Insurance & Liability

Occasionally the University will need to provide to other parties evidence of insurance coverage. Such evidence is generally called a Certificate of Insurance and the other party may be named as additional insured under WSU’s liability policy.

Issuance of certificates requires specific information regarding the event, function, provision of services, or use of facility for which the certificate is to be issued. All such information must be submitted to the Office of Risk Management Services by the University faculty or staff member needing the certificate. All certificates are issued specific to the intended purpose. Certificates are issued by the State Office of Risk Management, through the WSU Compliance and Risk Management office.

Certificate of Insurance Request

Certificates of Insurance for Student Interns

Cooperating agencies where WSU students are serving internships may require Certificates of Insurance for coverage provided by the University for the student while serving in the internship. Please contact the Compliance and Risk Management (509) 335-6893, for these certificates.

Compliance and Risk Management assists University partners when it becomes necessary to purchase insurance for risks not covered by the self-insurance programs. It is not always possible to secure such insurance, as the ability of WSU to purchase commercial insurance is subject to approval by the State Department of Enterprise Services (DES). If authorized by DES, WSU departments may obtain insurance through the insurance broker under contract with DES, or through outside insurance providers with approval from DES. The following is a list of various commercial insurance policies that are available. Others may be available for specific activities as needed. Departments requesting these insurance policies generally bear the cost of the premium.

Please contact compliance.risk@wsu.edu with any questions about the insurance coverage or for advice on getting specific types of insurance. 

State of WA Self-Insurance Liability Program (SILP)

The State of Washington’s SILP is administered by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES). The program provides third party liability coverage to state entities and indemnified employees. Employees are indemnified for actions and decisions made in the course and scope of their employment. Claims covered under this program are also known as Tort Claims. SILP does not provide coverage for student sponsored events.

The following are the most common types of claims covered under SILP: 

  • General Liability: Covers claims brought against WSU by third parties for bodily injury or property damage.
  • Automobile Liability: Covers claims brought against WSU by third parties for bodily injury or property damage caused by vehicles that are owned or leased by the university. This coverage does NOT apply to physical damage to WSU owned or leased vehicles.
  • Pollution Liability: Covers claims brought against WSU by third parties for bodily injury or property damage caused by sudden and accidental pollution from the university’s property and facilities.
  • Professional Liability (WSU Employees Only): Covers claims brought against WSU by a third party against certain licensed professionals like physicians for their negligence, malpractice, or mistakes.

For more information download the WSU Insurance Summary.

