What Is Side A D&O Insurance?
Side A is the part of D&O coverage that can protect insured individuals when the organization cannot indemnify them.
A company may indemnify a director or officer for certain defense costs or liabilities, subject to law and its governing documents. Side A is designed for situations where that corporate payment is unavailable, rather than reimbursing the company after it pays. The precise trigger and covered loss come from the policy, and limits may be shared or subject to priority-of-payments wording. Compare Side A’s limit, retention or deductible, exclusions, and any dedicated excess Side A protection in the quote. Review the company’s indemnification obligations alongside the insurance wording.
Side A is most relevant when the organization cannot or may not indemnify the director or officer, but inability and policy triggers are defined by the contract. It is distinct from Side B, which reimburses company indemnification, and Side C, which may insure the entity. Bankruptcy, priority of payments, retention, and conduct exclusions can influence how Side A works in practice. Check whether the policy offers dedicated Side A limits, whether defense costs reduce those limits, and how it responds when other coverage or corporate funds are unavailable. Review the grant alongside the company’s indemnification documents.
Related Coverage
Sources
- The Chubb Primary Directors & Officers and Entity Securities Liability Insurance. Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; hosted by eperils; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; I and III.A–B pp.1–2; VI Reporting pp.3–4; XVII Spouses, Domestic Partners, Estates and Legal Representatives; XX Bankruptcy; form version 14-02-18480 (06/2012). Accessed 2026-09-25.
- Private Company Directors and Officers Liability Coverage. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A–C p.1; III.A–E pp.1–2; III.J–M pp.2–3; IV Exclusions pp.3–4; VI Defense and Settlement pp.6–7; form version PDO-3001 Ed. 01-09. Accessed 2026-09-25.
- Directors and Officers insurance. Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I); What D&O covers; What’s excluded?; The added value of protecting company leaders. Accessed 2026-09-25.
