PLAINTIFF ALLEGED A VALID NEGLIGENCE CAUSE OF ACTION AGAINST DEFENDANT INSURANCE BROKER FOR FAILURE TO NOTIFY THE EXCESS CARRIER OF A CLAIM AGAINST PLAINTIFF; IT WAS ALLEGED THAT PLAINTIFF ROUTINELY NOTIFIED DEFENDANT BROKER OF ANY CLAIMS AND DEFENDANT BROKER ROUTINELY NOTIFIED THE AFFECTED CARRIERS, GIVING RISE TO A DUTY TO DO SO (FIRST DEPT).
The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the complaint against the insurance broker, T & H, stated a cause of action in negligence based on T & H’s failure to notify the excess carrier of its potential exposure to a claim:
Under ordinary circumstances, it is understood that “insurance brokers have a common-law duty to obtain requested coverage for their clients within a reasonable time or inform the client of the inability to do so” … . Nevertheless, if an insured asks the broker to take on additional responsibilities above and beyond procuring specifically requested coverage, and the broker agrees to do so, a duty is created that the broker must execute with reasonable care … . Thus, we have held that a duty was imposed on a broker to notify the appropriate primary and excess carriers of a potential claim where there was “evidence that as a matter of routine [the insured] referred all questions regarding its insurance claims to [the broker] and [the broker] handled all [the insured]’s insurance needs, including referring its claims to insurers” … . Here, plaintiff alleged that it and T&H had established a course of conduct whereby plaintiff would notify the latter of claims against it and T&H would inform the carriers, and that T&H acknowledged that plaintiff relied on it to carry out this function. Indeed, plaintiff alleges, in this case T&H affirmatively represented that it had placed both the primary and the excess carrier on notice. Accordingly, plaintiff has stated a cause of action for negligence predicated on T&H’s alleged failure to advise the excess carrier of its potential exposure. Martin Assoc., Inc. v Illinois Natl. Ins. Co., 2020 NY Slip Op 06860, First Dept 11-19-20