Insurance Agent and Broker Liability

Insurance Agent and Broker Liability

Insurance Agent and Broker Liability

Claims against producers commonly allege failure to procure requested coverage, failure to advise about available or necessary coverage, misrepresenting policy terms, or errors in the application resulting in rescission.

The scope of the duty to advise varies substantially by jurisdiction.

Alternative Names:

Agent Liability, Producer Liability, Failure to Procure

Why it Matters?

These claims surface after a coverage denial, when the insured seeks recovery from the agent for the coverage that should have existed. The threshold question is whether the agent owed only an order-taking duty to procure what was requested, or a broader advisory duty to assess the client's needs. Most states apply the narrower rule absent a special relationship, which is the primary defense.

Frequently Confused with

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

Do agents have a duty to advise on coverage needs?

Do agents have a duty to advise on coverage needs?

In most states, no. The duty is generally to procure the coverage requested, with a broader advisory duty arising only from a special relationship or express undertaking.

When do these claims arise?

When do these claims arise?

Almost always after a coverage denial, when the insured seeks from the agent the coverage it believed it had purchased.