EXCAVATION INSURANCE GROUP
Can I Get GL Insurance With a Prior Claim on My Record?
Excavation Insurance Group explains how underwriters weigh a prior claim, what improves your odds, and when a specialty market becomes the right path.
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Quick answer: Yes, in many cases, but a prior claim narrows which carriers will write you and typically raises the premium. Excavation Insurance Group works specifically within the excavation niche, which means access to markets that understand this trade’s claims history is different from a typical contractor’s, rather than treating every prior claim as an automatic decline.
HOW UNDERWRITERS ACTUALLY LOOK AT A PRIOR CLAIM
Not all prior claims are treated equally. A single incident years ago with a clean record since carries very different weight than a pattern of recent claims. Underwriters generally look at the cause (was it a one-off, or does it point to a process problem), the severity, and how much time has passed. A contractor who can show corrective steps taken after a claim, better 811 documentation, updated safety protocols, is in a stronger position than one who can’t speak to what changed.
WHERE THE BRIEF ALREADY DRAWS A LINE
It’s worth being direct here: a contractor freshly dropped by a carrier immediately after a claim, with no time or corrective action between the claim and the new application, is a harder placement in the standard market and may need a specialty or excess carrier suited to that specific situation. This isn’t a “no,” but it’s a different conversation than a standard renewal, and it’s one worth having honestly upfront rather than discovering mid-application.
Back to the General Liability Insurance for Excavation Contractors hub. See also: What’s the Difference Between Occurrence and Claims-Made GL?
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