Insurance basics · 7 min read
Additional Insured, Waiver, and Primary Wording Explained
Plain-language explanations of three common insurance requirements and what documents can confirm them.
Quick answer
Additional insured wording can extend policy protection to your company. A waiver of subrogation can limit the insurer’s recovery rights against your company. Primary and non-contributory wording can make the partner’s policy respond before yours. Each requirement normally needs policy or endorsement evidence.
Your company is listed on the policy
Additional insured status can extend some liability protection from another company’s policy to your organization.
The exact protection depends on the endorsement. It may apply only to ongoing work, or it may also cover completed work.
- Confirm the endorsement form or policy language.
- Confirm your organization fits the named or blanket class.
- Check whether ongoing and completed operations are required.
- Read any schedule, limitation, or written-contract condition.
Insurer waives recovery from your company
A waiver of subrogation can limit an insurer’s right to recover a paid loss from your organization.
The waiver may appear in a scheduled endorsement or apply automatically when a written contract requires it.
- Identify which policy lines need the waiver.
- Confirm your organization is scheduled or covered by blanket wording.
- Check whether the waiver must be agreed before the loss.
This policy pays before your company’s policy
Primary and non-contributory wording addresses the order in which policies may respond.
Primary means the partner’s policy should respond first. Non-contributory means it should not seek contribution from your policy for the covered loss.
Why the certificate description is not enough
A certificate description often repeats contract language. It may state that endorsements apply when required by written contract.
Use that statement as a review clue. Confirm the actual policy or endorsement when the requirement affects your decision.
How to ask for a correction
Tell the submitting company what you could not confirm and which document may resolve it. Avoid a vague rejection.
- We could not confirm that your policy protects our company as an additional insured.
- Please provide the additional insured endorsement that applies to this agreement.
- We could not confirm waiver wording for workers’ compensation.
- Please ask your broker for the applicable waiver endorsement.
Primary sources
Frequently asked questions
Is additional insured status the same as being a certificate holder?
No. A certificate holder receives the certificate. Additional insured status comes from the policy or an endorsement.
Can blanket wording satisfy a requirement?
Yes, when the endorsement covers the relationship and any written-contract conditions are met. Review the exact wording.
Does every policy need primary and non-contributory wording?
Only when the agreement requires it. Confirm which policy lines and operations the requirement covers.