$44 million verdict. $1 million general liability policy. See the problem?
Jury awards have entered a different era:
-
Nuclear verdicts — jury awards over $10 million — are at a 15-year high, up 27% since 2022 (Marathon Strategies)
-
The median nuclear verdict is now $44 million — more than double the $21 million median in 2020 (Marathon Strategies)
-
In 2024, the median jury award over $10M reached $51M across 135 cases (Arthur J. Gallagher)
A standard $1M general liability policy was designed for a different era of jury awards. When a verdict runs 10 to 40 times your limit, the business pays the difference out of its own pocket. Umbrella and excess liability policies exist for exactly this gap — they sit on top of your underlying limits and respond when a catastrophic award blows through them.
This isn’t just a concern for household names. Smaller businesses face the same courts and the same trends, with fewer resources to absorb the hit.
If you’re a business owner, let’s talk before the next headline is about you.
📞 713-961-0880 | securedriskinsurance.com
Sources: Christensen Group / Marathon Strategies · Insurance Business / Gallagher
