Question 1

Does an umbrella cover D&O, EPLI, or Cyber?

Accepted Answer

Almost never. Those are management-liability and specialty lines, written on their own forms with their own excess towers. Umbrellas sit over GL, Auto, and Employer's Liability — the casualty stack — not over the management-liability lines.

Question 2

How much umbrella do customers and landlords typically require?

Accepted Answer

Common asks are $5M for mid-market vendors, $10M+ for enterprise contracts, and $25M+ for any work involving heavy operations, large premises, or product distribution. We model the umbrella alongside the contract requirements, not in isolation.

Question 3

Can the umbrella sit over a self-insured retention or captive?

Accepted Answer

Yes — that's a common structure once primary premium gets large enough to justify retained risk. We coordinate the umbrella attachment point with the SIR or captive-retention layer carefully so there is no gap between layers.

Question 4

What happens if our underlying policy carrier changes mid-term?

Accepted Answer

We notify the umbrella carrier and re-issue the schedule of underlying so the limits, forms, and policy numbers all reconcile. Failing to do that is one of the most common reasons umbrella claims get contested.

Commercial Umbrella & Excess Liability.