An additional insured is a party granted specified insured status under another party's policy through policy wording or an endorsement.
Definition
An additional insured is a person or organization given certain insured status under another party's insurance policy, usually through an endorsement or policy wording. The scope depends on the endorsement and the related contract, including which claims and activities it addresses. Civil engineering firms may encounter requests from clients, agencies, or project partners, especially in general liability arrangements. The designation does not make the additional insured the policyholder, transfer ownership of the policy, or guarantee coverage for every claim involving that party. It also does not automatically extend to professional liability coverage. Owners should compare the requested contract language with the actual endorsement and policy terms before confirming coverage. An insurance certificate may summarize coverage but does not itself change the policy. See general liability insurance for related context.
How owners use it
- Owners check the contract's additional insured request against the actual policy endorsement before agreeing to provide it.
- A firm records which entity, project, and policy the endorsement covers so staff can respond accurately to certificate requests.
- If a client contract requests additional insured status for two named entities but the endorsement names one, the owner identifies 2 - 1 = 1 entity still needing review.
- Owners distinguish an additional insured endorsement from a certificate that only summarizes selected policy information.
