header-logo header-logo

17 July 2015 / Frank Maher
Issue: 7661 / Categories: Features , Insurance surgery
printer mail-detail

The PII countdown begins (Pt 2)

Professional indemnity insurance: Frank Maher reviews problems in practice

This is the second of three articles on professional indemnity insurance (PII), which 90% of firms will be renewing on 1 October 2015. There will always be some firms which have a problem on renewal. They may not necessarily be bad firms, but claims have a larger impact on the economics of insuring small firms than they do larger ones.

Problems might be because of a poor claims history, or might be because you have discovered a significant issue which may cause claims in the future, but has not yet done so. The writer has acted for many firms in this position over the years and it is a sad fact of life that for no obvious reason, many of these problems emerge in the month before the insurance renewal.

Examples have included rogue partners who have engaged in mortgage-related or other fraud, and cases where firms have discovered that they may have made a series of errors on a large number of

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Banking and finance practice bolstered by partner hire

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

Commercial litigation team welcomes senior associate in Birmingham

Birketts—Nathan Evans

Birketts—Nathan Evans

Commercial and technology team in Cambridge strengthened by partner hire

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
back-to-top-scroll