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California juries are handing down million-dollar awards in lawsuits alleging apartment complex owners have failed to maintain ‘habitable’ properties. Insurers, concerned the litigation trend could spread, are adding exclusions to limit their risk. Brokers need to be aware of the impact habitability litigation and coverage restrictions can have on client property programs.

A good reputation is valuable but also fragile. As Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it.” In the headlines every day are incidents that damage the public’s perception of an organization, from social media controversies, to executive misconduct to regulatory violations. Fortunately, a new generation of insurance products is emerging to provide protection for reputational risks.

Chemicals commonly used in fire-fighting foams and a wide range of household items, from non-stick cookware to stain-resistant carpet, are turning up more often as exclusions on insurance policies. That’s due to a growing wave of litigation over water contamination and rising concerns among insurers that the chemicals per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, could expose them to the same kind of expensive, unanticipated claims as asbestos did a generation ago. While property owners may see more scrutiny over PFAS, environmental insurance can still provide effective risk transfer in many cases.

The property market continues to change amid decreased capacity and increased caution among carriers. There is little capacity left among many Lloyds syndicates, and domestic markets are more selective overall—particularly on tougher classes of business. While the first quarter of 2020 may bring some relief on capacity, insureds should expect increased rates, higher deductibles and greater scrutiny from underwriters. Valuations are particularly important along with better data on construction, especially for roofs. In this transitioning market, experienced brokers show their worth in finding the best solutions for clients.

The construction industry has seen significant growth over the last several years. However, emerging trends such as large rate increases and reductions in excess capacity are posing challenges for construction insureds as the insurance market hardens. An increase in high-value claim payments and settlements, labor shortages, and more careful deployment of underwriting capacity are all factors adding difficulty to the state of the market across the country.

The value of insurance and risk management often comes into sharp focus when a loss occurs. This is especially true of cyber risks such as data breaches.

The scope of a common exclusion in Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policies relating to “wage-and- hour and overtime law(s)” is narrower than a trial court found and therefore EPLI coverage can apply to a wider set of employment claims, according to the California Court of Appeal in the 4th Appellate District.

After years of losses in the multifamily habitational market, insurers have become far more cautious for both property and casualty coverages, cutting back capacity or even leaving the market altogether. Rates and deductibles have been rising—sometimes significantly—as carriers, more closely scrutinize the risks they are willing to entertain while adding a variety of exclusions.

Newest REDY® Feature Combines Individual Producer Knowledge with the Power of Proprietary Data to Help Retail Agents Win

The CDC estimates that almost 3 million Americans were affected by concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) related emergencies in 2014, with almost a third of those events impacting children.

The marketplace for directors' and officers’ liability insurance is changing, but what those changes ultimately will mean is not yet clear. In a classic case of cause and effect, litigation and losses that have been pressuring D&O insurers for some time are prompting underwriters to raise rates, tighten terms and conditions, and cut capacity. D&O for public companies has changed dramatically, and financial pressures are now forcing changes to coverage for private and nonprofit organizations as well.

The sharing economy reaches far beyond rides and vacation rentals. Entrepreneurs are creating on-demand solutions wherever the sharing approach shows promise, targeting everything from services such as deliveries, home repairs and gardening to sharing personal property including baby strollers, tools and formal wear.

Active assailants continue to threaten businesses, houses of worship, schools and public events across the United States. Reported instances of workplace violence, ranging from threats to physical assaults and homicides, impact nearly 2 million Americans each year.

Commercial trucking serves as a barometer for the economy. It represented nearly 71% of the tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation in 2017, including manufactured and retail goods. With more trucks on the road, there were also more accidents, including a rise in fatalities. Trucks were involved in 59% more accidents per mile than in 2010, despite the new technologies and the best efforts of regulators, according to the American Trucking Association (ATA). Further, the number of people who died in large truck crashes was also 30% higher than in 2009, when it was the lowest it has been since the collection of fatal crash data began in 1975.

There is no one perfect insurance policy for all clients, but retail agents can help their insureds find appropriate coverage forms by focusing on the exposure. This is especially true of cyber liability insurance.