Non-SILP Insurance Programs

  • Boiler and Machinery Policy (Equipment breakdown): Provides coverage for damage to boilers and/or equipment resulting from mechanical breakdown and explosion.
  • Builder’s Risk Insurance: Covers building materials during construction of WSU buildings until final completion.
  • Children’s Center Accident Insurance: Provides accidental death and dismemberment, and accidental medical coverage for children participating in WSU’s Children’s Center activities.
  • Commercial Property Insurance: Covers loss or damage to buildings and building contents (business personal property) owned by WSU. The university purchases this insurance. Departments elect to participate and pay premiums for named property in the program.
  • Crop Insurance: Provides coverage for damage to growing crops like wheat and dry peas caused by hail, fire, storm, wind, etc. 
  • Fidelity Bond (Public Employees Blanket Bond): Provides coverage for loss sustained by the state due to fraudulent or dishonest acts committed by state employees.
  • Fine Arts: Provides coverage for damage to fine art pieces or displays/exhibitions that are permanently owned or on loan by WSU. This may also be called Inland Marine Insurance, which is an umbrella term for insurance that indemnifies loss to moveable or specialized types of property.
  • Foreign Liability Insurance: Provides general liability, and automobile liability coverage for WSU employees while traveling in foreign countries on WSU business. This policy does not provide coverage for employees on personal travel.
  • International Travel (Global Assistance and Insurance Program): Provides coverage to WSU employees and students for emergency situations while traveling abroad on university business. These include medical assistance, medical and security emergency evacuation, and accidental death and dismemberment (ADD).
  • Marine (non-ferries) Insurance: Provides hull and machinery (physical damage), protection and indemnity (liability), pollution and excess liability coverage for watercraft under 26 feet in length and powered by no more than 50 horsepower (hp).
  • Out of State Workers’ Compensation: Provides coverage for WA state employees who work out of the state of Washington for 30 or more days (consecutive and non-consecutive) per year. Employees who reside across state lines and commute to work in WA state should be included in the out of state workers’ compensation if they will be working remotely for 30 or more days (consecutive and non-consecutive) in their resident state.
  • Pollution Legal Liability (Tri-Cities): Provides environmental and pollution liability coverage for property location in Richland, WA where the Tri-Cities campus is located.
  • Professional Liability – Medical Professional (Students Only): Provides professional liability for WSU Elson Floyd College of Medicine students.
  • Special Events Insurance: Provides liability coverage for bodily injury and/or property damage to participants in special events. It also provides coverage when unforeseen circumstances cause an event cancellation. Examples of events include performances, symposiums, and fairs. Third parties using WSU facilities for special events can purchase the URMIA Tenants’ and User’ Liability Insurance Policy, which protects both WSU and the third party using WSU’s facilities against claims for bodily injury and/or property damage to participants. 
  • Sports Medicine: Provides coverage for student-athletes who are injured while participating in a covered intercollegiate athletic activity. This coverage is in excess of any applicable primary insurance.
  • Student Intern (non-medical) Professional Liability: Provides professional liability coverage for nonmedical student interns while they are fulfilling their practicum or intern requirements at off-campus locations not under WSU supervision or control.
  • Student Intern Medical Malpractice & General Liability (GL): Two separate policies that provide professional liability and general liability respectively, for medical students while they are fulfilling their practicum or intern requirements at a medical facility not under WSU supervision or control.
  • Vehicle Loss Reserve Fund (VLRF): A WSU internal fund program that provides comprehensive and collision (physical damage) coverage to WSU owned or leased vehicles. Departments that own or lease vehicles participate and pay premiums for each vehicle in the program. This coverage does NOT provide auto liability coverage, which is covered under the SILP.

For more information download the WSU Insurance Summary.

WSU Affiliated Entities or Organizations

Other entities by or affiliated with WSU maintain insurance policies for their operations. RMS can assist these entities with obtaining insurance. Please contact compliance.risk@wsu.edu with any questions. 

Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability: Provides personal liability coverage for directors and officers of an organization for claims that arise due to their managerial decisions and actions. 

Commercial Insurance Packages: Often time, organizations purchase multiples lines of coverages in an insurance package. Common lines of coverage included in a package are: 

  • General Liability: Covers claims brought against an organization by third parties for bodily injury or property damage caused by the organization or its employees’ negligence.
  • Property: Covers losses or damage to buildings and contents owned by an organization. 
  • Equipment Breakdown: Covers damage to equipment resulting from mechanical breakdown and explosion.
  • Crime: Covers loss sustained by an organization due to fraudulent or dishonest acts committed by its employees.
  • Business Auto Liability: Covers claims brought against an organization by third parties for bodily injury or property damage cause by vehicles used in that organization’s business. This insurance also provides coverage for physical damage to vehicles owned by the organization.
  • Cyber Insurance: Provides coverage for first party and third party loss events, and also provides breach response for an organization during a cyber event.
  • Umbrella: A policy that provides additional coverage in the form of increased limits to other policies. Umbrella policies provide coverage for bodily injury, property damage, legal damages, etc.

For more information download the WSU Insurance Summary.

Departments are encouraged to require participants in activities that involve more than a normal risk of physical injury to sign release and assumption of risk forms before allowing the participant to engage in the activity. Release / Assumption of risk forms should be tailored as much as possible to fit the specifics of an activity.

Property damage claims for damage to WSU owned vehicles are made to Compliance and Risk Management per WSU Safety Policies and Procedures Manual 7.20, Reporting Motor Vehicle Accident, using a Standard Form 137, Vehicle Collision Report Form. This form is to be filled out online, with a PDF of the report forwarded to the supervisor, who will review and forward the report, via email, to riskmanagement.wsu.edu.

If law enforcement does not respond to the accident, drivers are required by law to complete and file the Washington State Patrol Collision report form 161.

