HomeMy WebLinkAboutContracts & Agreements_180-2017 Adopted December 11, 1990
Effective February 15, 1991
Amended March 11, 2004
Amended October 5,2006
Amended December 8 2011
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
GENERAL LIABILITY PROGRAM II
This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into by and between the CSAC-EIA
(hereinafter referred to as the "Authority") and the participating members of the General
Liability Program 11 (hereinafter referred to as "GLII"), consisting of counties and other
public entities (hereinafter"Public Entity") who are signatories to this Memorandum
1 JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT Except as otherwise provided herein, all terms
used herein shall be as defined in Article 1 of the Joint Powers Agreement Creating the
Excess Insurance Authority (hereinafter referred to as "Agreement") Provisions of any
applicable coverage agreement and all other provisions of the Agreement not in conflict
with this Memorandum shall be applicable
2 PROGRAM COMMITTEE
A There is hereby established a GLII Program Committee (hereinafter referred to
as "GLII Committee" or"Committee") and, except as otherwise provided herein, said
Committee shall have full authority to determine all matters affecting the
participating members
B The GLII Committee shall consist of all GL11 member counties of the Authority,
with the committee member being that person designated as the county's Board
member for the Authority In the event a county Committee member is not present
at a meeting of the Committee, the County's Alternate Board member may serve as
the county's alternate on the Committee In addition to GLII member counties, each
GLII public entity member shall be a member of the Committee, subject to the GLII
member counties maintaining a minimum of 60% of the eligible voting membership
on the Committee The GLII public entity committee members shall be reduced
accordingly to ensure at least 60% of the Committee consists of GLII member
counties For example, based upon the 8 current GLII member counties participating
in the program, all 3 current GLII public entity members would have a seat on the
Committee and maintain at least 60% representation by the GLII member counties
If the number of GLII member counties is reduced to 4, then the GLII public entity
members would lose one seat and have only 2 votes GLII public entity committee
members shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and shall serve for a two
year term Each GLII public entity committee member shall designate an alternate to
vote in their absence The alternate must be an employee or elected or appointed
official of the GLI I public entity committee member
C The GLII Committee shall meet on the call of the Chair of the Committee as
provided in Article 12 of the Agreement and Article VI of the Bylaws of the Authority
(hereinafter referred to as the "Bylaws")
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Liability Program II Amended December 8, 2011
Memorandum of Understanding
D A majority of the members of the GLII Committee shall constitute a quorum for
the transaction of business Except as otherwise provided herein, all actions of the
GLII Committee shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the
Committee Any meeting of the GLII Committee shall be subject to the applicable
provisions of Government Code § 54950 et seq , commonly known as the "Brown
Act "
3 PREMIUMS The participating members, in accordance with the provisions of
Article 14 of the Agreement, shall be assessed an annual premium for the purpose of
funding the GLII Program Annual premium contributions, including Program
administrative costs plus the Authority's general expense allocated to the Program by
the Board for the next policy period, shall be as established by the GLII Committee upon
consultation with the underwriters
4 MEMBER SELF-INSURED RETENTIONS The self-insured retention amounts of
the members shall be established upon consultation with the underwriters and subject to
approval by the GLII Committee
5 COST ALLOCATION The method of allocating contributions to the GLII Program
shall be determined by the GLII Committee upon consultation with underwriters
6 FUNDING FOR CLAIMS
A At the GLII Committee's discretion, based on market conditions, exposures,
and/or loss history, self-insured layers or aggregated retentions may be established
for the GLII Program for any policy period or combination of policy periods If self-
insured
elfinsured and/or aggregated retention layers are established, such will be funded by
contributions from the members participating in the self-insured and/or aggregated
retention layers, as determined by the Committee Funding for these layers shall be
used exclusively for the payment of claims made against the participating members,
including expenses, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable
Memorandum of Coverage
B Any self-insured and/or aggregated retention layers shall be fully funded by the
participating members, and may, at the discretion of the GLII Committee, be
