President v. Jenkins, 357 N.J.Super. 288, 814 A.2d 1173 (App. Div. 2003)


Practice Areas: Professional Liability

In these consolidated appeals from an underlying medical malpractice action, we consider primarily whether the physician alleged to be negligent is covered under a “claims made” professional liability insurance policy issued by a successor insurer and, if not, whether the hospital where he enjoys admitting privileges has a duty to third parties to ensure that he is insured. We also consider whether the predecessor insurer has a duty to advise the hospital of the cancellation of the physician’s insurance, the event that caused the gap in insurance coverage, and whether the insurance broker breached a professional duty of care in failing to bridge the gap. As did the trial judge, we answer these questions in the negative. Accordingly, we affirm the grant of summary judgment in favor of both insurers and the broker, as well as the denial of plaintiff’s motion to amend her complaint to assert a claim against the hospital on the basis of such a perceived duty.


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