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Steering Clear of UM/UIM E&O Claims by Kristina Miller, AVP of Swiss Re Corp. Sol.

In today's litigious society, drivers need uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance, and even umbrella coverage. Certain states have minimum auto liability coverage requirements while some states make UM/UIM coverage a requirement.

However, often an at-fault driver that carries state minimum coverage limits cannot adequately compensate the injured party for their loss. Therefore, UM/UIM and umbrella coverage is an important aspect of any insurance agency that procures auto liability policies for its customers. Agents need to be careful and take appropriate steps to avoid E&O claims that they failed to offer UM/UIM and umbrella coverage. Such steps include:

1) Verify state requirements. All agencies that write auto insurance need to keep abreast of any changes in its state laws.

2) Make sure the client understands who is insured. A recent E&O claim resulted when an agency failed to clarify the coverage under a law firm's commercial auto policy, which included UM/UIM. The firm was the named insured under the policy and provided coverage to the partners when occupying a scheduled vehicle.

When one of the partners suffered significant injuries after being hit by an uninsured driver returning from court, the carrier declined UM/UIM coverage for the loss because the partner did not occupy a scheduled vehicle at the time of the loss. The claim against the agency alleged negligent misrepresentation regarding the existence of UM/UIM coverage and failure to procure portable UM/UIM coverage. An additional claim alleged that the agency failed to offer excess UM/UIM coverage.

3) Communicate the necessity of UM/UIM coverage. Best practices for agencies is to have written documentation with clients regarding coverages. Certain states require an agency to obtain an executed document from any customer that declines UM/ UIM coverage. Failing to document could cause an agency to face a claim on the basis that the agency failed to offer coverage.

4) Understand state umbrella insurance coverage requirements. Recently, an agency received an umbrella claim after the carrier denied coverage because the customer did not maintain the required underlying auto liability limits. The customer had been hit by an at-fault uninsured driver and was severely injured. The customer brought a claim against the agency for damages due to the agency's failure to procure $1 million in umbrella UM/UIM coverage. The agency also failed to confirm the customer's underlying automobile policy had the appropriate underlying limits by obtaining a current declarations page of that policy. u

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