discounted for anticipated and/or earned investment earnings Should such not be
fully funded for any reason, pro-rata assessments may be made to the participating
members pursuant to the provisions of Article 14 b 3 of the Agreement to ensure a
100% funding level
7 DIVIDENDS Notwithstanding Article 22 b of the Agreement, if self-insured and/or
aggregated retention layers are established and it is determined that funds remain after
the payment of all claims, a dividend may be declared by the GLII Committee If a
dividend is declared, the dividend shall be payable to the members participating in the
layer, during the period in which there are excess funds, based on each member's share
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Liability Program It Amended December 8 2011
Memorandum of Understanding
of contributions to the applicable layer, regardless of whether the member is a
participating member in the GLII Program at the time the dividend is declared
8 MEMORANDUM OF COVERAGE A Memorandum of Coverage will be issued by
the Authority evidencing membership in the GLII Program and setting forth terms and
conditions of coverage
9 CLAIMS ADMINISTRATION Each participating member is required to comply with
the Authority's Underwriting and Claims Administration Standards (including Addendum
B - Liability Claims Administration Guidelines) as amended from time to time, and which
are attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein
10 APPLICATION TO THE PROGRAM
A All applications to loin the GLII Program will be evaluated by and subject to
approval by the GLII Committee and the underwriter
B Any entity which makes application to become a participating member of the
GLII Program who is not already a participating member in the Authority must also
be approved in accordance with the provisions of Article 19 of the Agreement
C New participating members may be added to the GLII Program during the term
of the coverage period on a pro-rata basis Notwithstanding late entry into the
Program, the new member may be assessed additional sums pursuant to paragraph
6 herein, based upon all claims against the fund during the entire coverage period
11 WITHDRAWAL AND/OR CANCELLATION FROM THE PROGRAM Withdrawal
and/or cancellation of a member from the GLII Program shall be in accordance with the
provisions of Article 20 or 21 of the Agreement, except that any interest or other dividend
to which the withdrawing member is otherwise entitled shall be payable to the withdrawing
member in accordance with paragraph 7 herein
12 LATE PAYMENTS Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary regarding
late payment of invoices or cancellation from a program, at the discretion of the Executive
Committee, any member that fads to pay an invoice when due may be given a ten (10) day
written notice of cancellation
13 RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES Any question or dispute with respect to the rights
and obligations of the parties to this Memorandum regarding coverage shall be
determined in accordance with the Article 31 of the Agreement, and may also be subject
to approval of the underwriter
14 AMENDMENT This Memorandum may be amended by a majority vote of the GLII
Committee and signature on the Memorandum by the member's designated
representative who shall have authority to execute this Memorandum Should a member
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Liability Program II Amended December 8, 2011
Memorandum of Understanding
of the GLII Program fail to execute any amendment to this Memorandum within the time
provided by the GLII Committee, the member will be deemed to have withdrawn as of the
end of the policy period
15 COMPLETE AGREEMENT Except as otherwise provided herein, this
Memorandum constitutes the full and complete agreement of the members
18 SEVERABILITY Should any provision of this Memorandum be judicially
determined to be void or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect any remaining
provision
17 EFFECTIVE DATE This Memorandum shall become effective on the effective date
of coverage for the member and upon approval by the GLII Committee of any
amendment, whichever is later
18 EXECUTION IN COUNTERPARTS This Memorandum may be executed in
several counterparts, each of which shall be an original, all of which shall constitute but
one and the same instrument
In witness whereof, the undersigned have executed this Memorandum as of
the date set forth below
Dated 12/8111
CSAC Excess(�I�nsu nce A o y
Dated 1/6-A7
Name, Position Paul W. Foster, Mayor
Member Entity City of Redlands
ATTEST.
ie ne Donaldson, City Clerk
Page 4 of 4
Adopted December 6, 1985
Amended January23, 1987
Amended October 6, 1995
EXHIBIT A Amended October 1, 1999
Amended October 3, 2003
,AOJ*461, Amended October 1, 2004
Amended March 6, 2009
CSAC EXCESS INSURANCE AUTHORITY
UNDERWRITING AND CLAIMS ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS
I. GENERAL
A Each Member shall appoint an official or employee of the Member to be
responsible for the risk management function and to serve as a liaison
between the Member and the Authority for all matters relating to risk
management.
