By Jim Finkle
(Reuters) - Insurer Chubb (NYSE:CB) Ltd said on Wednesday it has added coverage to help U.S. victims of cyber bullying pay for costs, including mental health treatment, legal expenses and lost wages.
The company said it added $60,000 of cyber bullying coverage to its U.S. Masterpiece Family Protection policy, a $70-a-year add-on. The insurance already covers threats including stalking, carjacking, home invasion, air rage, hijacking and child abduction.
Chubb added the coverage amid unprecedented public awareness of cyber bullying. Last year an article in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics reported that about a quarter of U.S. adolescents had experienced cyber bullying through social media, (reut.rs/1MBu3cS)
Chubb said the new coverage will pay for expenses resulting from "harassment and intimidation" over personal computers, telephones or mobile devices.
Covered costs include psychiatric care, temporary relocation services, education expenses, public relations services and cyber security consulting.
The policy kicks in when cyber bullying results in wrongful termination, false arrest, wrongful discipline at a school or a diagnosis of debilitating shock, mental anguish or mental injury.
The coverage is currently available in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin and will soon be rolled out to additional states, Chubb said.
Chubb said it believes it is the first company to offer such policies. It launched them in December in the United Kingdom.