Case studies

We have assembled the following case studies that illustrate dimensions of our claims service across our business lines. 

Professional liability

When a global technology manufacturer found itself involved in a major class action suit due to a software problem, it sued the UK-based company which designed part of the program. The software firm had only a $5 million liability policy with us, while the global manufacturer was seeking to recover much of the $50 million in damages it was being forced to pay out, and seemed willing to use its size to press the smaller company for years if need be. Beazley coordinated legal teams in New York, San Francisco and London to help our insured open negotiations with the global manufacturer and show that a faster resolution for less money was in everyone’s best interests. The result was a settlement for $1 million agreed upon in about three and a half weeks.

Event cancellation (contingency)

Following catastrophic floods that closed numerous sporting events, we were contacted by a racecourse client who feared having to pull the plug on a key two-day meet. We quickly hired a specialist loss adjuster to work with the racecourse in a bid to keep the racecourse open for business. Within days, the adjuster had found a solution, sourcing and shipping newly developed impermeable sheeting to save the turf from the forecast deluge. When the rains came, they collected on the sheeting with the excess blotted up, and the race meet went ahead.

Commercial property

After a catastrophic fire brought a production line to a halt, a fiberboard manufacturer faced a tough choice: forego its long-term position in promising export markets or divert capacity away from a domestic market that was then red hot. We helped the client find a third way. Instead of the traditional "you repair or replace it; we’ll pay the bill" approach that is normal under a replacement cost policy, we gave our client the leeway to spend the funds on capital projects at other locations, adding new capacity to existing facilities. Our payment gave the client the flexibility to maintain export commitments without diverting capacity from the domestic market.

Professional liability

When an aggrieved food supplier sued our client, a food safety auditor, for negligence after failing an audit, the stakes were high. The supplier had lost a major contract with a food distributor and was now claiming a loss of profits of $17 million, more than triple the coverage our client had with Beazley. The case was complex and a jury trial looked risky. Beazley’s extensive legal analysis into the merits of the allegations laid the groundwork for its three-year involvement in the case. Based on expert evidence from accountants on the quantum of alleged damages, we achieved a mediated settlement of the claim for less than $1.5 million, a fraction of what a jury might have awarded.