Attorney Fees are almost universally excluded from the definition of damages in attorney malpractice policies. Punitive damages may or may not be excluded from malpractice coverage, but still may not be permitted by your state.
Your insurer may pay defense costs and the award for damages in a covered malpractice claim. Fees and sanction awards are another matter. Fees or sanction awards often exceed the value of the underlying claim. Awarded punitive damages could dwarf the underlying case.
The time to check for coverage is not after the punitive damage award. So how can you determine whether a particular malpractice insurance policy covers punitive damages? Punitive damage awards are normally awarded for egregious acts some malpractice policies provide coverage other policies exclude the coverage. Just because it is excluded does not mean you will find it in the ‘exclusion section’. The more common place to find the punitive damages ‘exclusion’ is in the damages definition. In the CNA policy it is the definition of damages:
III. DEFINITIONS
“Damages” mean judgments, awards and settlements (including pre-judgment interest), provided any settlements are negotiated with the assistance and approval of the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Damages also include those amounts the court is permitted to impose on a debt collector as set forth in 15USC§1692k(a). Damages do not include:
A. legal fees, costs and expenses paid or incurred or charged by any Insured, no matter whether claimed as restitution of specific funds, forfeiture, financial loss, set-off or otherwise, and injuries that are a consequence of any of the foregoing;
B. civil or criminal fines, sanctions, penalties or forfeitures, whether pursuant to law, statute, regulation or court rule, including but not limited to awards under 18 U.S.C. §1961, et. seq., Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 11 or 28 U.S.C. §1927 and state statutes, regulations, rules or law so providing, and injuries that are a consequence of any of the foregoing;
C. punitive or exemplary amounts;
D. the multiplied portion of multiplied awards;
E. injunctive or declaratory relief;
F. any amount for which an Insured is absolved from payment by reason of any covenant, agreement or court order.
Click here for Punitive/Compensatory Damages Allowed by State
CLICK HERE TO OBTAIN AN ATTORNEY MALPRACTICE QUOTE
This blog is an excerpt from the policy. The complete policy along with applicable endorsements could impact the information provided above.
Lee Norcross, MBA, CPCU
Managing Director, CEO
(616) 940-1101 Ext. 7080