Oklahoma Emergency Care Provider Will Take Insurer to Court over Legal Fees

An emergency medical care provider in Oklahoma has authorized its attorneys to take a liability insurance company to court if needed to force the business to pay a claim aimed at covering legal costs.

Emergency Medical Services Authority has a liability insurance policy with Atlanta-based RSUI Indemnity Co. that covers its directors and officers in the case of losses brought through legal actions, the Tulsa World reported.

“The board authorized our attorneys, on EMSA’s behalf, to take action up to and including a lawsuit with RSUI to compel them to cover us under the D&O policy,” said Kelli Bruer, a spokeswoman with the authority.

Bruer said their coverage is limited to $1 million. She said the authority has tried filing a claim with the company, which she says isn’t honoring the coverage.

Legal costs have been an issue for the authority since it was sued earlier this year for allegedly entering into a kickback scheme with a Texas hospital to obtain and keep a profitable public ambulance services contract. Legal defense for the lawsuit and another similar lawsuit has cost the authority about $2 million so far.

The Tulsa City Council denied the authority’s request earlier this month to raise its transport rates to help cover its defense in the lawsuit.

The authority provides ambulance care in Tulsa and the Oklahoma City areas.