Happy Spring!! It’s been a rough winter here in the Northeast with snow and frigid temperatures. I couldn’t be more ready for spring and summer! Despite the weather, our team kicked off 2026 by attending conferences and visiting many of our retail broker clients, making the first quarter of 2026 productive and engaging. In two short months the team has made over 112 visits to meet clients with 21 educational sessions on products, exposures/claims and the marketplace. That sounds more like March Madness than what the NCAA has to offer!! If you need us there - call us!
Jeff Slivka
President
In this issue of our newsletter, we highlight our 2026 Market Update, RT ECP’s annual overview of the environmental and construction-related professional liability marketplace with trends that we’ve seen over the past year and our outlook for 2026. Yes, PFAS made it in, along with our expectations for what we’ll see in both the PLL and CPL arenas.
We also feature a recent article written by Mitch Cohen, titled “Devil in the Details: Understanding Risk in Design-Build Project Delivery Methods.” Mitch discusses the differences between design-build and progressive design build, along with important insurance considerations that accompany these delivery approaches.
Additionally, we provide links to three new Environmental Risk Profiles (Asphalt Batch Plants, Chemical Manufacturing and Recyclers) that we encourage you to share with your insureds.
As always, reach out to any of our team members for more information or to discuss any specific challenges your insureds may be facing. We truly appreciate your business!
Enjoy the Spring and I look forward to connecting with you soon.
RT ECP Releases 2026 Market Update
Specialty lines insurance continues to evolve, and the environmental and construction‑related professional liability sectors are no exception.
RT ECP’s 2026 Market Update offers our annual analysis of this specialized marketplace, drawing on insights from our national team of broker consultants and leading carriers. The report outlines key market conditions, emerging trends, and the risks shaping the year ahead, providing a practical resource to help insureds navigate challenges and protect their businesses.
Read the full 2026 Market Update, and reach out to your RT ECP consultant if you’d like to discuss any of the insights in more detail.
Devil In the Details: Understanding Risk in Design-Build Project Delivery Methods
Design-build and progressive design-build continue to gain traction across the construction industry. But with their growth comes a new level of complexity and heightened professional liability risk. In his latest article, “Devil in the Details: Understanding Risks in Design/Build Project Delivery Methods,” RT ECP's Mitch Cohen, P.E., breaks down how these delivery models differ, why insurers are increasingly concerned, and what project teams should understand about shifting responsibilities and exposures.
Please join us in welcoming Mike Slivka to the RT ECP team. Mike joins us as an Account Administrator, supporting Team Joey Nawa. We're excited to have him on board and look forward to the contributions he'll make to our team and clients.
WHY "UN-AGGREGATED LANGUAGE" CAN BE IMPORTANT FOR EXCESS LIABILITY OVER COMMERCIAL AUTO
By Aaron Roland
Not all Excess Liability policies feature Un-Aggregated provisions over underlying coverages that do not include a policy aggregate (typically applicable to underlying auto liability, which offers a combined single limit or CSL). A CSL in auto insurance applies one, total maximum dollar amount to all bodily injury and property damage liability claims from a single accident but can be triggered an unlimited number of times during a single auto liability policy period. Many excess policies are designed to follow the form of the underlying policies; however, they can vary significantly in how they interact with underlying aggregate limits. Excess policy language can include conditions that cap coverage to an “Ultimate Net Loss,” or the total amount actually paid in damages over the policy period. It is important to review the fine print of excess liability policy provisions found under coverage sections such as “Limits of Insurance” and “Conditions” to understand whether and how an excess liability aggregate limit applies to scheduled underlying insurance policies that are subject to a policy aggregate limit. “Un-Aggregated” excess policy language may be beneficial when excess liability sits above auto liability as it can provide a dedicated, occurrence-based limit that sits above auto coverage, helping safeguard assets against high-severity nuclear verdicts without being eroded by other claims.
Hot Off the Presses
New Environmental Risk Profiles Now Available
RT ECP continuously strives to help organizations better identify, manage, and reduce environmental exposures. As part of that effort, we are pleased to share three newly developed Environmental Risk Profiles. Each profile provides a structured overview of key operational, transportation, disposal, and property‑related exposures. We invite you to use these resources to support your conversations with insureds and help strengthen their ability to proactively address environmental liability within their operations.
The information contained in this material is for information purposes only. This material should not be relied on or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to any particular circumstances. Appropriate steps to manage any of the risks described herein will vary depending on particular circumstances. This material should be considered in addition to all other relevant information, including the advice of professional advisors, best practices suggested by health and safety organizations and the requirements of any applicable policy of insurance. RT Specialty shall not be liable for any loss alleged to relate to the provision of this material.
RT Environmental and Construction Professional, 2465 Kuser Road, Suite 202, Hamilton, NJ 08690, USA
