Director’s and Officers’ (D&O) insurance is a unique form of business insurance that is meant to protect company directors and core officers from personal losses should they be sued as a result of serving in their official capacity, i.e decisions taken as part of their duties in an organization.
Table of Contents
The coverage may also settle the legal fees and other expenses the business may acquire due to the suit.
As a business with various officers serving in various capacities, anything can warrant claims against any of the key officers – including managers, board members, etc – by members of the public for alleged wrongdoing. The significance of D&O insurance is to help cover the expenses incurred such as settlements, legal expenses, as well as awards that must be settled.
Every business owner operating in a society with complex legal structures and frameworks must be as cautious as possible, as they can lose all they have worked hard to build.
As your business is growing rapidly and acquiring a good market share, always remember that you will soon find yourself in a position with a heightened prospect of liabilities and litigations that can be driven by unexpected issues.
In societies like the United States Of America, Canada, and many parts of Europe, lawsuits are very costly and could take a very large chunk of your revenue. Legal expenses are rising, and it is thus a very wise decision to get such coverages as D&O insurance for protection.
Scenarios Where D&O Insurance Will Prove Helpful To Your Business
Legal Actions By Shareholders
In 2023, a shareholder of Fox Robert Schwarz sued the Chairman of the organization as well as some other board members, claiming they didn’t stop reporting falsehoods about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The shareholder insisted that the officers breached their duties and made the news company deviate from following its ethical standards and avoiding reputational risk.
If your business has shareholders, any of them can take legal action against directors and other strategic employees for various reasons. If that should happen, D&O Insurance will step in to directly pay the legal expenses.
Reporting Errors
A company can also be sued as a result of inaccurate or misleading financial reports by investors, or misleading operational reporting from members of the public.
In 2022, leading consumer credit reporting American firm Equifax was sued for a three-week glitch after sending incorrect credit scores for many people to lending agencies and banks across the U.S. A D&O policy can also provide some coverage for your company itself if it is sued.
Failure to Comply with Regulations or Laws
There are possibilities of claims emanating from non-compliance with industry rules or laws, that can stem from an oversight or a miscalculated move. You should ensure your business and its principal officers are well-fortified in such a case.
Corporate Manslaughter
Some years back, the sole director of a firm known as Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings Ltd was charged to court for corporate manslaughter via gross negligence of the company that led to the death of a young geologist. Whenever there are claims that are related to deaths resulting from the business’s actions or negligence, this insurance policy will help cover legal costs.
Misrepresentation in a Prospectus
Also, the directors of a company can be in trouble when claims that relate to misrepresentations or omissions in a prospectus issued during fundraising are made.
Things That D&O Insurance Will Not Cover
Things that this the insurance won’t cover the following:
Fraud and Intentional Criminal Acts: If the directors of the company purposefully indulged in any form of fraudulent act and criminal actions, the claims that follow won’t be covered by the policy.
Illegal Remuneration or Personal Profit: If the directors obtained illegal payments (as well as personal gains), claims that emanate from such actions won’t be covered under the insurance.
Uninsurable Fines and Penalties: Generally, some fines and penalties can be imposed by the government which is uninsurable by law. If your business receives such fines, it won’t be covered by the policy.
Summary
This insurance policy is useful in various ways, as its coverage is not only for current directors and officers alone but also for past and future ones.
It covers an officer of the organization for their actions or negligence while serving in their capacity, and even after leaving the strategic role, should a claim be made against them for what they did or failed to do at those times, such a person is still covered under the policy in force while the claim is made.
Finally, once your business is growing, you will need good managerial talents to help handle a lot of things you won’t be able to do yourself.