B Each Member shall maintain a loss prevention program and shall consider
and act upon all recommendations of the Authority concerning the reduction
of unsafe conditions
II. EXCESS WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM
A Members of the Excess Workers' Compensation Program, except those
members of the Primary Workers' Compensation Program whose
responsibilities are outlined in Section IV below, small be responsible for the
investigation, settlement, defense and appeal of any claim made, suit
brought or proceeding instituted against the Member
1 The Member shall use only qualified personnel to administer its
workers' compensation claims At least one person in the claims
office (whether in-house or outside administrator) shall be certified by
the State of California as a qualified administrator of self-insured
workers' compensation plans
2 Qualified defense counsel experienced in workers' compensation law
and practice shall handle litigated claims Members are encouraged
to utilize attorneys who have the designation "Certified Workers'
Compensation Specialist, the State Bar of California, Board of Legal
Specialization"
3 The Member shall use the Authority's Workers' Compensation
Claims Administration Guidelines (Addendum A) and shall advise its
claims administrator that these guidelines are utilized in the
Authority's workers' compensation claims audits.
B The Member shall provide the Authority written notice of any potential
excess workers' compensation claims in accordance with the requirements
of the Authority's Bylaws Updates on such claims shall be provided
pursuant to the reporting provisions of the Authority's Workers'
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Compensation Claims Administration Guidelines (Addendum A) or as
requested by the Authority and/or the Authority's excess carrier
C A claims administration audit utilizing the Authority's Workers'
Compensation Claims Administration Guidelines (Addendum A) shall be
performed once every two (2) years In addition, an audit will be performed
within twelve (12) months of any of the following events
1 There is an unusual fluctuation in the Member's claim experience or
number of large claims, or
2 There is a change of workers' compensation claims administration
firms, or
3 The Member is a new member of the Excess Workers'
Compensation Program
The claims audit shall be performed by a firm selected by the Authority
unless an exception is approved Recommendations made in the claims
audit shall be addressed by the Member and a written response outlining a
program for corrective action shall be provided to the Authority within sixty
(60) days of receipt of the audit
D Each Member shall maintain records of claims in each category of coverage
(i e indemnity, medical, expense) or as defined by the Authority and shall
provide such records to the Authority as directed by the Board of Directors,
Claims Review Committee, Underwriting Committee, or Executive
Committee Such records shall include both open and closed claims,
allocated expenses, and shall not be capped by the Member's self-insured
retention
E The Member shall obtain an actuarial study performed by a Fellow of the
Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) at least once every three (3) years
Based upon the actuarial recommendations, the Member should maintain
reserves and make funding contributions equal to or exceeding the present
value of expected losses and a reasonable margin for contingencies
III GENERAL LIABILITY PROGRAMS
A Members of the General Liability I or General Liability 11 Programs, except
those members of the Primary General Liability Program whose
responsibilities are outlined in Section V below, shall be responsible for the
investigation, settlement, defense and appeal of any claim made, suit
brought or proceeding instituted against the Member
1 The Member shall use only qualified personnel to administer its
liability claims
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2 Qualified defense counsel experienced in tort liability law shall handle
litigated claims Members are encouraged to utilize defense counsel
experienced in the subject at issue in the litigation
3 The Member shall use the Liability Claims Administration Guidelines
(Addendum B) and shall advise its claims administrator that these
guidelines are utilized in the Authority's liability claims audits
B The Member shall provide the Authority written notice of any potential
excess Lability claim in accordance with the requirements of the Authority's
Bylaws Updates on such claims shall be provided pursuant to the reporting
provisions of the Authority's Liability Claims Administration Guidelines
(Addendum B) or as requested by the Authority and/or the Authority's
excess carrier
C A claims administration audit utilizing the Authority's Liability Claims
Administration Guidelines (Addendum B) shall be performed once every
three (3) years In addition, an audit will be performed within twelve (12)
months of any of the following events
1 There is an unusual fluctuation in the Member's claims experience or
number of large claims, or
2 There is a change of liability claims administration firms, or
3 The Member is a new member of the General Liability I or General
