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Special Coverages

There are two kinds of crop insurance: crop-hail, which is provided by the private sector, and multiple peril, an all-risk coverage underwritten by the private sector and the federal government and serviced mostly by the private sector. Crop-hail insures against loss of the value of a crop as a result of damage by hail. Multiple peril insurance covers loss of crop value as a result of all types of natural disasters, including drought, excessive moisture, and unusually hot weather.

Fiduciary Liability Insurance pays, on behalf of the insured, the legal liability arising from claims for alleged failure to prudently act within the meaning of the Pension Reform Act of 1974. Insured is variously defined as a trust or employee benefit plan, any trustee, officer, or employee of the trust or employee benefit plan, employer who is sole sponsor of a plan and any other individual or organization designated as a fiduciary. Group life and medical expense plans, as well as pension and retirement plans, are within the scope of the law.

As the name implies, an umbrella liability policy provides coverage over and above your other liability coverages. It is designed to protect against unusually high losses, when the policy limits of one of the underlying policies have been used up. For the typical business, the umbrella policy would provide protection over and above general liability and auto liability policies. If you have Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Directors and Officers Liability, or other types of liability insurance, the umbrella could provide protection over and above those policy limits as well.

Prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, standard commercial insurance policies included terrorism coverage as part of the package, effectively free of charge. Today, terrorism coverage is generally offered separately at a price that more adequately reflects the current risk. Insurance losses attributable to terrorist acts under these commercial policies are insured by private insurers and reinsured or backstopped by the federal government pursuant to the Terrorism Risk and Insurance Act (TRIA), enacted by Congress in 2002. 

Employment Practices Liability Insurance pays, up to the policy limits, damages for which an employer is legally liable for violating an employee's civil or other legal rights. In addition to paying a judgment for which the insured is liable, it also provides for legal defense costs, which can be substantial even where there has been no wrongdoing.

Directors and Officers Liability Insurance protects directors and officers of corporations or not-for-profit organizations if there is a lawsuit claiming they managed the business or organization without proper regard for the rights of others. The policy will pay any judgment for which the insured is legally liable, up to the policy limit. It also provides for legal defense costs, which can be substantial even where there has been no wrongdoing.