The information found in our Large Loss Reports are drawn from published accounts, and most do not involve United Educators (UE) members. However, they do reflect trends UE has seen among its claims. Complaints involved bullying, hazing, harassment,
discrimination, negligence, sexual abuse and assaults, and wrongful death.
Since the release of these reports, some of the outcomes may have changed as a result of subsequent legal proceedings. Regardless of the outcome, the defense expense can be significant. K-12 schools and higher ed institutions can use these reports to
assess their risk management practices and insurance coverage.
Large Loss Report 2021
The Large Loss Report 2021 summarizes major damage awards and settlements of more than $500,000 that affected K-12 schools, colleges, and universities in 2020. When UE initially started reporting these sizable settlements 26 years ago, we considered any six-figure settlement as “large” — outsized compared to typical settlements at that time. This year, for the first time, we are reporting losses over a threshold of $500,000, with many of these reaching the multimillions. Moreover, of the 38 damage awards and settlements reported below, 31 exceeded $1 million. This offers a grim reminder of the ways that social inflation impacts education claims, with high escalation of not only settlements, but defense costs as well.
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