Liability 11 Program
The claims audit shall be performed by a firm selected by the Authority
unless an exception is approved Recommendations made in the claims
audit shall be addressed by the Member and a written response outlining a
program for corrective action shall be provided to the Authority within sixty
(60) days of receipt of the audit
D Each Member shall maintain records of claims in each category of coverage
(i e bodily injury, property damage, expense) or as defined by the Authority
and shall provide such records to the Authority as directed by the Board of
Directors or applicable committee Such records shall include open and
closed claims, allocated expenses, and shall not be capped by the
Member's self-insured retention
E The Member shall obtain an actuarial study performed by a Fellow of the
Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) at least once every three (3) years
Based upon the actuarial recommendations, the Member should maintain
reserves and make funding contributions equal to or exceeding the present
value of expected losses and a reasonable margin for contingencies
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IV PRIMARY WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM
A Members of the Primary Workers' Compensation Program shall provide the
third party administrator written notice of any claim in accordance with the
requirements of the Authority Members must also cooperate with the third
party administrator in providing all necessary information in order for claims
to be administered appropriately
B The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring qualified personnel
administer claims in the Primary Workers' Compensation Program and that
claims are administered in accordance with the Authority's Workers'
Compensation Claims Administration Guidelines (Addendum A)
C The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring a claims administration audit
utilizing the Authority's Workers' Compensation Claims Administration
Guidelines (Addendum A) is performed once every two (2) years
D The Authority shall be responsible for obtaining an actuarial study
performed by a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society(FCAS) annually
V PRIMARY GENERAL LIABILITY PROGRAM
A Members of the Primary General Liability Program shall provide the third
party administrator written notice of any claim or incident in accordance with
the requirements of the Authority Members must also cooperate with the
third party administrator in providing all necessary information in order for
claims to be administered appropriately
B The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring qualified personnel
administer claims in the Primary General Liability Program and that claims
are administered in accordance with the Authority's Liability Claims
Administration Guidelines (Addendum B)
C The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring a claims administration audit
utilizing the Authority's Liability Claims Administration Guidelines
(Addendum B) is performed once every two (2) years
D The Authority shall be responsible for obtaining an actuarial study
performed by a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) annually
VI PROPERTY PROGRAM
A Members of the Property Program shall maintain appropriate records
including a complete list of insured locations and schedule of values
pertaining to all real property Such records shall be provided to the
Authority or its brokers as requested by the Executive or Property
Committees
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B Each Member shall perform a real property replacement valuation for all
locations over $250,000 Valuations shall be equivalent to the Marshall
Swift system and shall be performed at least once every five (5) years New
members shall have an appraisal or valuation performed within one year
from entry into the Program
VII. MEDICAL MALPRACTICE PROGRAM
A Program I
1 Members of Medical Malpractice Program I (hereinafter Program 1)
shall be responsible for the investigation, settlement, defense and
appeal of any claim made, suit brought or proceeding instituted
against the Member
a Members of Program I shall use only qualified personnel to
administer its health facility claims
b Qualified defense counsel experienced in health facility law
shall handle litigated claims
c Members of Program I shall use the "Claims Reporting and
Handling Guidelines" in the CSAC Excess Insurance Authority
Medical Malpractice Program Operating and Guidelines
Manual (hereinafter Operating and Guidelines Manual), and
shall advise its claims administrator that these claims handling
guidelines are utilized in the Authority's medical malpractice
claims audits
2 Members of Program I shall provide the Authority written notice of
any potential excess claim or "major incident" in accordance with the
requirements of the Authority and of the excess carrier as stated in
the Operating and Guidelines Manual Updates on such claims or
major incidents shall be provided as requested by the Authority
3 A claims administration audit utilizing the Authority's Claims
Reporting and Handling Guidelines in the Operating and Guidelines
