Fischer Risk Management

FISCHER RISK MANAGEMENT / COVERAGE

Product liability insurance. Your product reaches further than your warehouse.

You may design it, import it, put your name on it, or sell it through a retailer. Start with your role in the product and the commitments behind each sale.

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What is product liability insurance?

Product liability insurance addresses certain claims alleging bodily injury or property damage caused by a product your business makes, imports, distributes, or sells. Your review should identify the products, sales territories, contractual obligations, exclusions, and limits relevant to your operations.

Who makes it, labels it, and sells it?

Bring us your consumer brand, apparel or accessories business, beauty and personal care company, or medical device operation. Explain your role in the supply chain, including private-label products, imported goods, and contract manufacturing.

What we need to understand

Start with your product list, annual revenue, sales territories, manufacturing arrangements, and current insurance. Include relevant retailer or marketplace requirements, loss history, and planned changes. We can identify further underwriting information after the initial discussion.

Look beyond a required limit

Ask how products are described, which exclusions apply, how defense costs are treated, and how primary and excess coverage fit together. A contractual minimum is one part of the review; it does not establish that the whole business is adequately insured.

Does product liability include product recall?

Do not assume it does. Liability claims and the expense of recalling a product raise different coverage questions. Review product recall separately alongside liability coverage.

Explore industry guides

Consumer brands & e-commerce

Apparel & lifestyle

Beauty & personal care

Medical device businesses

Technology & SaaS

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A product claim starts with more than the sales channel

Consider a customer alleging that a household product caused an injury or damaged property. The review needs to connect the allegation with the product, the entities involved, and the applicable policy. Selling through a marketplace or using a contract manufacturer does not eliminate the need to examine your own exposure. This is an illustrative scenario, not a statement that a particular claim would be covered.

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Questions that help compare proposals

Ask whether every product category and legal entity is accurately described. Identify exclusions affecting ingredients, materials, intended uses, territories, or particular products. Review the products-completed operations aggregate, any applicable sublimits, deductibles, and treatment of defense expenses. Bring customer contracts so required additional-insured terms can be compared with the actual endorsements; a certificate alone is not the full policy.

When should a growing brand revisit coverage?

Start before adding a new product category, using a new manufacturer, entering a new territory, or signing a major distribution agreement. Provide the proposed change and its expected timing. An early review gives the underwriting discussion a clearer starting point, although terms and placement timing remain subject to the information required and market availability.

Is product liability always a separate policy?

No. Product liability may be part of a commercial general liability policy or arranged through a separate product-focused policy. Compare the actual forms, covered operations, and exclusions rather than relying on the policy's name.

Does a supplier's insurance protect my brand automatically?

Do not assume so. Review the supplier agreement and any relevant additional-insured endorsement alongside your own coverage. Supplier insurance and contractual promises can raise different questions, especially when your company imports, relabels, or sells the product under its own name.

What determines the premium?

Underwriters may consider product characteristics, revenue, sales territories, manufacturing arrangements, loss history, and requested limits. A published starting price is not a dependable estimate for an established brand with multiple products or international sales. Begin with accurate business information for a useful quote discussion.

A new product or customer requirement to review?

Share your product range, your role in making or selling it, and your renewal or contract deadline. Cory will follow up to discuss the business and the information needed for the next step.

Request an insurance review with Cory or call 845-721-0744.

Preparing for the conversation? Download the business insurance review checklist (PDF). No signup required.

Practical reading before your next decision

Explore all business insurance resources

Submitting an inquiry does not bind, amend, or cancel coverage. Coverage availability and terms depend on underwriting and the policy issued.

Further reading: Insurance coverage background.

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Explore industry guides

Consumer brands and e-commerce · Apparel and lifestyle · Beauty and personal care · Medical devices · Technology and SaaS

Product liability versus product E&O

Product liability and product E&O address different allegations. Bodily injury or property damage allegations call for a product liability review; a customer’s financial-loss allegation about a product’s performance calls for a separate product E&O review. Neither label determines coverage by itself. Read the Product E&O / Manufacturers E&O guide.