Business Operations > Great AMerican custom

Primary Casualty

 

Primary Casualty - Contractors

We specialize in providing primary casualty products that meet the needs of the commercial market. Our experienced casulaty underwriting staff has a comprehensive knowledge of liability hazards, inherent exposures and rating, along with a familiarity of forms and coverage requirements.

Our focus is customer satisfaction.  We listen and work with you to fill your specific primary casualty needs. We will entertain a broad range of risks of a low claim frequency nature. Higher frequency business can be entertained with a formalized Self-Insured Retention program contracted with a qualified Third Party Claims Administrator.

Contractors

Our team’s extensive construction knowledge and experience enables us to understand your clients’ specific business risks. 

Who We Serve

We target the niche specialty market with the following characteristics:
  • Low-claim frequency
  • Small-to-medium sized companies with revenues of $1M to $50M
Some classes we frequently write - 

Commercial contractors, including:

  • General contractors
  • Electrical contractors
  • Plumbers
  • HVAC
  • Drywall
  • Painting
  • Tile, stone, marble
  • Masonry
  • Water and sewer
  • Carpentry
  • Concrete
  • Floor covering
  • Glaziers
  • Landscaping (excluding tree trimming)
  • Metal erection and fabrication
  • Grading
  • Pre-fabricated building erection
  • Sheet metal work
  • Cable installation
  • New business ventures
  • Project specific – OCP, railroad protective
Please note that we consider condos, townhomes, residential tracts, single-family homes, and apartments all residential work and are not targeting contractors focusing on this type of work.  
We will consider artisan contractors who have a small percentage of residential repair or remodel work, though we prefer residential work to be less than 10% of operations.

Contractors:

  • Streetlights and signals
  • Airport runways
  • Fire suppression
  • Roofers
  • Power lines and poles
  • Tree trimmers
  • Streets and roads (rural ok)
  • Bridge contractors
  • Scaffolding
  • Water proofers
  • Pile driving
  • Retaining walls
  • Railroad construction

 

  • Commercial General Liability - ISO Form CG 00 01 12 07
  • Railroad Protective Liability - ISO Form CG 00 35 12 07


Primary in-house capacity of $2M for each occurrence and $4M aggregate:

  • Standard limits for CGL and OCP are $1M/$2M
  • Standard limits for RPL are $2M/$6M

Minimum premium of $15,000 to $25,000
Deductibles range from $1,000 to $25,000, though the standard is $5,000

Umbrella and lead excess coverage of up to $10M can also be written above our own primary policies.

Basic Submission Package

  • Description of Operations / Risk Summary
  • ACORD Application
  • Five Years Currently Valued Loss Runs
  • Exposures
  • Prior Year Premium and Rate
  • Target premium
  • Financials are a plus

If a Commercial Contractor

  • Contractor's Supplemental
  • Contactor's License #
  • Current work on hand and largest past jobs
  • Subcontractor's Agreement

Primary Casualty - Habitational Multi-Family Apartment Risks

Our Great American Custom Primary Casualty team offers customized multi-family casualty solutions for risk managed clients. By way of limited wholesale distribution sources nationally, we provide a collective underwriting and claims approach with our clients and producers.

Risk Managed Appetite

  • Housing types: Market-rate with minimal affordable/subsidized (Sections 8 or 42), and NO senior/ NO assisted living communities and NO Student housing.
  • Premiums/Retentions: Minimum premium $250,000, with a $25,000 minimum retention (deductible or SIR).
  • Risk Management: existing protocols and team in-place.
  • Claims History: low frequency, minimal A&B-related
  • Collaboration:  between ALL parties; Client, Claims, Distribution partners, TPA & Underwriting


Offered Policy Forms and Structure

  • ISO CGL Occurrence Form - Up to $2/4/4
  • $250,000 MP for most classes
  • Coverage attaches above deductibles of $25,000 or higher
  • Self-insured retentions of $25,000 or higher
  • Close collaboration between claims, underwriting and distribution partners
  • Non-Admitted paper
  • Standard forms and exclusions
  • Incidental Hired/Non-Owned Auto

Submission Requirements

  • SOV with identifiers (at minimum):
    • Occupancy– defined by the following titles: Market Rate, Senior, Student or Subsidized
    • Unit Counts
    • Acquisition and Divesture Dates
    • COPE Data - # of Stories, Sprinklered, Smoke Alarm Types
    • Building Updates – Wiring, Roof, Electrical, Plumbing, Heating
    • Amenities: Pools, Fitness, Playgrounds, Clubhouse, Tennis Courts, Dog Parks, Other
  • Historical Data 10 years for the following:
    • Formal Loss History and Summaries:  from TPA and Carriers
    • Exposure Counts:  Unit counts (Managed and Contingent), square footage, etc. 
  • Master Risk Control Management Program and Life Safety Program (including Injury and Illness) – formal copies.
  • Sample Contracts – Sample Tenant Lease Agreement, third-party services – Security Contract, Master Agreement for Vendor Services (Pest, Pool, Landscaping/Snow removal), etc.
  • GA Post-inspection (Loss Control) of property schedules near 5,000+ units

Our Capabilities

Our coverages are underwritten by:

  • Great American Assurance Company (admitted) - for all business inside of California
  • Great American E&S Insurance Company (non-admitted) for - all business outside of California
You can view the current financial strength rating here.

We write on admitted paper in the following venues:

  • For commercial contractors in CA, AZ, and NV

We write on non-admitted paper for:

  • Commercial contractors NOT located in CA, AZ, or NV

 

Our Specialized Claims Services

Great American Custom Primary Casualty offers a dedicated claims team with experienced industry professionals specializing in the areas of commercial contractors (including construction defect) construction injury and habitational claims. Our adjusters take a proactive approach to facilitate the prompt investigation of claims for a cost-effective resolution.

Loss Reporting email: [email protected]

Contact (800) 687-4453  eFax (855) 763-4172

Our Products

Excess Casualty

Our policyholders range from small business to complex multi-national corporations and Fortune 1000 accounts. We work with you to fill your special capacity requirements.

Primary Casualty

Our casualty underwriting staff has a comprehensive knowledge of liability hazards, inherent exposures, and rating along with familiarity with forms and coverage requirements.

Miscellaneous E&O

Great American Custom’s Miscellaneous Errors and Omissions Unit is a nationwide underwriting operation. We are a wholesale only distribution network.