Updated 3.31.23

Student Intern Liability Insurance can only be purchase here using the link or QR Code with debit/credit card. You will receive a Payment confirmation email, that will serve as your proof of coverage. Coverage is valid for 365 days from date of purchase or a future date as indicated at time of purchase. If the area of study you are participating in is not listed, please contact Risk Management to confirm coverage is available.

Student Intern (non-medical) Professional Liability Insurance

Provides liability insurance to interns participating in off-campus internships while in a non-medical practicum at off-locations not under the control and supervision of WSU employees.  This policy has a $2,500.00 per occurrence deductible which must be paid by the student if a loss occurs.

Please use the QR code below or visit https://secure.touchnet.net/C20607_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=19&FROMQRCODE=true

Scan the QR Code to purchase non-medical student intern professional liability insurance.
Scan the QR Code to purchase non-medical student intern professional liability insurance.

Certificate of Insurance for Student Intern (non-medical) Professional Liability Insurance

Student Allied Health (medical) Intern Liability Insurance

Provides insurance to interns while in a required clinical practicum at off-campus locations not under the control and supervision of WSU employees.

*Coverage only in US, Puerto Rico, and Canada site locations.

Please use the QR code below or visit https://secure.touchnet.net:443/C20607_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=17&FROMQRCODE=true

Scan the QR Code to purchase medical student allied health intern liability insurance.
Scan the QR Code to purchase medical student allied health intern liability insurance.

Certificate of Insurance for Student Allied Health(Medical) Intern Liability Insurance

There is a common belief that WSU has insurance for everything. This is not accurate. In many instances of loss, the University is either “self-insured” or “non-insured.” In the case of non- insurance, WSU departments bear the cost of any loss out of their own budget. There are two areas in which WSU is insured through formal self-insurance programs:

WSU maintains a self-insurance fund referred to as the Vehicle Loss Reserve Fund. This fund covers property damage to WSU owned vehicles that are enrolled in the program. WSU departments that enroll their vehicles in the program are assessed an annual premium per vehicle that is collected in a central fund. This fund is then used to pay damage claims to enrolled vehicles. This fund covers damage that would normally be covered by a collision and comprehensive insurance policy. It does not cover intentional damage to vehicles or for damage resulting from maintenance or neglect issues. The Office of Risk Management Services is responsible for adjusting these claims, e.g. receiving notification of damage, collecting estimates for repair, coordinating repair, paying for the repair, and seeking recovery from third parties that may have caused the damage. 

WSU’s liability for the negligent acts of its employees, officers, and official volunteers is covered through the State of Washington Self -Insurance Liability Program (RCW 4.92 et. Seq.) administered by the State in Olympia. The coverage only applies when non-University employees (or their property) are injured/damaged by the negligence of a WSU employee, officer, or official volunteer. It does not provide coverage for other SILP insured State entities. In order for the coverage to apply, the employee, officer, or official volunteer must have been acting in good faith on behalf of WSU and within the scope of the duties assigned to the individual by WSU at the time the loss occurs. WSU pays a substantial premium for this policy based on a five-year claim history. Examples of coverage include:

  • General Liability, including Auto Liability Covers injury or damage to a person who is not employed by the University or to non-WSU property. The injury or damage must be caused by the negligence of WSU, its employees, officers,  or official volunteers.
  • Professional Malpractice for faculty, staff, volunteers, and students performing clinical practice on-campus. (Note: Students performing clinical practice off campus are not covered, but may purchase their own separate professional liability student insurance.)

SILP coverage:

  • Pays tort-claim judgments and settlements.
  • Defends and indemnifies employees, officers, and official volunteers when sued personally for negligence (so long as acting in good faith in the performance of their WSU duties)
  • Coverage does not include:
    • marine hull and vessel operations
    • aircraft liability
    • employee fidelity
    • student sponsored events
    • damage to state owned facilities and property
    • injuries covered by worker’s compensation or similar policies
    • injuries/damages on foreign soil

Please Note: For liability issues not covered by the Self-Insurance Liability Program, commercial insurance may be available for purchase by Departments through Compliance and Risk Management.

