Comprehensive Architects and Engineers Professional Liability insurance is essential to properly protect design professionals from the variety of exposures and claims that can arise from the projects they are involved in.
AdmiralProâ„¢ Design provides the robust E&O coverage, along with a full suite of Cyber coverages, that is necessary to properly safeguard design professionals against financial and reputational harm.
Comprehensive Coverage for Architects & Engineers
Architects, engineers, and design professionals constantly evolve to stay competitive. With decades of experience supporting A&E firms, our AdmiralPro Designâ„¢ product delivers the premier professional liability coverage brokers and clients expect from Admiral.
Key Features & Benefits:
- Tailored A&E Professional Liability Coverage: With the ability to provide excess limits on a policy for a specific project, provide coverage grants specific to the needs of your contracts, and crafting a unique definition of professional services for each policy, we provide E&O coverage specifically tailored to the needs of each policyholder.
- Broad E&O Grants Built In: Our A&E product is designed to contemplate the evolving exposures of this industry with broad E&O coverage grants in addition to the main Professional Liability coverage, including Pollution Liability, Technology Service and Product Extensions, Drone Liability and Rectification Expenses coverage, all built into the base policy form.
- Flexible and Customizable Approach: We recognize that every business has distinct needs and exposures—our ability to manuscript unique coverage grants ensures that we meet the specific demands of our customers.
- Comprehensive Cyber Coverage: Our policy provides robust protection against cyber risks with comprehensive 1st and 3rd party cyber coverage included in the base form, with the flexibility to match the E&O limits or easily remove for a dedicated E&O policy depending on the needs of each policyholder.
- Responsive and Expert Service: We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service through a dedicated team of claim adjustors and underwriting professionals, along with partnerships with industry leaders, all with significant experience in the Architects and Engineers Professional Liability industry:
- With our experienced claims team dedicated to handling A&E and cyber claims, you will have a trusted partner by your side with the expertise and resources to navigate any situation.
- We partner with SmartRisk, a leading provider of risk management and loss control services designed for architects, engineers and related design professionals. They provide free risk management services for all policyholders including pre-claim assistance, contract review services, regular newsletters and webinars and a free online risk management resource center for additional resources to assess and improve upon risk management practices.
- Cyber Response Team: Our panel includes experts who are well-versed in the latest cybersecurity trends, threats, and regulatory requirements. This includes a partnership with industry-leading cyber breach coach, Mullen Coughlin, LLC, to provide comprehensive 24/7 breach response service to all policyholders.
- Other Value Add Enhancements:
- Disciplinary Proceeding and License Defense Hearing Coverage: protection for costs associated with defending against disciplinary actions and license defense hearings.
- ADA, FHA, OSHA, EPA Regulatory Actions: reimburses expenses for responding to a regulatory or administrative action brought by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Fair Housing Act (FHA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Subpoena Assistance: coverage for the costs to respond to a subpoena arising from professional services.
- Reputation Protection Expense: expenses incurred to manage and restore your company’s reputation following a covered incident, helping to mitigate damage and rebuild trust with your clients and stakeholders.
- Emergency Pollution Response Expense: reimburses expenses incurred to contain and mitigate a covered pollution incident that presents imminent and substantial threat to public health, safety or welfare, or the environment.
- AIA Initial Decision Maker Expense: coverage for the costs incurred by the policyholder for fulfilling the role of an Initial Decision Maker when they are designated as such in an executed American Institute of Architects (AIA) contract for a project on which the policyholder is performing work.
AdmiralProâ„¢ Design
Learn more about Admiral’s Architects & Engineers Professional Liability product, including coverage capabilities and sample classes.
