Attorney Insurance Coverages from Massachusetts Specialists
Proudly Providing Attorney Insurance Help to Companies in Massachusetts & Many Other Cities and States Across the Nation
What is Attorney Insurance?
In today’s increasingly litigious society, attorneys face an increasing risk of themselves being sued. In addition to facing lots of risks that are common to lots of different businesses, attorneys may also be sued over malpractice accusations. Attorney insurance policies help protect attorneys in Massachusetts from many of the risks they’re exposed to.
Attorney insurance policies are specialized commercial policies that have been tailored to meet attorneys’ unique insurance needs. Most attorney policies are package policies that contain several individuals coverages within them. Attorneys can usually customize the coverages that their particular policy provides to suit their specific situation.
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What Kinds of Protections Do Attorney Policies Offer?
The insurance protections contained within attorney policies can be broadly categorized into general business insurance coverages and attorney malpractice insurance coverages.
General business insurance coverages help protect attorneys from risks that their firm and many other businesses face. Some examples of general business coverages that an attorney policy may provide are:
- Commercial Property Coverage, which may cover an office building that a firm owns
- Commercial Contents Coverage, which might cover equipment that a firm owns
- General Liability Coverage, which may cover common accidents, such as slips and falls
- Commercial Vehicle Coverage, which might cover vehicles that a firm owns or that an attorney uses for work purposes
- Business Interruption Coverage, which may cover certain interruptions to business operations
- Cyber Liability Coverage, which might cover cyber security breaches and crimes
Attorney malpractice insurance coverage is a form of errors and omissions insurance that’s written specifically for attorneys. Just as medical malpractice insurance helps protect doctors who make mistakes, this coverage can often help protect attorneys who make covered errors.
(As is the case with many insurance policies, the exact coverages contained within an attorney policy can vary. Attorneys should carefully review their policy’s coverages with an independent insurance agent so they fully understand the protections afforded by the policy.)
What Sorts of Incidents Does Attorney Malpractice Insurance Coverage Protect Against?
As a form of errors and omissions insurance, attorney malpractice insurance coverage generally protects against mistakes that attorneys make in their primary area of work.
In addition to this protection, many policies also offer coverage for incidental work that’s carried out by an attorney. Incidental activities that a policy’s attorney malpractice insurance coverage might cover include:
- Serving as a notary public
- Serving as a trustee or executor
- Serving as a title agent
- Serving as an officer, director or member of a professional organization
Of course, there are some activities that are excluded from an attorney policy’s coverages. Commonly excluded activities include:
- Legal services that are provided for a business the attorney owns or controls
- Services that are provided as a fiduciary under the ERISA ACT
- Suits filed by attorneys who work for the same firm
- Criminal, fraudulent, malicious or dishonest acts
What is a “Claims Made” Policy?
The majority of attorney policies are “claims made” insurance policies. This means they normally only cover incidents that have been reported during their effective period. They might have retroactive dates or discovery periods that define when a covered incident could have occurred, but when a claim is filed also has a large impact on whether the claim is covered. To be covered, a claim usually must be filed while the policy’s still in effect.
Who in Massachusetts Needs an Attorney Policy?
Most attorneys who practice in Massachusetts should have an attorney policy. This includes both attorneys who are based in the state, as well as those who have offices in other states but are licensed in Massachusetts. Without a policy, attorneys are dangerously unprotected from the risks they face.
How Can Attorneys Get Quotes for Attorney Insurance?
For help finding attorney insurance, attorneys in Massachusetts should contact a Feingold Companies independent insurance agent. Our independent agents will be able to help attorneys assess their risk exposure, select coverages to protect them and obtain quotes for attorney policies that offer those coverages.
The Feingold Companies
Worcester Office
446 Main Street, Suite 1403
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: (508) 831-9500
Fax: (508) 797-4030
New Lakeside & Dudley Insurance
446 Main Street, Suite 1403,
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: (508) 943-0090
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