What is Supplemental Medical Malpractice Legal Defense Insurance?

Insurance policies are written to protect the insurance company—not you. The fine print often limits coverage and includes exclusions that give insurers reasons to deny claims. In the end, your insurance company decides whether a claim or lawsuit will be covered.

At the same time, healthcare has become far more lawsuit-driven. Patients are better informed about their rights, and even minor complications can lead to legal action. As a result, medical professionals are facing a much higher risk of being sued than in the past.

When a claim is filed, your insurance company may deny coverage outright or agree to defend you under what’s called a “Reservation of Rights.” This means they will provide a defense while they investigate the claim—but they can still deny coverage later. During this process, insurers often look for policy exclusions or technical loopholes that allow them to walk away. In some cases, insurance companies may also delay responding to a lawsuit. If a legal complaint isn’t answered within the required 20-day deadline, the court can enter a default against you. That can leave you personally responsible for damages and exposed to serious legal consequences.

BOLD’s Supplemental Legal Defense Policy provides comprehensive legal coverage. As soon as a claim is filed against you and the claim is denied by your primary insurance company, your BOLD Supplemental Legal Defense Policy will immediately do the following: