PIACT President James R. Berliner, CPCU, and members of PIA staff recently spoke with Mike DiRusso, general counsel for Peerless Insurance Co., regarding an issue that had come to Berliner’s attention from a Connecticut agent. At issue was coverage afforded under a general liability policy as it pertains to additional insured status on jobs involving construction, alterations, etc. DiRusso told PIACT that new wording has been filed and approved in all Peerless states except New York where approval is expected soon. The change would broaden coverage to afford additional insured status to all those named in the construction contract and not just those who are a party to the contract. DiRusso also informed PIACT that the effective dates are July 1 for new, renewal and in-force for claims occurring on or after July 1 per the liberalization clause (except New York where approval is expected and effective Aug. 15). Peerless is in the process of sending a bulletin detailing the applicable changes to its agents.

PIACT was further informed that Peerless will be bringing all their commercial-lines policies, currently written using various platforms due to acquisition of the Safeco and Ohio Casualty commercial books, under one system with a uniform set of policy forms that already provide broad additional insured status. This transition will occur over time and be largely seamless for agents as it is an enhancement to the front-end system agents are already familiar with and has been, and will continue to be, heavily used and improved across the country.