More protection for life’s biggest claims.
Add another layer of liability protection above your primary commercial policies and help protect your business against severe claims, lawsuits and contractual exposures.
Higher Liability Limits
Add millions of dollars in available protection above eligible primary policies.
Meet Contract Requirements
Satisfy customers, project owners and landlords that require limits above your primary coverage.
Specialized Guidance
Review underlying limits, exclusions, contracts and industry exposures with a commercial agent.
A financial safety net for high-severity liability claims.
Commercial umbrella or excess liability insurance can provide additional limits after an eligible underlying policy has paid up to its applicable limit.
Depending on the policy form, the additional protection may apply above commercial general liability, commercial auto liability, employers liability or other scheduled primary policies.
A simplified limit example
This example is for education only. Actual coverage depends on policy wording, underlying limits and the specific claim.
Commercial umbrella and excess liability are not always the same.
Both can provide higher liability limits, but the structure and coverage scope may differ.
Commercial Umbrella
An umbrella policy may provide additional limits above several scheduled underlying liability policies and may contain coverage terms that are broader in certain areas.
- May sit above multiple primary policies
- Can include its own coverage provisions
- May contain a self-insured retention
- Terms vary by carrier and policy form
Excess Liability
Excess liability generally increases the limit available above a specific underlying policy and often follows the coverage terms of that primary policy more closely.
- Often follows one scheduled primary policy
- Usually increases existing liability limits
- May be written in multiple excess layers
- Underlying-policy compliance is essential
Higher limits tailored to your business exposure.
Businesses with frequent public interaction, large vehicles, hazardous operations or high-value contracts may face significant claim severity.
Transportation & Trucking
Serious auto accidents can create large bodily-injury, property-damage and legal-defense expenses.
- Motor carriers and owner-operators
- Passenger transportation
- Delivery and logistics fleets
Contractors & Construction
Large projects and hazardous job-site operations can result in severe bodily injury or property-damage claims.
- General contractors
- Trade subcontractors
- Commercial project requirements
Manufacturers & Distributors
Product failures, large inventories and national distribution can increase the potential severity of claims.
- Products-liability exposures
- Wholesale distribution
- Industrial operations
Property Owners & Landlords
Tenant, visitor and premises-liability claims can exceed the limits carried on the underlying property policy.
- Office and retail buildings
- Warehouses and shopping centers
- Apartment and multifamily properties
Retail & Service Businesses
Frequent customer interaction creates ongoing bodily injury, premises and advertising-liability exposures.
- Retail stores
- Restaurants and hospitality
- Service businesses
Healthcare & Senior Care
Patient, resident and visitor interactions can produce costly liability claims requiring carefully coordinated coverage.
- Nursing and assisted-living facilities
- Home-health operations
- Healthcare service businesses
When one serious claim exceeds the primary policy.
These simplified examples show why businesses may need limits beyond the amount provided by a primary liability policy.
Catastrophic Auto Accident
A company vehicle causes a multi-vehicle accident with serious injuries and damages exceeding the commercial auto-liability limit.
Excess auto liability may respond above the primary limit.Construction Injury
A third party suffers a severe injury at a construction project and files a lawsuit against the contractor.
Umbrella limits may apply after eligible GL limits.Product-Liability Lawsuit
A manufactured product causes injuries to several consumers and generates a large settlement.
Additional limits may apply over products liability.Major Premises Claim
A visitor suffers a life-changing injury at a commercial property and the claim exceeds the landlord’s primary liability limit.
Umbrella protection may preserve business assets.Build the liability limit your contracts and exposures require.
Coverage can often be arranged in one or more layers depending on the total limit, carrier appetite and underlying policies.
Limit availability depends on the business, underlying coverage, loss history, carrier appetite and underwriting requirements.
Meet higher insurance requirements without rebuilding every policy.
Project owners, general contractors, landlords and customers may require total liability limits that exceed the amount carried on your primary policies.