Risk Insights

Major accidents can develop when several smaller factors align, even when none appear significant on their own. A fatal liquid nitrogen release at a poultry processing facility investigated by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) shows how weaknesses across several operational practices can shape the outcome.

In the Excess and Surplus (E&S) market, you're often placing coverage for complex risk. In excess placements, losses can sit for years, pick up complexity as they move through the system, and then surface all at once, usually when there is real money on the line and several parties involved.

For many casualty placements today, auto exposure is moving closer to the center of the excess casualty conversation. A business may appear low hazard based on revenue, payroll, or fleet size, yet still carry meaningful auto exposure.

Our new Critical Hazard Event — Loss of Use and Evacuation Expense Coverage endorsement is designed to respond when an unforeseen event involving a covered containment system creates an imminent threat of a catastrophic pollution release and governmental authorities take emergency action to protect public health and safety.

Energy risks rarely change at once, typically the operational details shift over time. A contractor begins supporting field electrification projects. A lease operator expands into power generation. An acquisition introduces new operations, new geographies, or new contractual responsibilities.

People often assume underwriting environmental risk is about finding contamination. It isn’t. Most of the time, the contamination itself isn’t the primary problem.

Pollution incidents are not rare. They are woven into everyday contracting operations. From mold caused by water intrusion to fuel spills on job sites, contractors who would never describe themselves as environmental firms can still face significant pollution liabilities.

Excess liability towers are often constructed to achieve a target limit, creating the appearance of straightforward capacity aggregation across the tower. In reality, excess towers introduce structural risks that are frequently underestimated, particularly in complex or long-tail specialty placements.