Volume 178

OCTOBER 2021

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PF&M ANALYSIS:

AAIS COMMERCIAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FORM ANALYSIS

12. Insured

The first group of defined insureds is based on the type of business entity entered on the Declarations:

  • Individual: The individual and his or her spouse are insureds. However, they are insureds only with respect to the conduct of the business for which the named insured is the sole owner.
  • Partnership or Joint Venture: The named insured, its partners, members and their spouses are insureds. However, they are insureds only with respect to the conduct of the named insured’s business.
  • Organization That Is Not a Partnership or Joint Venture: The named insured and all its executive officers and directors are insureds. However, each is an insured only within the scope of their duties for the organization. The named insured’s stockholders are also insureds but only for their liabilities as stockholders.

The next group qualifies as insureds, regardless the type of business entity:

  • The named insured's real estate manager. This can be a person or organization but if a person, he or she cannot be an employee of the named insured.
  • If the named insured is an individual and dies the business may continue, so others become insureds. The named insured’s legal representative is an insured but only while acting within the scope of duties as such.

Any person having custody of the named insured’s property at the time of the named insured’s death is an insured but only with respect to liability arising out of the maintenance or use of that property and that person stops being an insured as soon as the legal representative is appointed.

The legal representative takes on all the named insured's rights and duties under this coverage.

  • The following are insureds when using the named insured’s mobile equipment but only if the use is with its permission:
    • An employee of the named insured while using the equipment during the course of employment. If a fellow employee is injured, the employee that caused the injury is NOT an insured.
    • Non-employees but only if they have no insurance coverage and the liability is due to the operation of the equipment. Organizations or persons legally liable for that non-employee’s conduct are also insureds. They are not insureds for any damage they cause to their employer’s owned or rented property, to property that employer is occupying or to property for which their employer is responsible.
    • Insured status based on mobile equipment use described above does not apply for any loss that involves damage to the named insured’s owned or rented property, to property the named insured is occupying or to property for which it is responsible.
  • The named insured’s employees. This is limited to only for acts that are performed within the scope of their employment. It is further restricted with employees not being insureds for bodily injury, personal injury or advertising injury to either the named insured or a fellow employee. Also, they are not insured for property damage to property owned by, rented to or loaned to employees or to partners, members or the partners or members spouses. Executive officers are not considered employees in this section.
  • Any newly acquired or formed organization of the named insured. This applies only when the named insured has a majority interest in it. Newly formed or acquired joint ventures or partnerships are not insureds.

The newly acquired or formed organization is not an insured for any of the following:

    • When it carries or has in some way other comparable coverage available to it
    • After the policy period in which it was formed or acquired ends or 90 days after its formation or acquisition, whichever comes first
    • For any bodily injury or property damage occurring before the date of acquisition or formation
    • For any personal injury or advertising injury offense committed before the date of acquisition or formation.

Unless a partnership or joint venture is listed as a named insured on the declarations no person or organization is an insured in relation to the partnership or joint venture’s conduct either past or present.