WSU Property Damage Claims Management Guidelines

Effective coordination of communication is essential for effective loss response and claims management. Please direct any questions about these guidelines to compliance.risk@wsu.edu

Key Points About Property Damage

  1. WSU purchases property coverage in the private market, with Zurich as the primary underwriter.
  2. The property policy coverage deductible is $500,000 per occurrence/claim, and the policy limit is $300,000,000.
  3. Each department/unit has a $10,000 deductible per occurrence/claim, with costs over this amount and under the $500,000 policy deductible covered by the commercial property fund (CPP).
  4. RMS is responsible for the coordination of claims management with the carrier for damages in excess of the $500,000 deductible.
  5. For claims above $10,000 and under the $500,000 policy deductible, RMS will make payments to department/units through the CPP.
  6. For claims over the $500,000 deductible, Zurich will make payments to WSU and RMS will coordinate reimbursements to the CPP.
  7. The first step in every claim is remediation. WSU departments/units have a duty to take immediate action to prevent further loss.
  8. Facilities, EH&S and Campus police work closely with RMS and are encouraged to report property claims.
  9. Insurance coverage is only available to departments/units that provide values to the SOV during the renewal period.

Authority and Responsibility

Risk Management Services (RMS) has primary authority and responsibility for the property claims process. All questions should be directed to compliance.risk@wsu.edu

Risk Management Services (RMS) is responsible for:

  1. Coordination of actions and documentation of claims with the insurer, adjuster, DES, and other WSU departments when damages from an event exceeds $10,000
  2. Advising departments and building occupants (of damaged areas) of the insurance claims process.
  3. Coordinating with a department and the AGO (Attorney General s Office) to assess options for recovering from damages cause by a third party.
  4. Keeping track of all claim’s documents, photos, and communication among stakeholders.
  5. Issuing reimbursement to departments for damages under the commercial property policy’s $500,000 deductible and over the internal property pool’s $10,000 deductible.
  6. Facilitating reimbursement to a department for damages over the $500,000 policy deductible.

WSU Departments are responsible for:

  1. Taking immediate action to prevent further damage to property or bodily injury to persons.
  2. Contacting the appropriate Facilities services group for any losses that require professional action, such as broken pipes or water damage.
  3. Notifying RMS immediately after the initial emergency response, even if a third-party causes damage. RM will confirm whether the property is insured and whether the event qualifies for coverage. Depending on the scope of the damage, we will consult with the unit to determine whether to notify the carrier– the current policy has a $500,000 deductible.
Note:

Policies typically require the insured to notify the carrier in a timely manner.

  1. Recording contemporaneous detailed report of damage, including photographs and send to RMS.
  2. Obtaining/developing and sharing a reasonable estimate of repairs and replacement costs after the event with RMS. If a third-party causes damage, obtain their information, and send it to RMS. RMS will collaborate with the unit and the AGO (Attorney General’s Office) to assess options for recovering from the third party.
  3. Cooperating with RMS to address coverage through the internal property fund (damages over $10,000) and property carrier (damages over $500,000).

Property Damage Procedures (Damage to WSU-owned/controlled property)

  1. Take immediate action to prevent further damage to property or bodily injury to persons and contact the appropriate emergency services and response units.
  2. Contact the appropriate Facilities Services group for any losses that require immediate professional action, such as broken pipes or water damage.
  3. Record contemporaneous detailed report of damage, including photographs.
  4. Notify Risk Management (RM) immediately after the initial emergency response, even if a third-party causes damage. RM will confirm whether the property is insured and whether the event qualifies for coverage. Depending upon the damage, we will consult with the unit to determine whether to notify the carrier.
Note:

Policies typically require the insured to notify the carrier in a timely manner.

  1. Obtain/develop a reasonable estimate of repair and response costs after the event and share with RM.
  2. If a third-party causes damage, obtain their information, and send it to RM. RM will collaborate with the unit and the AGO (Attorney General s Office) to assess options for recovering from the third party.
  3. For properties that are enrolled in the property insurance program, RM will collaborate with the unit to address coverage through the internal property fund (damages over $10,000) and external carrier (damages over $500,000)

Report Property Damage