As an insured, it is important to understand the prior acts exclusion in your liability insurance policy.  The prior acts exclusion bars coverage for claims that arise out of an act prior to the policy period or specified date in the policy.   Knowing this, an insured typically can get some prior acts coverage to cover claims that arise out of an act that precedes the policy period (e.g., after a retroactive date).  Perhaps it is not full prior acts coverage (covering claims that arise out of acts that occur at any time) but coverage for claims arising out of an act after a retroactive date (date earlier than the policy period).  This becomes important, particularly with claims made policies (such as professional liability policies or directors and officers liability policies) since these policies are triggered by a claim made during the policy period.  With the prior acts exclusion or even with the retroactive date, if the claim arose out an act that pre-dates the policy period or retroactive date, the insurer has an argument that the policy does not cover the claim.

 

A recent decision (discussed here) pertaining to a directors and officers liability policy shows the application of the prior acts exclusion and how courts broadly construe “arising out of” language in the exclusion.  In other words, in the recent decision, even though the claim pertained to a wrongful act that occurred during the policy, the underlying act that made it a wrongful act arose out of acts that occurred prior to the policy period.  Thus, the court broadly construing “arising out of” language, maintained that the prior acts exclusion barred coverage for the directors and officers claim.

 

 

Please contact David Adelstein at dadelstein@gmail.com or (954) 361-4720 if you have questions or would like more information regarding this article. You can follow David Adelstein on Twitter @DavidAdelstein1.