Errors & Omissions Insurance

Errors and omissions insurance is a type of liability insurance designed to protect companies against both court costs and any settlements up to the amount specified by the insurance contract. An errors and omissions insurance can cover for the full cost of a claim made by a client against a professional who provides services to them such as a consultant, financial advisor, insurance agent, or lawyer.

Range of Risks Covered

• Errors and omissions policy covers a company or an individual against litigations which have been filed by a third party for any financial loss arising due to services provided.
• Infringement of intellectual property such as infringement of copyright, trademark and any/or any trade secret are also covered.
• Claims related to misuse of information that is either confidential or subject to restrictions is also covered.

Financial Protection to Business

• Professional E&O insurance for business will cover litigation costs arising out of a case filed by any third-party. It covers compensation determined, as payable to the third-party, by the courts.
• PI insurance policy also covers claims against the estates and legal representatives of the insured.
• If the AOA:AOY is 1:1, E&O insurance will cover the claim upto the full limit of indemnity.

Additional Benefits

• Other additional extensions available under indemnity insurance are defamation cover, libel and slander, and cover for employee dishonesty.
• All claims based on incidents that took place after the retroactive date are covered. Retroactive date is the date when the first indemnity insurance was bought, provided renewals have been timely.
• Options to customize territory and jurisdiction as per requirement.

Let’s consider a scenario to best explain omission insurance. Your company uses a third-party’s software for client data management. Now, the server is hacked and hackers gain access to proprietary information and client data. Now, one of the clients sues the company for damages for inadequate security. This clearly gives rise to legal implications and additional costs.

So, if the company has an E&O insurance policy, with adequate coverage, then an errors and omissions policy is robust enough to cover all such situations. The insurance company, in this situation, will not only for the legal expenses involved in the court case against multiple companies but also for any monetary damages rendered by the courts or settled in arbitration.

Professionals part of the financial domain such as investments, insurance, accounting, real estate are prone to legal liabilities by virtue of their job. An E&O insurance covers them in the event of any mistake or omission made on behalf of a client that can have legal implications. Many regulatory bodies mandate employees in the mentioned professions to obtain errors and omissions cover through their employer or independently.

Any organization that’s dealing with crucial data or information of another party is always vulnerable to litigation. Clients may sue any financial professional if they incur a loss due to an error or omission made during the business operations such as application processes, consultations, or investment decisions. E&O insurance also covers for the legal fees and the cost for any damage awarded to the client(s) if they are owed any by the organization or professional insured.

E&O insurances depend on a variety of factors such as annual turnover of the organization, nature of business, territory coverage opted and so on. E&O insurance can protect organizations that deal with data for other parties from unforeseen liabilities arising due to errors and/or any professional negligence. Such an insurance policy will cost you much less than 1% of the annual turnover of your organization, but can reward you with greater benefits by covering for the claims that may arise due to any breach or professional negligence.

Errors and Omissions insurance safeguards companies and their employees against claims made by their clients for inadequate or negligent actions taken by them. It means that the policy can offer you protection in the event that any of your clients or shareholders file a case against you. It is also known as a professional liability insurance policy due to its nature.

E&O insurance policies cover the settlement, judgment, and defense costs. Sometimes the allegations are baseless but you might have to spend thousands of rupees in defending the lawsuit. It can bankrupt a company and have an adverse impact on its future.

The insurance policy usually applies when someone alleges that you have not done your job properly. The insurance also covers claims which may arise due to infringement of intellectual properties such as a copyright issue. However, the legal definition of professional liability varies from one insurer to another.

Below are some of the points that an E&O insurance will not cover.

• Illegal acts and deliberate wrongdoing - when an organization of its professionals intentionally break the laws or deceive their customers or clients such an insurance, if identified, will not be covered under E&O insurance policy.

• Bodily injury or property damage - such damages caused by the professionals or by virtue of operations of your organization will not be covered.

• Employee injuries or illnesses - injuries or illness happening to employees or stakeholders will not be covered under this policy.

• Discrimination or harassment - injuries/loss or law suits filed due to discriminations or harassments in the workplace are not covered under an E&O insurance policy.

Errors and omissions insurances are designed to cover organizations and their employees from liabilities arising due to professional negligence that could incur heavy financial losses. So, such a policy will not cover losses related to coronavirus or any other pandemic for that matter. You can check out other insurances on our website to identify the most specific insurance that you wish to purchase based on your requirements. If you are still unsure, you can always write to us at support@securenow.in or call us on +91 96966 83999 and an insurance expert will get in touch with you to help you buy the best insurance.