Insurance overview September 20, 2013

The University is an agency of the State of Connecticut, and as such, enjoys sovereign immunity. This means that anyone seeking to sue the University must file a claim with the Office of the Claims Commissioner to seek approval to file suit. Should liability be established, the University, as an agency of the State, is self-insured for the first $4M in damages. There are then layers of additional coverage that have been purchased. All insurance matters are managed by the State Insurance and Risk Management Board, through the insurance liaison for the University.

If you are injured during the course of your internship, you are covered by your own health insurance. As a student, you are required to carry health insurance so that coverage would be primary. Any recovery against another party for damages from the injury would be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Commercial General Liability insurance is insurance carried by organizations to protect them against liability claims for bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) arising out of premises, operations, products, and completed operations; and advertising and personal injury (PI) liability. The University has a limit of $4M pursuant to the States self-insurance program.

Professional Liability Insurance is a type of liability coverage designed to protect traditional professionals (e.g., accountants, lawyers, engineers, architects) and quasi-professionals (e.g., real estate brokers, consultants) against liability incurred as a result of errors and omissions in performing their professional services. Although there are a few exceptions (e.g., physicians, architects, and engineers), most professional liability policies only cover economic or financial losses suffered by third parties, as opposed to bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) claims. This is because the latter two types of loss are typically covered under commercial general liability (CGL) policies.

As a student participating in a University- sponsored program (such as an athletics team or an internship), you are covered through the Universitys Commercial General Liability insurance for damages that may be sustained by third-parties as a result of your participation in the program. Certain programs (i.e. Allied Health) arrange for Student Malpractice Insurance through a separate Professional Liability policy.

In certain circumstances, such as when a student obtains an internship independent of his or her UConn program, a student may be asked to purchase his or her own professional liability insurance. Where can a student look for this kind of insurance? Professional associations for the group Can ask the facility that is requiring the student to get this kind of coverage A student may be asked to provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI).

A Certificate of Insurance is a document that provides evidence that the party required to furnish the insurance has: Purchased certain types of insurance; and Purchased sufficient amounts of insurance Where can I get a Certificate of Insurance that shows what coverage I have? Fill out a COI Request Form located at and submit this to Melissa Frank at

A Certificate of Insurance (COI) provides general information, such as: Insurance company providing the coverage Limits of insurance Types of insurance Policy effective and expiration dates

A COI is not an insurance policy, and does NOT show: The financial condition of the insurance company; A large deductible or self-insurance Whether an insurance policy has been endorsed to add an entity as an Additional Insured Whether the policy has been cancelled

Melissa M. Frank, J.D. Contract Specialist Department of Procurement Services 3 North Hillside Road, Unit 6076 Storrs, Connecticut Tel: (860)