Claim Scenarios

Accidents happen all the time. And it only takes one to put your personal wealth at risk.

Consider these real life examples…

Auto Liability:

  • A teenage driver traveling in excess of 100 mph was involved in an auto accident.  A teenage passenger in the vehicle suffered extensive injuries leaving them a quadriplegic. The case was tried with a jury verdict of $21 million.
  • A driver fell asleep at the wheel. When the car rolled over the passenger inside was left a paraplegic.  A jury awarded the passenger $22 million.
  • A women struck by a car while crossing an intersection was awarded $29.5 million.

Premises Liability:

  • A dog escaped from a locked room at a party. During the excitement, the dog bit a guest who required medical attention and was left with a permanent scar.  The guest sued the insured, alleging physical injuries and emotional distress.
  • A house guest dove into a pool, sustained injuries and became paralyzed from the waist down. The guest claimed that the pool area was not properly lit and sued for $30 million.

Domestic Staff:

  • After terminating a housekeeper, an insured hired a highly qualified, but younger replacement.  The insured was sued by the former housekeeper for alleged age discrimination.
  • An individual homeowner terminated his gardener due to substantial tardiness; the gardener filed a wrongful termination lawsuit stating he was not advised of specific work hours.

Excess Uninsured / Underinsured Liability:

  • Third party started a golf cart before the other passenger was completely seated The passenger fell out of the golf cart and sustained major head tramua.  $1 million was awarded to the injured party.
  • An insured  suffered an aggravated vertebra injury requiring fusion surgery as a result of a fall from a porch at a friend's residence.  Medical costs ran into the millions, but the friend only had $500, 000 in liability coverage. The excess underinsured will pick up the difference to the maximum on their policy.
  • A 14 month old boy became permanently paralyzed as a result of an auto accident caused by a vehicle stalling in the middle of the roadway. Medical and lifetime home-care costs ran in to the millions, but the driver of the stalled vehicle carried no insurance.

Not-for Profit Liability:

  • A local chapter of a national service organization was named in several articles regarding mismanagement and misappropriation of funds.  Further investigation revealed that the chapter's executive director approved a number of questionable payments some of which where disclosed, but misrepresented and others which the board had no prior knowledge.  The board members authorized a public response and temporarily suspended certain powers of the executive director, who subsequently resigned.  The executive director later filed claim for defamation, wrongful termination and discrimination, seeking damages in excess of the chapter's $1 million policy.