Regardless of your company’s size, the legal cost to defend yourself as a director or officer or the business itself is substantial, as are the potential penalties that can be personally incurred. To protect you and your business, Directors and Officers Liability Insurance is essential.
Why are you more at risk?
In today’s business climate of corporate transparency and accountability, an organisation’s officers and directors face a myriad of employment-related exposures. Claims can come from many sources, employees, regulators, shareholders, creditors, customers, etc. Ever-changing regulations, increased employee awareness of employment rights as well as the rise of shareholder activism means directors are more frequently at risk, translating to rising claims and escalating settlement costs.
How is it different to Liability Insurance?
Unlike liability policies that provide cover for claims arising from property damage and bodily injury, a Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability policy specifically provides cover for a ‘wrongful act’, such as an actual or alleged error, omission, misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.
Potential Legal Costs
The cost of defending D&O claims can run well into six figures, leaving a business financially crippled. Even worse, your directors and officers put everything they have on the line, because in the event of a D&O liability claim, even their personal assets may be at risk. As a result, D&O Liability Insurance has become an essential component of most businesses’ insurance portfolios.