Manual shall be performed once every three (3) years In addition,
an audit will be performed within twelve (12) months of any of the
following events
a There is an unusual fluctuation in the Member's claims
experience or number of large claims, or
b There is a change of health facility claims administration firms,
or
C The Member is a new member of the Medical Malpractice
Program, or
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d The Medical Malpractice Committee requests an audit The
claims audit shall be performed by a firm(s) selected by the
Authority Recommendations made in the claims audit shall
be addressed by the Member and a written response outlining
a program for corrective action shall be provided to the
Authority within sixty(60) days of receipt of the audit
4 Each Member shall maintain records of claims in each category of
coverage (i e bodily injury, property damage, expense) or as defined
by the Authority and shall provide such records to the Authority as
directed by the Board of Directors or applicable committee Such
records shall include open and closed claims, allocated expenses,
and shall not be capped by the Member's self-insured retention
5 Members of Program I shall obtain an actuarial study performed by a
Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) at least once every
three (3) years Based upon the actuarial recommendations, the
Member should maintain reserves and make funding contributions
equal to or exceeding the present value of expected losses and a
reasonable margin for contingencies
0 The Member shall have an effective risk management program in
accordance with the "Risk Management Guidelines" as stated in the
Operating and Guidelines Manual
B Program 11
1 For Medical Malpractice Program II (hereinafter Program 11)
Members, the Authority shall be responsible for the investigation,
settlement, defense and appeal of any claim made, suit brought or
proceeding instituted against the Member The Authority may
contract with a third party administrator for handling of such claims
2 The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring the third party
administrator uses qualified personnel to administer Program 11
claims
3 The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring qualified defense
counsel experienced in health facility law shall handle litigated
claims
4 The Authority shall be responsible for ensuring a claims
administration audit utilizing the Authority's Claims Reporting and
Handing Guidelines in the Operating and Guidelines Manual shall be
performed once every two (2) years
The claims audit shall be performed by a firm(s) selected by the
Authority Recommendations made in the claims audit shall be
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addressed by the third party administrator and a written response
outlining a program for corrective action shall be provided to the
Authority within sixty (60) days of receipt of the audit
5 The Authority shall be responsible for obtaining an actuarial study
performed by a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS)
annually
6 The Member shall have an effective risk management program in
accordance with the "Risk Management Guidelines" as stated in the
Operating and Guidelines Manual
VIII. SANCTIONS
A The Authority shall provide the Member written notification of the Member's
failure to meet any of the above-mentioned standards or of other concerns,
which affect or could affect the Authority
B The Member shall provide a written response outlining a program for
corrective action within sixty (60) days of receipt of the Authority's
notification
C After approval by the Executive or applicable Program Committee of the
Member's corrective program, the Member shall implement the approved
program within ninety (90) days The Member may request an additional
sixty (60) days from the Executive or applicable Program Committee
Further requests for extensions shall be referred to the Board of Directors
D Failure to comply with subsections B or C may result in cancellation of the
Member from the affected Authority Program in accordance with the
provisions in the Joint Powers Agreement
E Notwithstanding any other provision herein, any Member may be canceled
pursuant to the provision of the Joint Powers Agreement
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Adopted December 6, 1985
Amended January 23, 1987
Amended October 6 1995
Amended October 1, 1999
Amended March 2, 2007
Amended March 5, 2010
Amended March 2, 2012
ADDENDUM B
LIABILITY
CLAIMS ADMINISTRATION GUIDELINES
The following Guidelines have been adopted by the CSAC Excess Insurance Authority
(hereinafter the Authority) in accordance with Article 18(b) of the CSAC Excess Insurance
Authority Joint Powers Agreement
I CLAIMS INVESTIGATION
A Complete factual investigation shall be done within forty-five (45) days of the
Member's knowledge of claim, including statements from participants and
witnesses, appropriate official reports, and photos (Answer questions who,
what, where, when and why)
B Develop liability issues, including immunities, comparative negligence, joint
tort feasors and joint and several liability Transfer of risk is an important
aspect of any claims investigation
