what is indemnity for a texas attorney

by Gordon Kuvalis 6 min read

An indemnity clause is a contractual transfer of risk between parties to either prevent loss or compensate for a loss which might occur due to a specified event. In Texas, such clauses are limited by a law called the Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act. Below is an overview of the Act.

Full Answer

What are indemnity clauses in Texas?

THE TEXAS ANTI-INDEMNITY ACT: RESTRICTIONS ON INDEMNITY IN TEXAS “Even lawyers find that words like ‘indemnity’ and ‘subrogation’ ring of obscure Martian dialect.” Court’s Opinion, Herrick Corp. v. Canadian Ins. Co. of California, 29 Cal.App.4th 753 (4th Dist. 1994) A. Introduction

Is broad form indemnity void under the Texas anti-Indemnity Act?

An anti-indemnity clause is a provision in a construction contract that defines who is legally liable for losses caused by a construction accident. These clauses can include damages such as the cost of litigation and attorney’s fees. The Texas Anti-Indemnity Act delineates certain prohibitions and restrictions for these types of clauses.

Can an indemnitee’s own negligence be void in Texas?

Indemnity Provision Promise to safeguard or hold a party harmless against existing and/or future loss liability In some circumstances, such as an agreement to indemnify a party for its own negligence, courts see this as an “extraordinary” shifting of risk Nevertheless, Texas courts generally enforce an

What is an indemnity agreement?

Jul 21, 2020 · How to Write a Valid Indemnity Clause for a Texas Oil & Gas Contract and Avoid Legal Pitfalls.

image

What does legal indemnity mean?

recompense forIn its widest sense, "indemnity" means recompense for a loss or liability. ... For example, the law of agency makes a principal liable to indemnify its agent as described in Practice note, Common law of agency: Duty of principal to pay the agent's expenses and indemnify it against losses.

Is there common law indemnity in Texas?

Common law indemnity, on the other hand, has been abolished in Texas except in cases where the defendant's liability is purely vicarious.

What does an indemnity agreement cover?

Indemnity is a contractual agreement between two parties. In this arrangement, one party agrees to pay for potential losses or damages caused by another party.

What is the Texas anti indemnity Act?

TEXAS ANTI-INDEMNITY ACT Prohibits and makes void broad form and intermediate form indemnity agreements (claims involving the sole or concurrent negligence of indemnitee) for construction projects, if the Act applies to your contract.

What is Texas Express negligence rule?

Under the “express negligence” doctrine followed by Texas courts, an indemnification agreement is not enforceable to indemnify a party from the consequences of its own negligence unless such intent is specifically stated within the four corners of the agreement.

What are the rights of indemnity holder?

Rights of an Indemnity Holder 1) The indemnifier will have to pay damages which the indemnity holder will claim in a suit. 2) The indemnity holder can even compel the indemnifier to pay the costs he incurs in litigating the suit.

How is indemnity provided?

In an indemnity agreement, one party will agree to offer financial compensation for any potential losses or damages caused by another party, and to take on legal liability for whatever damages were incurred. The most common example of indemnity in the financial sense is an insurance contract.May 13, 2019

When should you seek indemnity?

When you hire a firm to remodel your place of business, for example, the contract should protect you from liability. If shoddy workmanship causes a customer or visitor to be injured, you should be able to seek indemnity from the contractor so that he (and not you) will be responsible to pay for the person's injury.

What is an anti indemnity statute?

An anti-indemnity statute is a law defining how much risk can be transferred between parties in a contract and is oftentimes used in construction contracts. An anti-indemnity statute protects sub-contractors from risks they take on from a primary contractor.

Which states have anti indemnity statutes?

These states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (public contracts only), Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana (protects prime contractors on public works projects only), Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, ...Apr 3, 2014

What is the Texas Insurance Code?

The Texas Insurance Code is the part of Texas state law that governs the way that insurance companies can operate in the state.

What is an Anti-indemnity Clause?

An anti-indemnity clause is a provision in a construction contract that defines who is legally liable for losses caused by a construction acci...

Are Indemnity Clauses Enforceable?

Yes, indemnity provisions are typically enforceable. Generally speaking, these provisions should be inclusive enough that they address the co...

What is Broad Form Indemnity?

Broad form indemnity provides blanket protection for the indemnitee in a construction contract, making them free of liability regardless of...

When did the Texas Anti-Indemnity Statute take effect?

Texas’ legal landscape concerning insurance law and litigation was changed substantially by the Texas Anti-Indemnity Statute (Texas Insurance Code § 151.102), which took effect in January of 2012 following the passing of HB 2093. The law has a significant impact on Texas cases by limiting and prohibiting certain agreements to shift liability risks for negligence and similar torts from the indemnitee to a third party, and especially so as they relate to construction.

Is indemnity enforceable?

Yes, indemnity provisions are typically enforceable. Generally speaking, these provisions should be inclusive enough that they address the concerns of each party, but reasonable enough that enforceability is not challenged.

Is a construction contract void?

Under the Act, construction contracts for indemnification of certain types of broad form indemnity obligations are prohibited (void and unenforceable). In other words, construction contracts can no longer contain clauses requiring a party to indemnify, defense, or hold harmless another party for claims arising from their own negligence, whether in whole or in part.

What is an indemnity?

Indemnification -- A standard indemnity except that Sponsor limits its liability to claims for personal injury or death and places several conditions upon its obligation to indemnify: (1) proper conduct of the study, (2) notification, and (3) right to control defense.

What is the one way indemnity?

Indemnification -- The basic one-way Sponsor indemnity, where Sponsor wrote the protocol and includes liability for claims arising from our performance of our obligations and Sponsor’s use of the study results. 2.

What is the difference between indemnification and indemnification?

2. Indemnification -- A standard mutual indemnity, where University indemnifies Sponsor with respect to negligence, and Sponsor indemnifies University with respect to University’s performance of the protocol and use of the results of the study. 3. Indemnification -- A mutual indemnity with respect to each party’s negligence ...

Is the University of Texas System self-insured?

13.4 University, as a component of System, is an agency of the State of Texas and is self-insured pursuant to The University of Texas System Professional Medical Malpractice Self-Insurance Plan, under the authority of Section 59.01, Texas Education Code.

What is the Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act?

As noted above, the Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act prohibits certain types of indemnity clauses in oil and gas contracts. Specifically, the Act prohibits: A covenant, agreement, or promise; Contained in or affecting; An agreement pertaining to a well for gas or oil; If it purports to indemnify a party for damage resulting from ...

What is an indemnity clause?

An indemnity clause is a contractual transfer of risk between parties to either prevent loss or compensate for a loss which might occur due to a specified event. In Texas, such clauses are limited by a law called the Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act. Below is an overview of the Act.

What are the risks of oil drilling?

Oil drilling operations can expose operators to liability for a number of issues, including personal injury, property damage, pollution, and other damages. One way in which parties mitigate these risks is the inclusion of an indemnity clause in their drilling contracts.

image