jose that exacted an enormous human, financial and business toll; to the California wildfires that killed 43 people, consumed 10,000 structures and devastated numerous wineries - it seems that we cannot escape news these days of disasters that have a deep and wide-ranging impact on lives, property, and commercial activity. We begin the New Year with a hope that we will see fewer, less severe disasters but also with the question in mind: “What can I do today to be prepared for a disaster that could affect my business?”  Of course, a critical component of preparing for disasters is taking the necessary precautions to avoid or limit losses in the first place. But some losses may be unavoidable, so companies should also prepare ahead of time to maximize their recovery of insurance for the losses that do arise. Some steps to take that will help:

  • Take the time to assess the types of catastrophic events to which your company might be vulnerable. Speak to those responsible for day-to-day operations and ask which type of losses or disruptions would be most costly not only to the immediate bottom line, but also in terms of intermediate or long-term displacement of the company’s competitive advantage or its reputation. Think outside of the box and do not constrain your assessment to the types of disasters that come easily to mind. It is those that we did not see coming, or the severity of which we underestimated, that we are least prepared for.
Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

About this Blog

Lathrop GPM is one of the largest law firms in the United States representing policyholders, providing policyholders with the necessary guidance and legal counsel to handle everything from negotiating coverage and managing risk to litigating insurance disputes and recovery. The Road to Insurance Recovery blog is dedicated to helping readers better understand and manage the complexities of the modern business insurance policy.
Read More

Topics

Archives

Blog Authors

Recent Posts