C Initiate the development of information on damages
1 Property damage
2 Nature and extent of injuries
3 Medical costs
4 Lost wages
5 Dependency
6 Other damages
D Obtain and review contracts that may be in effect relating to specific events,
to determine whether there is any sharing or complete transfer of the risk
through-
1 Hold-harmless and/or indemnity agreements
2 Additional insured requirements
E Obtain defective products and/or other evidence, and hold it if at all
possible, or at least locate where it is being held Obtain product
Addendum B Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2 2012
Page 1 of 7
Information for the fife Early preservation of evidence is Imperative for a
proper defense
F Utilize experts appropriately on cases Consideration shall be given to
structured settlements and alternative dispute resolution The Authority has
a resource manual with the names, addresses, etc on various experts who
can be retained to investigate and testify on behalf of the Members
G Indexing
1 All bodily injury claims shall be initially reported to the Index Bureau
and re-indexed on an as needed basis thereafter
The EIA maintains a membership with the Index Bureau that members can
access
H Arrange appraisals for damaged property Do not rely on the appraisal
obtained by the plaintiffs' own carriers In some instances they may not
utilize the local ACV and the "computerized" appraisal figure can be
inflated
II. EXCESS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
A First Report
It is agreed that with respect to claim reporting, the covered party, in
addition to the terms set forth in this Memorandum, must report an
occurrence, offense, or wrongful act as follows
As respect to the General Liability I Program members, this includes
any occurrence, offense, or wrongful act in which the amount
incurred has reached 50 percent or more of their individual self-
insured
elfinsured retention or$500,000, whichever is lower
As respect to the General Liability II Program members, this includes
any occurrence, offense, or wrongful act in which the amount
incurred has reached 50 percent of their individual self-insured
retention
The Member shall give the Authority immediate written notice for any claims
or suits which the Member becomes aware of that include injury of the
following types
a Death
b Paralysis, paraplegia, quadriplegia
c Loss of eye(s), or limbs
Addendum B Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2 2012
Page 2 of 7
d Spinal cord or brain Injury
e Dismemberment or amputation
f Sensory organ or nerve Injury or neurological deficit
g Serious burns
h Severe scarring
I Sexual assault or battery Including but not limited to rape,
molestation or sexual abuse
Substantial disability or disfigurement
k Any class action
I Any claim or suit in which the Authority is named as a
defendant, or
m Any injury caused by lead
Utilize the current First Report: Potential Excess Liability Claims form,
available through the Authority website, and transmit to the Authority by
email to LiabllltyClaims@csac-eia org
B Update Reports
The Authority shall be provided copies of periodic reports (at least every 90
days) in order to be kept apprised of the developments of the case On
litigated cases, defense counsel shall also Include the Authority on their
mailing lists for copies of correspondence, reports, evaluations,
interrogatory summaries, deposition summaries and medical summaries
Actual deposition transcripts, interrogatories, their answers to Interrogatories
and interim billings are not required
As reserve/update changes occur, complete and transmit the current
Reserve and Payment Update form available through the Authority website
No less than thirty (30) days prior to trial, counsel shall provide a pre-trial
report that discusses the following
1 Case Summary
• Summary of Facts
• Critical Liability Issues
• Expected Liability Expert Testimony
• Critical Damage Issues
• Expected Damage Expert Testimony
2 Evaluation
• Potential Verdict Value
• Comparative Fault Analysis
• Probability of Defense Verdict
Addendum B Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2,2012
Page 3 of 7
Throughout trial, a dally trial status update shall be provided to the
Authority by defense counsel, the Member, or the Third-Party
Administrator This can be informal, such as an email or voicemail
advising of the day's activities, impressions of witnesses, any impacting
developments, and an update regarding the next day's schedule
C Closure Reports
When a case that has been reported to the Authority is settled, dismissed or
closed in any other fashion, provide the Authority with the closing
documents and a completed Closure Information form, available through the
Authority website
III TORT CLAIM REQUIREMENTSIGOVERNMENT CODE
A All notices (pertaining to claim insufficiency, returning late claims, claims
rejections, etc ) shall be timely done in accordance with the relevant
Governmental Code provisions
B Appropriate Dismissal Motions shall be made for failure to meet the
applicable Code of Civil Procedure statutes for timely serving, conducting
discovery or bringing a complaint to trial
C Proper verification of a claimant's status as to Medicare eligibility shall be
