With the preseason underway and the regular season right around the corner, football fans are gathering in front of their TVs and crowding stadiums across the country with copious amounts of food and drink watching the big game. Legal observers will have their own action to watch although this is likely to last several seasons.
In 2011, several former players suffering a variety of neurological disorders sued the NFL for negligence and fraud relating to whether the NFL knew and withheld that knowledge that concussions and other head injuries incurred during the playing of football could lead to long term brain damage and related side effects (no comment). Many of these suits received class action status and were removed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
On August 13, 2012, the roster of players on this legal gridiron expanded to include the NFL’s insurance companies. Alterra America Insurance Company, an excess insurance provider, filed suit in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan seeking a declaratory judgment stating that Alterra
1)does not have a duty to defend the NFL against player lawsuits
2)does not have a duty to indemnify the NFL against player lawsuits
Two days later, the NFL and NFL Properties filed suit against 32 insurance companies (or nearly every major insurer in the country as reported by Reuters) including Alterra asking the Court to require these insurers to defend and indemnify the NFL from the players’ suits. Why so many insurers? Because the NFL sued nearly every insurer that it has ever had regardless if a current business relationship currently exists. This is mostly a dispute about when duty to defend triggers. The NFL in its papers argues it’s when the injury occurs. National Football League v. Fireman’s Fund Insurance, BC490342, California Superior Court, Los Angeles County at 12. This becomes a bit of problem because different insurers insured the NFL at different times going back to 1963. Determining which injury (if only one) caused the long term damage, when that particular injury occurred and which policy was in effect at that particular time is going to be messy to say the least.
However, the more interesting story here takes place nearly a week later. On August 21, Travelers’ Insurance followed “suit” and filed its own action against the NFL and the other insurance companies seeking a declaratory judgment with roughly the same arguments as Alterra. What makes this interesting is the fine distinction that Travelers’ makes in its papers which is how the other insurance companies become involved.
Travelers' argues that its only obligation is to NFL Properties and not to the NFL itself (both the NFL and NFL Properties have been parties to these suits). Travelers’ argues that it never insured the NFL (whom we guess Travelers’ believes is going to take the brunt of any payout either in the form of a judgment or settlement) and therefore shouldn’t have to bear any of the NFL’s costs. Traveler’s suit against the other insurance companies is a pre-emptive strike against its peers who “may dispute Travelers’ position with respect to some or all of the foregoing matters, and make seek contribution from Travelers’ with respect to defense costs and/or indemnity paid under the policies they issued to the NFL and/or NFL Properties with respect [to the players’ law suits].” Discovery Property & Casualty Co. v. National Football League, 652933/2012, New York State Supreme Court, New York County (Manhattan) at 19.
It looks like all the players are in their respective formations… and there’s the kickoff.
[1]Ben Berkowitz, “NFL Sues Dozens of Insurers Over Player Injury Claims.“ Reuters. 08/16/12. Accessed on 08/28/12. Available at: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSBRE87F0UB20120816?irpc=932.
