Help strengthen your marine risk management strategy with our Excess Marine Liability and Bumbershoot Insurance Policies. Coverage is designed to provide an additional layer of protection beyond your primary liability policies, helping safeguard your operations from high-severity and catastrophic losses.
Whether you're a marine contractor building docks, a ship repairer maintaining vessels, a terminal operator handling cargo, or you operate a marina or boat dealership, our policy is built to support the unique exposures of your business.
Comprehensive Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot Insurance
Our Excess Marine Liability and Bumbershoot Policies offer higher limit protection designed to respond when your underlying liability policies are exhausted. Coverage helps protect your business from catastrophic losses that could significantly impact operations and your balance sheet.
Coverage can be structured to sit above Marine Liabilities such as Ship Repairer’s Legal, Wharfinger’s, Marina Operator’s and Stevedore’s Liability, to name a few.
Bumbershoot coverage can extend to include both marine and non-marine exposures under a single policy, offering broader protection for businesses with complex operational risks, including Auto Liability and Employers Liability.
Tailor Your Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot Insurance Coverages to Fit Your Operations
These solutions are designed to address high-severity, low-frequency events that could significantly impact your business. With flexible structures and broad coverage options, we help you build a policy that aligns with your operational risk profile.
Our Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot coverages can support:
- Ship Repairers’ Legal Liability
- Marina Operators’ Legal Liability
- Marine Contractors’ Liability
- Wharfingers’ Liability
- Stevedores’ Liability
- Terminal Operators’ Liability
- Charterers’ Liability
- Protection & Indemnity (P&I)
- General Liability, Auto Liability, and Employers’ Liability
Our experienced underwriting team works closely with you to assess your exposures and structure excess coverage that complements your primary policies and supports your long-term risk management strategy.
Additional Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot Coverages
Enhance your Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot policies with specialized endorsements and features designed for complex marine operations:
- Flexible Attachment Points and Limits
- Limited Pollution Liability
- Umbrella Coverage for Marine and Non-Marine Exposures
- Follow Form or Manuscript Wording Options
Who Needs Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot Insurance
Coverage is ideal for businesses with significant marine operations and complex liability exposures, including:
- Shipyards and vessel repairers
- Marine contractors and marine infrastructure builders
- Terminal operators and stevedores
- Cargo handlers and logistics providers
- Commercial dock owners/operators
- Charterers and vessel managers
If your operations involve high-value assets or multiple liability lines, these coverages can help protect your business from the unexpected.
Why Choose Great American Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot Insurance?
At Great American, we understand the complex and high-stakes nature of marine operations. Our Excess Marine Liability and Bumbershoot solutions are built to provide the additional protection your clients need — with the flexibility, expertise, and service excellence you expect.
We take a tailored approach to each account, offering excess coverage that complements your clients’ primary policies and supports their broader risk management strategy. Backed by decades of marine underwriting experience and a dedicated claims team, we deliver responsive, knowledgeable support every step of the way.
When working with us, your clients benefit from:
- Specialized Marine Liability Expertise – Experienced underwriters and claims professionals focused on marine risks
- Flexible Program Structures – Standalone or packaged options with broad attachment capabilities
- Responsive Claims Handling – Industry-savvy adjusters who understand the nuances of marine liability
- Risk Control Support – Guidance to help mitigate exposures before they escalate
Excess Marine Liabilities and Bumbershoot FAQ's
Excess marine liability is in excess of or an increase to the limit above a primary marine liability limit of insurance.
A bumbershoot policy is a specialized type of umbrella policy for the maritime industry that sits over primary marine liability and nonmarine liability policy or policies.
Our bumbershoot policies are in excess of or increases of the limit above a primary marine liability, a nonmarine liability primary policy or both.
The bumbershoot policy can also act as a primary policy if the limits of an underlying policy are exhausted, subject to a deductible or self-insured retention (SIR). Underlying coverages include general liability, marine operators legal liability, protection & indemnity, auto liability and employers liability.
Businesses with significant maritime liability (and nonmarine liability) exposures often benefit from bumbershoot insurance. This can include vessel owners, marine contractors, stevedores, ship repairers, terminal operators and other companies whose operations involve marine risks that could result in large liability claims.
Bumbershoot insurance sits above designated underlying marine and nonmarine liability policies and provides additional limits once those underlying policy limits have been exhausted by a covered claim. It helps protect businesses from catastrophic losses that exceed their primary insurance coverage.
The amount of bumbershoot insurance needed depends on several factors, including the size of your operations, contractual requirements, asset values, project scope and overall risk profile. Many businesses evaluate their potential maximum loss scenarios and work with their insurance advisor to determine appropriate coverage limits.
Many marine contractors choose bumbershoot insurance because of the unique and potentially severe liability exposures associated with their work. While requirements vary by operation and contract, bumbershoot coverage can provide valuable protection against high-severity claims that exceed primary liability limits.
To learn more about our coverage options, contact us today: