Professional Liability

Multimedia Liability

This policy provides coverage designed to insure against the exposures presented by the university's broadcast operations and publications. This policy provides protection against the following when committed in the utterance, dissemination, gathering, acquisition or obtaining of matter in multimedia activities and related advertising:

Defamation, libel, slander, product disparagement, trade libel, infliction of emotional distress, outrage or outrageous conduct;
Invasion, infringement or interference with rights of privacy or publicity;
Infringement of title, slogan, trademark, trade name, trade dress, services or service name;
Infringement of copyright, plagiarism, piracy or misappropriation of ideas under implied contract;
Wrongful entry or eviction, trespass, eavesdropping or other invasion of the right of private occupancy;
False arrest, detention or imprisonment or malicious prosecution;
Error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement or misinterpretation.

Deductible: There is $500,000 deductible per claim that will be paid out of the self-funded general liability fund.

Reporting Claims: All incidents or claims for any wrongful act (i.e. any actual or alleged error, misstatement, misleading statement, act or omission, neglect or breach of duty, etc.) must be reported in a letter-report form and submitted to the UM Office of the General Counsel, with a copy to the director of UM Risk & Insurance Management, within 48 hours after the incident or receipt of a notice of a claim.

Educators' Legal Liability

Specific types of exposures that may be covered under this program include, but are not limited to, educators' legal liability and directors and officers exposures. These exposures are covered only to the extent that they are legally permissible or defined by law.

This policy also provides coverage for exposures arising from what is commonly referred to as "employment practices liability." Employment practices liability generally refers to claims that may arise from exposures such as age, sex and employment discrimination, wrongful termination and sexual harassment.

All university officers, agents, employees, authorized volunteers and authorized students are covered under this program which is administered by the UM Office of Risk & Insurance Management in conjunction with the UM Office of the General Counsel.

Deductible: There is no deductible charged to campuses or departments; however, the University self-insures a part of each claim. There is a $1,000 deductible for individuals who are otherwise not reimbursed or provided defense costs.
Reporting Claims: All incidents or claims for any wrongful act (i.e. any actual or alleged error, misstatement, misleading statement, act or omission, neglect or breach of duty, etc.) must be reported in a letter-report form and submitted to the UM Office of the General Counsel, with a copy to the Director of UM Risk & Insurance Management, within 48 hours after the incident or receipt of a notice of a claim.

Medical Malpractice

Effective July 1, 1978, the university established a self-funded medical professional liability plan. The plan was first approved by the board of curators at its Feb. 24, 1978 meeting and amended at the May 26, 1978 meeting.

The medical malpractice program is fully funded through annual contributions by participating medical and health-related facilities. Determination of annual contributions is based on recommendations by an independent actuarial consulting firm. An independent trust company serves as the trustee for the plan and holds and administers the plan's funds.

Coverage under the plan is afforded to University employees and recognized volunteers as well as enrolled students pursuing courses of instruction at or under the direction or auspices of a participating medical facility.

Units currently covered under this self-funded program are:

Missouri S&T Counseling Center
Missouri S&T Student Health Center
MU Clinical Psychology
MU College of Veterinary Medicine
MU Counseling Center
MU Department of Nutritional Science
MU Department of Psychology
MU Educational, School & Counseling Psychology
MU Nutrition and Exercise Physiology
MU Psychological Services Clinic
MU School of Health Professions
MU School of Medicine
MU School of Nursing
MU School of Social Work
MU Student Health Center
MU Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders
UM System EAP
UMKC Counseling Center
UMKC Counseling Psychology and Counselor Ed.
UMKC Dental School
UMKC Dept. of Social Work
UMKC Psychology Department
UMKC School of Medicine
UMKC School of Nursing
UMKC School of Pharmacy
UMKC Student Health Center
UMSL Center for Behavioral Health
UMSL Center for Trauma Recovery
UMSL Children's Advocacy Center
UMSL Community Clinic
UMSL Counseling Services
UMSL College of Education Applied Behavioral Analysis
UMSL College of Education Sciences and Professional Programs
UMSL Gerontology Department
UMSL School of Nursing
UMSL School of Optometry
UMSL School of Social Welfare
UMSL Student Health Center
University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics
University Physicians

The plan provides protection against claims resulting from injury to a patient arising out of the operations of a participating medical facility or because of injury arising out of the rendering of or failure to render professional services by a covered person.

Reporting Claims: All incidents or claims must be reported in a letter-report form and submitted to the UM Office of the General Counsel, with a copy to the Director of UM Risk & Insurance Management, within 48 hours after the incident or receipt of a notice of a claim. This program is administered by the Department of UM Risk & Insurance Management, in conjunction with the UM Office of the General Counsel.

For more information on the university's policies on medical liability you may go to the following:https://umsystem.edu/ums/rules/collected_rules/benefit/ch490/490.020_medical_professional_and_patient_general_liability/.

Law Enforcement Liability

Professional liability exposures may arise out of the operation of Campus and Hospital Police and Security Departments. The coverage provides the University and its police and security officers with liability protection against claims that arise from law enforcement activities for the following:

Bodily Injury
Property Damage
Rendering of Emergency First Aid
Personal Injury

Reporting Claims: Claims are to be made using the Student or General Public Injury and Damage Report,Form UM-200. These reports must be typed and submitted to the appropriate campus contact with 48 hours after the incident.

Licensed Professional Liability

Licensed Professional Liability exposures may arise out of situations in which students are developing their skills or advancing their education through hands-on experience. Whether or not they have a license, the LPL policy is also applicable when faculty supervise the activities of licensed professionals, or when the institution's employees provide professional services. LPL coverage addresses situations frequently excluded from other policies and provides peace of mind for managing the risks of programs or services which involve professional licensing. Program examples include nursing, architecture, law, psychology, accounting, most engineering programs, and many more, but programs must be enrolled in the program for coverage.

Summons and Petitions

Any summons or petition served on an employee as a result of an accident or incident occurring in the course of or arising out of employment with the University must be forwarded immediately or hand-carried to the UM Office of the General Counsel, with a copy to the Director of UM Risk & Insurance Management.

Reviewed 2021-07-16