About This Resource
The Large Loss Report 2021 summarizes major damage awards and settlements of more than $500,000 that affected K-12 schools, colleges, and universities in 2020.
When United Educators (UE) initially started reporting these sizable settlements 26 years ago, we considered any six-figure settlement as “large” — outsized compared to typical settlements at that time. This year, for the first time, we are reporting losses over a threshold of $500,000, with many of these reaching the multimillions. Moreover, of the 38 damage awards and settlements listed within this report, 31 exceeded $1 million. This offers a grim reminder of the ways that social inflation impacts education claims, with high escalation of not only settlements, but defense costs as well.