Hurricane season doesn't announce itself with much warning. One week, there's a tropical wave being monitored in the Atlantic. The next, it has a name, a track, and a wall of moratoriums behind it.
That's the moment agents don't want to be having coverage conversations for the first time.The value of a proactive agent isn't measured when everything goes smoothly. It's measured when a storm is three days out, and a client calls with questions. The agents who proactively reached out in May are the ones clients remember, recommend, and stay with. They're also the ones with documented conversations and protected E&O.
Hurricane season officially opens June 1. For agents with marine accounts on their book, now is the right time to reach out, not because something is necessarily wrong, but because an informed client is a better-protected client, and that conversation is easier before a storm exists than after one does.
What the Conversation Should Cover
This isn't a coverage audit. It's an advisory check-in. A few topics worth raising with marine clients before the season gets underway:How their deductible actually works in a named storm.
Most clients think about their standard deductible. Many don't realize that a separate, often significantly higher deductible applies when the cause of loss is a named storm. On a percentage basis, a named storm deductible on a large vessel, a marina facility, or a waterfront operation can represent a substantial out-of-pocket exposure. Walking a client through what that number actually looks like in dollars, relative to their current insured values, is the kind of conversation they remember.
Why the timing window is shorter than they think.
Once a storm is being actively tracked, carriers issue moratoriums. New policies, endorsements, and coverage changes stop. If a client has added a vessel, expanded their operation, or made any changes since their last renewal, the time to address those is now, not when a named storm is already in the Gulf. Agents who flag this proactively are doing their clients a genuine service.
Vessel securing obligations.
Hull and Machinery policies typically include a sue and labor clause that obligates the insured to take reasonable steps to prevent or minimize a covered loss. Many clients aren't aware this exists. A brief conversation about securing protocols, what reasonable preparation looks like for their specific vessels, and why documentation matters is worth having before it becomes relevant.
Workforce exposure for applicable accounts.
For marine contractors, shipyards, and vessel operators, the days before and after a named storm are among the most active and highest-risk periods for workers. Employees securing vessels, staging equipment, or performing post-storm recovery on or near navigable water may be in Longshore jurisdiction. If an agent hasn't confirmed that coverage is in place and appropriately structured for storm operations, this is the time to do it.
The E&O Angle
Proactive client communication is one of the most effective E&O protections an agent has. A documented conversation in May that confirms a client understands their named storm deductible, knows what their securing obligations are, and has been made aware of moratorium timing is a very different position to be in than one where none of that was discussed before a loss occurred.LIG is here to support those conversations. If a review surfaces accounts that need a closer look before the season opens, we're ready to help.
Questions about a specific account? Reach us at Ask@LIGMarine.com or call (727) 578-2800.
Ready to submit? Send accounts to Submit@LIGMarine.com or visit LIGMarine.com/Apps.
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