JW Marriott-San Antonio Hill Country, 23808 Resort Parkway, San Antonio, Texas 78261
Alicia Curran will be speaking at the CLM Conference in San Antonio on the topic of "Surviving the Storm: Claim Responsiveness and an Insurer's Own E&O Exposure." In September 2008, Hurricane Ike struck the Texas Gulf Coast, causing more than $29.5 billion in damages to those in its wake. Several thousand insurance claims were filed, many of which were disputed, triggering thousands of bad faith lawsuits asserting common allegations against insurance companies, third-party claims administrators (TPAs), and individual adjusters. Not only does an insurer have to properly handle its claim with respect to its insureds, but it must properly handle and evaluate the claim with respect to its own Errors & Omissions Coverage. Errors & Omissions coverage for the Insurer and allegations of bad faith, by their nature, often involve degrees of grey regarding their application to an underlying case's defense and coverage. When an insurer goes to trial, it must re-evaluate its original coverage position and decide whether, when and how to provide notice to its E&O carrier or risk losing coverage should a runaway jury verdict ensue. This presentation is designed to discuss common themes in bad faith litigation, and specific actions insurance companies, TPAs, and individual adjusters can take to reduce their liability.