Increasingly, companies are being named as defendants in putative class actions, like those brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act, involving violations of statutes that contain provisions mandating certain damages or ranges of damages. One question raised is whether “statutory damages” are uncovered “fines” or “penalties,” or whether they are covered losses.
Continue Reading Insurance Coverage for Statutory Damages Under Professional Liability Policies

By Timothy P. Law

The scope of insurance coverage for publication of material that violates a person’s right of privacy is a hotly debated issue nationwide. A decision earlier this week by the Court of Appeals of Wisconsin squarely addresses a key facet of this debate: coverage available for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”).

In Sawyer v. West Bend Mutual Insurance Co., decided on July 10, 2012, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled that liability coverage for publication of material that violates a person’s right of privacy applies both to the privacy right of secrecy and to the privacy right of seclusion. Continue Reading Insurance Coverage for Violations of the Privacy Right of Seclusion