Thread: Insurer looks to part ways with NFL

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/82...ssion-lawsuits

Insurer looks to part ways with NFL

Darren Rovell
ESPN.com | August 14, 2012

A company that the NFL was hoping it could count on to help in its defense against concussion lawsuits is seeking to separate itself from the league.

Alterra America Insurance, which provided the NFL with an excess casualty insurance policy last season, has asked for a New York State Supreme Court judge to issue a declaratory judgment in its favor that would clear the firm from having to defend the league and pay for the damages associated with litigation that now involves more than 3,000 former players. Many of the player suits have been consolidated into a single case in a district court in Pennsylvania.

In a complaint filed on Monday, Alterra said the league had expressed it was expecting the company to be involved in both defending and covering the league should they lose in court.

I wish reporters were better sometimes, or better reporters were assigned to stories. Asking a sports guy with ESPN to report on an insurance issue relating to personal injury liability issues is like asking a Vogue fashion reporter to report on the differences between the 2012 Chevy Camaro and how it compares with Nissan GTR, and how their traction control systems work. . .. you're going to be left wanting.

Alterra apparently has only insured the NFL for one year. . .but which year is left out. And whether the policy was a "claims made" policy or not will make a huge amount of difference in the Judge's decision. Nonetheless, this is a normal procedure for an insurance company. Since part of the policy requires them to pay defense costs, they have to get a declaratory judgement at the front end if they hope not to pay defense costs, much less an actual jury award.

No shit? Insurance companies aren't in the business of actually insuring anything.......