Municipalities & Public Sector
Protecting those who serve & protect the future
Our Municipality & Public Sector Division specializes in comprehensive Business Insurance solutions tailored to the unique needs of Municipalities and the Public Sector. Whether you’re a small town or a large county, we understand your challenges—and we’re here to help.
Any Municipality/Public Entity. Every State
And so many more…
Municipalities & Public Entities Have Unique Challenges…
You see challenges; we see opportunities… Tell us your challenge; we will find solutions that save money
We Specialize in Business Insurance for Municipalities & Public Sector
Workers’ Comp
Municipalities & Public Sector face complex challenges managing claims and safety across multiple departments–that’s where we come in. We simplify Workers’ Compensation with claims advocacy, E-MOD protection strategies, and safety programs tailored for Municipalities & Public Sector.
E-MOD Restore & Defend
Municipality & Public Sector-Specific Safety Resources
Claims Advocacy
Proactive Renewal to ensure you are saving money
General Liability
Protects the municipality against claims of bodily injury or property damage to third parties that occur on municipal property (e.g., a visitor tripping at a city hall, someone injured at a public park) or due to general government operations (e.g., a non-auto-related incident during public works). It generally excludes professional errors, auto incidents, and specific types of government liability.
Public Officials Professional Liability
This coverage protects the municipality and its employees (including elected officials, appointed boards, and staff) against claims alleging financial loss or harm due to negligence, errors, or omissions in the performance of their official duties or provision of government services. This can include claims related to:
Law Enforcement Liability Insurance
This is a highly specialized liability coverage specifically designed for municipalities to protect against claims arising from the operations of their police, sheriff, or other law enforcement agencies. It covers allegations of “wrongful acts” committed by law enforcement personnel in the course of their duties, including:
This policy is critical because general liability policies typically exclude these types of specific law enforcement exposures. It covers legal defense costs and potential judgments or settlements.
Commercial Property
Covers the cost of repairing or replacing damaged municipal property and the physical assets owned by the municipality from perils like fire, theft, vandalism and natural disasters, such as:
Wind/Hail Deductible Buyback
This is a specialized form of coverage or an endorsement that reduces or “buys back” a high deductible specifically applied to property damage caused by windstorm or hail events. Many property policies, particularly in wind-exposed areas, have percentage-based deductibles (e.g., 1% or 2% of the insured value) for wind/hail claims. A buyback policy allows the municipality to pay an additional premium to reduce that percentage deductible to a lower, fixed dollar amount, thereby reducing their out-of-pocket exposure in the event of a severe storm.
Earthquake Insurance
A separate policy or endorsement to Commercial Property Insurance that covers physical damage to municipal buildings and contents caused directly by earthquakes, including shake damage and resulting fire or sprinkler leakage. Standard property policies typically exclude earthquake damage, making this essential for municipalities located in seismically active regions.
Flood Insurance
A separate policy or endorsement to Commercial Property Insurance that covers physical damage to municipal buildings and contents directly caused by flooding. “Flood” is typically defined as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties (one of which is yours) from overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters, or mudslides. Standard property policies exclude flood damage.
Professional Liability
Covers claims for bodily injury, property damage, and cleanup costs arising from pollution conditions (e.g., spills, leaks, emissions) caused by municipal operations or at municipal property. This can include environmental contamination from public works projects, wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, or historical pollution discovered on municipal land. General Liability policies typically exclude pollution events, making this a critical standalone coverage.
Employment Practices Liability
What is Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)?
EPLI protects the municipality against claims made by current, former, or prospective employees (e.g., police officers, administrative staff, public works employees) alleging wrongful acts related to their employment. Examples include:
Abuse & Molestation Insurance
Provides coverage for claims alleging sexual abuse or physical molestation perpetrated by a municipal employee or volunteer. This is critical for municipalities that operate programs or facilities involving vulnerable populations, such as recreation centers, public pools, day camps, or after-school programs where interactions with minors or vulnerable adults occur. It covers legal defense costs and damages.
Management Liability
What is Management Liability?
This is an umbrella term that can encompass several types of liability coverage for a municipality’s leadership and various fiduciaries. While Public Officials Liability specifically addresses the governance roles, “Management Liability” can also refer to broader Directors and Officers (D&O) liability for entities not strictly governmental or include other aspects like Fiduciary Liability (for managing employee benefit plans) or even be packaged with EPLI and Crime coverages. For municipalities, the POL coverage is typically the most prominent component.
Other Types of Management Liability Insurance
Public Officials Liability Insurance
Specifically protects elected and appointed municipal officials (e.g., city council members, mayors, planning commission members) and the municipality itself from claims alleging “wrongful acts” committed in their official capacity. It covers legal defense costs and damages resulting from such claims. These claims can include:
Crime Insurance
What is Crime Insurance?
Protects the municipality from financial losses due to various criminal acts.
Some Criminal Acts Covered by Crime Insurance
Employee Benefits Liability
What is Employee Benefits Liability (EBL)?
EBL protects the Municipality from out-of-pocket expenses arising from errors or omissions in the administration of employee benefits programs, including health, life, disability, retirement, and many other benefits.
Examples of Covered Benefits Errors
Why is this important for Municipalities?
If you are providing any level of employee benefits, errors are often unavoidable. To prevent large out-of-pocket expenses, EBL coverage can help protect the Municipality.
Special Event Liability Insurance
Provides liability coverage for specific events organized, sponsored, or permitted by the municipality. It protects against claims of bodily injury or property damage to attendees or third parties that arise directly from the event.
This coverage is crucial because general liability policies often have limitations or exclusions for large public gatherings, especially involving alcohol, unique activities, or high attendance.
Examples of Special Events
Commercial Auto
Covers vehicles owned and operated by the municipality (e.g., police cars, fire trucks, public works vehicles, transit buses, utility trucks). It provides coverage for bodily injury and property damage you cause to others in an accident, as well as damage to your own municipal vehicles, and medical payments for injuries to occupants, depending on the specific coverages purchased.
Hired/Non-Owned Auto (HNOA):
This crucial add-on or specific coverage extends liability protection for vehicles the municipality does not own but uses for official business purposes.
Excess/Umbrella Liability
What is umbrella or excess liability coverage?
Why do contractors need this coverage?
Cyber
Given the vast amount of sensitive citizen data (e.g., tax records, utility bills, public safety information) and critical infrastructure managed by municipalities, this coverage is essential. It covers financial losses and expenses related to cyber incidents such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, denial-of-service attacks, and network security failures. This includes costs for forensic investigation, data recovery, legal defense, regulatory fines, notification to affected citizens, and business interruption due to a cyber event impacting municipal services.
The two main segments of Cyber Insurance are:
First Party Cyber Insurance
Third Party Cyber Insurance
Have you looked into Cyber coverage in the past? Let us help you craft the perfect coverages for your growing business.
Bonding (Surety Bonds)
Unlike traditional insurance, which protects the policyholder, a bond protects a third party (the obligee, often the municipality itself or a citizen) against financial loss if the principal (the party required to obtain the bond, e.g., a contractor, a public official) fails to fulfill a contractual obligation or a legal duty.
Examples of Bonds for Municipalities:
Start customizing your Business Insurance
Let our Municipality & Public Sector Division customize your Business Insurance to meet your needs.