Coverage Capabilities
- Primary and excess limits up to $5M
- E&O tailored to the Insured’s services with Technology Services and Products coverage extension
- Pollution Liability, Drone Liability, Rectification Expenses & Media Liability
- Emergency Pollution Response Expense sublimit
- Full suite of Cyber coverages offered
- Senior Executive Officer Personal Funds Theft sublimit
- Combination PL & GL policy available
- Specific Project Excess Limits available by endorsement
- Coverage for expenses to respond to Professional Service inquiries:
- Disciplinary Proceeding and License Defense Hearings
- ADA, FHA, OSHA, EPA Regulatory Actions
- Subpoena Assistance
- AIA Initial Decision Maker Expense coverage
- Pre-Claim Assistance, Court Attendance, and Reputation Protection Expense coverage
Sample Classes
- Architect
- Land Surveyor
- Civil Engineer
- Fire Sprinkler/Alarm System Design
- Structural Engineer
- Landscape Architect/Designer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Industrial Machinery and 3rd Party Product Design
- HVAC Engineer
- Environmental Engineer
- Construction Management
- Electrical Engineer
- Safety Consultant on Construction Projects
Claims Scenarios: How AdmiralProâ„¢ Design Protects Your Clients
Architect, engineering and related design service firms have a multitude of exposures that come with providing their expertise on the various projects they support. One simple error or oversight in their work or that of another firm on the same project can result in unexpected claims and costly legal battles.
Below are real-world scenarios demonstrating how our Architects & Engineers Professional Liability coverage safeguards businesses against risk.
Account: Architect & Structural Engineer
Claim
An A&E firm provided architectural design and structural engineering services on a project to build a 260,000 square foot bakery and 16,000 square foot cold dock. In the process of erecting the structure it became unstable and several large sections of concrete collapsed inward. As the firm that provided the structural foundation design for the contractor erecting the structure, the A&E firm along with several other parties are brought into the claim.
Loss
The structural collapse caused immediate bodily injury to workers on site and significant property damage and expenses to clean up the collapse and get the project back on track. The A&E firm and the contractor share liability with our policy having coverage for the A&E firm’s portion of the bodily injury and financial losses along with covering the legal expenses.
Account: Geotechnical Engineer
Claim
A geotechnical engineering firm was hired onto a project that was tearing down a shopping center to erect a parking garage. The firm’s responsibility was to provide a geotechnical investigation report, identifying soil properties, any presence of water and any subsurface pipes or other risks to the project. Following this report, the excavation contractor began work, but halfway through they unintentionally broke an underground pipeline that was identified in the geotechnical report as an inactive pipeline from an old gas station that had been properly purged of petroleum. The pipeline still had petroleum in it though, which contaminated the soil when the pipeline broke.
Loss
The petroleum spill created a pollution and E&O claim from the project owner to deal with the immediate clean-up costs in removing the contaminated soil, restore the project site and perform several site inspections before work could resume. Our policy has coverage for the emergency pollution response expenses to immediately mitigate the pollution incident, the legal expenses to defend and sort out liability, and the portion of liability for the property damage on site and the project owner’s financial loss caused by the geotechnical firm mistakenly identifying the pipeline as clear of hazardous substances.
Account: Architectural Design & Construction Management
Claim
An A&E firm was contracted to design and oversee the construction of a new commercial office building. During a routine inspection during the construction phase, the Insured identified a critical structural beam was incorrectly specified in the architectural plans. If not corrected, the beam would not be able to bear the intended load, likely leading to a collapse of the structure. Construction is immediately halted to assess the extent of the error and plan a rectification process.
Loss
While a third party claim has not been filed since the work is still ongoing and the Insured spotted the error before it could cause any damage or third party financial loss, there are significant financial costs incurred by the Insured that our policy has coverage for under the Rectification Expenses insuring agreement, including:
- Fees to consult with a third party structural engineering firm on a remediation plan with new specifications for a replacement beam
- Costs for the correct beam and related construction materials
- Expenses to replace the beam
- Final inspections necessary to move forward with construction
Claim scenarios are for illustrative purposes only and are hypothetical in nature and do not serve as basis for coverage determination. Please review the full terms, conditions and exclusions of your issued policy with your agent or broker.
Risk Management & Loss Control Support
Provided by SmartRisk
- Free For All Policy Holders
- Pre-Claim Assistance
- Contract Review Services
- Online Risk Management Resource Center
- Newsletters, Alerts & Webinars
Download the Architects & Engineers Coverage Brochure
Related Blog
Admiral has announced the relaunch of AdmiralProâ„¢ Design, its refreshed Architects and Engineers (A&E) product, designed to provide enhanced protection and flexible underwriting solutions for wholesale brokers.Â