XL Catlin adds employment practices cover for design professionals

XL Catlin is adding an employment practices liability insurance option to its professional liability insurance for architects, engineers and other design businesses in the United States, and offering up to $1 million in capacity, the unit of Dublin-based XL Group Ltd. said Tuesday.

The coverage, which is available under XL Catlin’s Design Professional liability policy form, offers dedicated EPL limits separate from dedicated professional liability limits.

XL Catlin said in its statement the coverage offers broad definitions of insured person and employment practice wrongful act; a defense of loss that includes back and front pay pre- and post-judgment interest, multiple damages and attorney fees; defense for Americans with Disabilities Act and written employee contract claims; and third-party coverage for nonemployees’ claims.

XL Catlin said the coverage is accompanied by loss prevention services such as a risk management website and a loss prevention hotline with access to employment legal expertise to address issues before they become a problem.

Doug Strong, Exton, Pennsylvania-based chief underwriting officer for XL Catlin’s design professional insurance business, said in a statement that settlement of employment litigation “can easily run in the $250,000 to $300,000 range, even for single employee claims against small companies.”