From the Front Lines: Professional Liability

How did you get started at your agency?

My dad, Ray Huff, started the agency. I began my career here at age 14 when he told me there was no more sitting on the couch during the summer. From then until I graduated college, I worked during summer breaks and vacations. After that, I joined full-time in personal lines and eventually moved into commercial. In 2007, I took over as agency owner.

Why professional liability?

Over the years, we’ve found that more clients have a professional liability exposure than what we once thought. Because of that, we tend to write a lot of this coverage for all types of business.

Biggest professional liability challenges?

Not all the forms are similar compared to some other lines of business, which usually start with an ISO form and then go from there. Comparing forms and knowing what coverage each carrier offers is definitely a challenge.

Advice for other professional liability agents?

Make sure you read the policy. Pay attention to claims made vs. occurrence forms. And make sure you understand the hammer clause—how it works and how it’s applied.

Future of professional liability insurance?

I see more and more of what you would consider Main Street carriers offering professional liability. And I see professional liability becoming available as an endorsement on a business owner’s or general liability policy.

Favorite professional liability success story?

The biggest claim we had was a policy we had written for a healthcare facility. Part of their professional liability coverage was employment practices liability insurance. They got sued for several hundred thousand dollars for sexual harassment. The EPLI piece included all prior acts, and the claim occurred three days before we placed the policy. Had they not had both professional liability and EPLI coverage with full prior acts, they would have had no coverage for the lawsuit.