What triggers a professional liability policy?

Asked by: Alanna Pollich  |  Last update: March 1, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (61 votes)

In order to trigger coverage under a professional liability policy, there must be an allegation that you or your business made an error or omission in the course of rendering professional services that resulted in harm to a third party.

What is an example of a situation that would likely require professional liability insurance coverage?

A work mistake or oversight is a significant reason people get professional liability insurance. If you make a mistake on a job, such as an error in your work, your policy can help cover the cost of any ensuing legal action. Sometimes an oversight can be even more costly than a work mistake.

What triggers a liability claim?

Liability claims arise when a citizen or other private entity believes that a State employee or department is responsible for monetary damages the citizen experienced. The loss arises from an accident or other unexpected event, and causes an injury or property damage that costs the citizen a monetary loss.

What is professional liability based on?

Professional liability insurance policies are generally set up based on a claims-made and reported basis, meaning that the policy covers only those claims made and reported to their carrier during the policy period.

What constitutes a professional liability claim?

Professional liability policies are designed to cover liability for financial losses created by an error or oversight by a professional providing services as a sole practitioner or for a business that employs professionals.

Professional Liability Insurance | E&O - When Do You Need It?

16 related questions found

What is professional liability occurrence based?

What is an occurrence policy? An occurrence policy protects you from any incident occurring while the policy is in force. The policy then covers those incidents forever. For example, you buy a policy in 2010, treat Client X in 2011, and terminate the policy in 2012.

What is a breach of professional liability?

The legal "causes of action" for a professional liability lawsuit can vary from negligence (an accusation that your work was careless or didn't meet industry standards) to breach of contract (you didn't follow through on the promises you made in your contract with the plaintiff).

What triggers the CGL policy?

While the CGL policy is only triggered if bodily injury or property damage occurs during the policy period (Coverage A) or the personal and advertising injury offense was committed during the policy period (Coverage B), what is important here is to distinguish between the bodily injury or property damage itself and the ...

What is a trigger policy?

"Trigger laws" are laws that are passed by a legislative body but only go into effect once a certain thing happens. That specific event will "trigger" it into becoming enforceable law. Trigger laws are often passed so that a law can go into effect as soon as possible once conditions allow.

Do I need professional liability insurance if I work for a company?

In most cases, professional liability insurance isn't required by law. However, you may need this type of business insurance if your: Client requires it as part of a contract before work starts. State has a law that requires it.

What are some examples of activities that may be exclusions in a professional liability insurance policy?

Discrimination: Professional liability policies won't cover situations related to discrimination on the basis of race, creed, national origin, disability, religion, sex, age, marital status, or sexual preference. Sexual abuse: Over the the past few years, cases around sexual abuse in the workplace have sharply risen.

Does professional liability cover auto accidents?

Professional liability won't cover business auto accidents, work-related injuries or data breaches. These policies could help. Or explore more ways to protect your business.

What triggers an insurance policy?

Under an occurrence policy, the occurrence of injury or damage is the trigger; liability will be covered under that policy if the injury or damage occurred during the policy period.

What are the 13 trigger states?

Of those 26 states, 13 have laws in place that are designed to be "triggered" and take effect automatically or by quick state action if Roe no longer applies—Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

What are policy triggers?

policy_triggers specify the implementation of actions that are invoked by policies, and declare the properties that define a trigger's behavior.

What does CGL not cover?

First-party Property Damage: A business will not receive first-party property protection through its CGL policy. This means that any incidents resulting in damage to the organization's commercial building, work materials, equipment and inventory are excluded from coverage.

What is a hammer clause?

A hammer clause is an insurance policy clause that allows an insurer to compel the insured to settle a claim. A hammer clause is also known as a blackmail clause, settlement cap provision, or consent to settlement provision.

What is the four corners test?

The four-corners test is a legal principle to establish whether an insurer owes a duty of defense to its insured.

What is the principle of professional liability?

Professional Liability is a derivative of Civil Liability. One is civilly liable if one commits a fault that causes damage to others: this can be bodily damage (injuries), property damage (such as damage to a building or a car) or moral damage (pain, suffering, damage to reputation).

What makes you legally liable?

A party is liable when they are held legally responsible for something. Unlike in criminal cases, where a defendant could be found guilty , a defendant in a civil case risks only liability.

What falls under professional liability insurance?

Professional liability insurance protects businesses when employees make mistakes in the professional services they've provided to customers or clients. This coverage is also known as errors and omissions insurance (E&O). Even if you're an expert in your business, mistakes happen.

What is incidental professional liability?

Incidental malpractice is the liability exposure created by the offering of medical services by an entity not engaged primarily in the offering of such services.

What is indemnification for professional liability?

Well, “indemnify” simply means “to compensate for a loss.” For example, in a contract for engineering services, an indemnification clause might ask for compensation for damages caused by the engineer's professional negligence. This is typically acceptable since professional liability insurance covers that risk.

What are the damages for professional liability?

Generally, courts recognize two broad categories of damages in a professional liability claim: direct damages and consequential damages. Direct damages result naturally, or directly, from an error or omission that the design professional made, rather than from a breach of the agreement.

What voids an insurance policy?

Certain actions or inactions by the policyholder cause a policy to become void, like misrepresentation, or failing to inform their provider when something changes about the insured property, or how they use it.