completed and documented in every file involving a bodily injury In those
cases where the claimant does meet the eligibility requirements, mandatory
reporting to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must be
completed directly or through a reporting agent in compliance with State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Section 111 of the Medicare
Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007
IV DOCUMENTATION
A Accurate reserves shall be established based on facts known, within thirty
(30) days of receipt of the investigative report Legal and adjusting
expenses shall be included The following formula is recommended in
establishing and updating the reserves for each file
1 (Maximum Value x Member's % of Liability) + Expense Factor =
Reserve
Maximum value is the potential total amount a plaintiff could expect
to receive, either through settlement or verdict, as if he/she was
completely free of negligence Maximum value shall include any
Addendum B Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2,2012
Page 4 of 7
potential award of plaintiffs attorney fees, such as, but not limited to,
cases involving Federal Civil Rights
Percentage of liability is determined by various factors that are
discovered during an investigation Reserves shall be adjusted
accordingly, as facts are developed, to properly reflect the exposure
These factors include but are not limited to
a The extent of plaintiffs liability
b The number of co-defendants and their percentage of liability
c The ability of the co-defendants to respond financially to any
settlement or verdict
d On cases occurring after June 3, 1986, Proposition 51 allows
defendants to limit their liability on non-economic damages to
their percentage of fault
e On cases involving uninsured claimants the recovery is limited
to economic damages in accordance with California Code of
Civil Procedures sections 3333 3 and 3333 4 (Prop 213)
2 The reserve shall be set at the full exposure after applying the above
formula, even if it exceeds the Member's Self-insured Retention
B The file shall contain reports necessary to document the decisions made,
including all demands, offers of settlement and settlement authority
1 A complete "typed" captioned report shall be placed in each file for
a Bodily Injury claims reserved above 25% of the S I R
b Property Damage claims reserved above 25% of the S I R
C All claims that meet the Authority's excess reporting
requirements regardless of reserves
Members and/or claims administrators may follow stricter guidelines
The captioned report shall include the following topical headings and
subsequent entries
1 Date of report
2 Member name
3 S I R level
4 Claimant(s) Information
5 Date of Loss
6 Claim Number(if used)
7 Facts of accident or occurrence
8 Witness/Participant Statement
9 Suggested reserves (see IV A) Do they reflect exposure?
Addendum 8 Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2 2012
Page 5 of 7
10 Assessment of liability
11 Review of damages/injuries, including medical costs, lost wages,
dependency, property damage estimates, total loss evaluations, loss
of use claims, and other damages
12 Index Bureau reporting
13 Addressing of coverage questions
14 Excess potential
15 Structured Settlement possibilities
16 Alternative Dispute Resolution
17 Subrogation potential
18 Governmental Code compliance and immunities
19 Identify future course of action
20 State next diary date
21 If litigated, identify counsel on both sides
22 Offsets or liens that may need to be considered
23 Medicare eligibility and reporting
C Photos, diagrams, estimates, statements, plans, contracts, medical, law
enforcement and coroner's reports (where applicable) shall be in the claims
file in a timely manner
V CASE SETTLEMENT FACTORS
A The settlement shall be reasonable in light of damages, injuries, liability, and
any obligations to Medicare
B Settlements shall be effected in a timely manner, with consideration given to
structures and/or alternative dispute resolution
C Contributions from point tort feasors shall be considered
D Settlement evaluation and authority shall be documented On cases
exceeding the S I R , prior written authority must be obtained from the
Authority
E Proper releases and dismissals shall be secured
VI LITIGATED FILES
A Defense plan shall be in the tile, Including a projected cost analysis
B Defense attorney's initial evaluation shall be completed and In the file within
sixty (60) days of assignment
C The defense attorney shall make proper follow-up requests for investigation
Addendum 8 Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2 2072
Page 6 of 7
D Defense costs shall be controlled by the Member Depositions and other
defense costs shall be approved by the Member
E There shall be timely recommendations from defense firms regarding
settlements and trial preparation
F Litigation outcome and total costs shall be documented
G There shall be timely notification to relevant employees and other parties
regarding pending litigation
VII. SUMMARY
The file shall be completely documented Audits conducted by the Authority
Auditor shall measure whether performance is consistent with these guidelines
Addendum B Liability
Claims Administration Guidelines
March 2 2012
Page 7of7