Opinion ID: 1106238
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: claims made

Text: `We've designed this agreement to protect against liability claims resulting from professional services provided or which should have been provided by your hospital. Of course there are limitations which are explained later in this agreement. `IMPORTANT NOTE. This is a claimsmade coverage. Please read it carefully, especially the When A Claim Is Covered section. `WHEN A CLAIM IS COVERED `The coverage provided by this agreement applies only when both of the following conditions are met: `the claim is based on an act or omission that happened after the retroactive date shown in the Coverage Summary; and `the claim is first reported to us or one of our agents while this agreement is in effect. `We'll consider a claim to be made on the date it was first reported to us or one of our agents. `However, we won't consider a patient incident report to be your report of a claim madeeven if you send it to us or one of our agents. WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A LOSS: `Someone Is Injured Or Something Happens Which Can Result In A Liability Claim `If an accident or incident occurs that may involve this policy, you or any other protected person involved must: `1. Notify the police if a law may have been broken. `2. Tell us or our agent what happened as soon as possible. Do this even though no claim has been made but you or another protected person is aware of having done something that may later result in a claim. This notice should include: ` The time and place of the event; ` The protected person involved; ` The specific nature of the incident including the type of claim that may result; and ` The names and addresses of any witnesses and injured people. `IMPORTANT EXCEPTION FOR HOSPITALS `If Professional Hospital Liability Protection-Claims Made is included in this policy, we won't consider a Patient Incident Report or Variance Report to be your report of a claim madeeven if you send it to us or one of our agents. `3. Send us copies of all demands or legal documents if someone makes a claim or starts a lawsuit. `4. Cooperate and assist us in securing and giving evidence, attending hearings and trials, and obtaining the attendance of witnesses. `5. Not assume any financial obligation or pay out any money without our consent. But this rule doesn't apply to first aid given to others at the time of an accident.' (Emphasis added.) Edge Memorial and Holy Name have complied with the terms of their insurance policies with St. Paul and are entitled to coverage with respect to the three lawsuits filed against them. Summary judgment is therefore due to be granted in favor of Edge Memorial and Holy Name with respect to this issue. The second question presented concerns St. Paul's counterclaim for the collection of a deductible amount from Holy Name in the matter of Claudia Childs. We must determine whether the trial judge erred in his holding that St. Paul breached its legal duty to Holy Name by failing to obtain the hospital's consent before settling the Childs claim and thus cannot collect a deductible from the hospital. The facts surrounding this issue are also set forth in the trial court's judgment. We affirm the judgment of the trial judge as to this issue and adopt his reasoning as the opinion of this Court: