Liberty Mutual and Ironshore Introduce Coverage for Construction Projects Developed Through Design-Build or Integrated Project Delivery

BOSTON, Sept. 13 -- Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, an insurance company, issued the following news release:

The dedicated construction practices of Liberty Mutual and Ironshore have introduced an Integrated Primary Wrap Up/Project Specific program offering General Liability (GL) and Professional Liability (PL) protection for medium and large construction projects developed through Design-Build or Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Workers Compensation (WC) coverage will be available as a separate policy.

These approaches to construction management are growing in popularity as they can deliver key quality, timeliness and cost benefits. However, each opens contractors and designers to significant new risks. This is because contractors and designers work closely together from the early design stage throughout the construction phases of the project, thus blurring the traditional lines of responsibility found in the more standard Design-Bid-Build approach to construction management, where designers develop plans and contractors follow those blueprints to build the project.

The new product helps better manage risk for projects that leverage Design-Build and IPD systems by offering an integrated policy addressing the GL and PL exposures inherent with these approaches.

"Liberty Mutual and Ironshore share deep expertise and in-depth knowledge of the dynamic construction industry," noted Aldo Fucentese, vice president, National Insurance Specialty Construction. "The new integrated solution helps remove the potential gaps in coverage intrinsic to the design-build and integrated project delivery methods."

The new Primary Wrap Up/Project Specific policy has separate policy primary limits for GL and Designers & Contractors Professional Liability insurance (DCPL). GL is underwritten on an occurrence basis, and DCPL as a claims-made policy with retroactive protection. Completed Operations and Extended Reporting Period cover are available as are program extensions, including Rectification coverage. Protective & Indemnified Party coverage is offered by Ironshore on a separate Follow Form Excess policy with Difference in Conditions/Difference in Limits protection. GL & PL clash deductible can be available for additional premium.

"The design-builder's professional liability exposures are related to the professional services assumed in the agreement with the owner and then subcontracted to design professionals on the project," said Ben Beauvais, executive vice president, Casualty & Construction, Ironshore. "The level of project risk that the design-builder undertakes according to the contract agreement may vary from very onerous to fair-and-equitable. The professional liability coverages and the included risk management services are tailored to provide an integrated solution to design-build contractors' complex exposures."

More information about Liberty Mutual's solutions for construction businesses is available here, or at https://business.libertymutualgroup.com/business-insurance/industries/construction-insurance-coverage?extcmp=pr_designbuild.

About Liberty Mutual Insurance

Liberty Mutual Insurance helps people preserve and protect what they earn, build, own and cherish. Keeping this promise means we are there when our policyholders throughout the world need us most.

In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, Mass., today we are a leading global insurer with operations in 30 countries and economies around the world. We are the fourth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2016 direct written premium data as reported by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. We also rank 75th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2016 revenue. As of December 31, 2016, we had $38.3 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

We employ more than 50,000 people in over 800 offices throughout the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, accident & health, commercial automobile, general liability, property, surety, workers compensation, group disability, group life, specialty lines, reinsurance, individual life and annuity products. You can learn more about us by visiting www.libertymutualinsurance.com.

About Ironshore

Ironshore, a Liberty Mutual company, provides broker-sourced specialty property and casualty insurance coverages for varying risks located throughout the world. Select specialty coverages are underwritten at Lloyd's through Ironshore's Pembroke Syndicate 4000. The Ironshore group of companies is rated A (Excellent) by A.M Best with a Financial Size Category of Class XIV and A (Stable) by Standard & Poor's. Pembroke Syndicate 4000 operates within Lloyd's where the market rating is A (Excellent) by A.M. Best, AA- (Very Strong) by Fitch, and A+ (Strong) by Standard & Poor's. For more information, please visit: www.ironshore.com.