-----Original Message-----
From: Casadonte, Dominick <DOMINICK.CASADONTE**At_Symbol_Here**TTU.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Sent: Thu, Apr 7, 2016 8:42 am
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Question Concerning Insurance and Liability for Undergraduate Lab Accidents

Hi All,

A question for the collective wisdom of the list serve=C5

We had a minor accident a few weeks ago which I mentioned at the ACS
symposium on how the accidents at UCLA and Texas Tech are changing the
culture of safety at universities. The student was wearing his PPE,
everything was done with safety in mind. He suffered only superficial
lacerations on his hands. The biggest expense for him was the ambulance
ride to the emergency room and being treated (no stitches were needed; I
think he was given neosporin and sent home after a 2 hour wait).

When he contacted his insurance company, they wanted to know if they were
the ones who should have to pay for the ambulance ride, etc. He asked the
professor overseeing him (the student was doing undergraduate research for
course credit, and according to legal, does not fall under workman =B9s
compensation). Texas Tech is a =B3self-insured =B2 institution. The department
has been instructed not to pay, as it would be an admission of liability,
and could open the doors for payouts for any minor freshman chemistry lab
accident, for example. The university legal would perhaps need to deal
with the person =B9s insurance company or a lawyer, should the student sue.

My question to all of you: We are researching how other universities deal
with the issue of who pays for medical care for minor accidents. What do
your universities do? How do you deal with the financial aspects of
accidents? Are your institutions insured? If so, for liability only?
Liability and damages to infrastructure?

Many thanks for your responses,

Dom Casadonte
Texas Tech University