When standard markets pull back, Jencap’s casualty experts open doors others can’t.
In casualty insurance, it’s rarely as simple as one carrier saying yes or no. The challenge often lies in how much capacity they’ll take and how to build out the rest. High-limit placements, layered excess towers, and complex contractual obligations can leave agents juggling multiple carriers to reach a complete solution. That’s where Jencap can be a huge asset to agents. From high-hazard contractors to loss-heavy portfolios, Jencap’s casualty brokers know how to piece together the full risk picture and secure the right limits with the right markets.
The Top 10 Casualty Scenarios That Require a Specialty Wholesaler
1. High-Hazard Construction
Think roofing, demolition, tunneling, and scaffold work.
These classes carry severe loss potential and unpredictable subcontractor exposure. Many standard carriers are unwilling to take on projects with heavy heights, confined spaces, or third-party contractors due to the potential for catastrophic injury claims.
2. New Ventures in High-Risk Industries
Think oil and gas, cannabis, or specialized transport.
With no loss history, carriers can’t model frequency or severity risk. Combine that with uncertain regulatory frameworks and inexperienced management, and the appetite disappears fast.
3. Operations in Litigation-Heavy States
Think California, Colorado, Florida, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.
Aggressive plaintiff bars, generous juries, and nuclear verdicts make these states expensive for carriers to operate in. Even low-severity claims can balloon into multi-million-dollar settlements.
4. Event-Driven Businesses
Think concerts, fairs, festivals, and sporting events, plus the contractors that build and secure them.
From staging and fencing providers to fireworks operators, security teams, and trampoline or rock-climbing venues, every setup carries unique liability. These temporary, high-traffic operations create constantly shifting exposures that most standard carriers aren’t equipped to underwrite “one weekend at a time.”
5. Complex Contractual-Risk Transfer
Think construction projects, property management, or vendor-heavy operations.
When contracts blur indemnification or subcontractor controls are weak, liability can shift in all the wrong directions, and no market will step in until those issues are resolved. Jencap works with agents to strengthen contract terms and make the risk insurable again.
6. Manufacturers with Complex Product Exposure
Think life sciences, industrial machinery, or tech hardware.
The liability chain extends across multiple jurisdictions and product lifecycles. A single recall or component failure can trigger cross-border litigation and lead to supply chain disruptions. Most standard carriers can’t handle that scale of exposure.
7. Large Real Estate and Habitational Portfolios
Think multi-state real estate investment firms, mixed-use portfolios with residential and commercial tenants, or large apartment complexes.
Multi-state schedules often combine different construction types, building ages, and occupancies, which makes it harder to underwrite trends or apply consistent loss control standards. Admitted carriers get even more cautious when state-specific legal exposures, like New York Labor Law, drive up both claim frequency and severity.
“Only a limited network of underwriters can place the larger real estate deals. Experience and relationships are what get you access.”
— Tom Lynch, SVP, Casualty Broker, Jencap
“These portfolios demand the right questions, the right framing, and the right data — or the risk simply won’t move.”
— Kris Bauer, Casualty Practice Leader, Jencap
8. Accounts with Prior Claims or Lapsed Coverage
Think contractors with recent job-site injuries, distributors that let coverage lapse during a merger, or trucking companies returning to market after large auto losses.
Recent or severe losses make underwriters cautious, and rightly so. The key to placement isn’t ignoring the loss history, but demonstrating what’s changed since. Jencap brokers work closely with agents and insureds to strengthen risk management practices, connect them with carriers offering robust loss control services, and present a complete, transparent story that rebuilds underwriter confidence.
9. Healthcare and Allied Medical Facilities
Think nursing homes, urgent care centers, and rehabilitation clinics.
Medical professional and general liability exposures overlap, and state regulations change constantly. Staffing shortages, high patient acuity, and documentation issues compound the problem.
10. Excess on Heavy Auto-Driven or Public Entity Accounts
Think municipal fleets, waste management, and logistics contractors.
Auto liability frequency and severity have skyrocketed due to distracted driving and nuclear verdicts. Carriers limit capacity or exit entirely. Public entities add complexity through indemnification requirements and sovereign immunity questions.
How Jencap Helps Agents Win the Tough Placements
When casualty risks fall outside the lines or a placement needs additional capacity, Jencap brings the full power of our team. Each account benefits from collective expertise, trusted carrier relationships, and open collaboration between specialists who know when to lean in or hand off. That team-first approach means every retail partner gains the insight, access, and strategic storytelling it takes to earn underwriter confidence and advance complex accounts.
Digging Deeper Than the Application
Rather than sending a surface-level submission, Jencap brokers dig into the data that matters, uncovering what drives losses, how safety programs have evolved, and what corrective actions are in place. “It’s about asking the right questions and getting granular,” says Kris Bauer, Senior Vice President at Jencap. “When a carrier sees that you’ve done the work to understand how a client is addressing losses, it can completely change their perspective.”
Turning Relationships Into Results
In casualty markets, trust is key. Jencap brokers have direct access to the underwriters who can take on complex risks, and those connections often make the difference between a decline and a quote. “There’s a very limited network of underwriters who can place the larger deals,” explains Tom Lynch, Jencap SVP and Casualty Broker. “Very few people can get to them as easily as we can. Relationships matter.”
Reframing the Story
When an insured’s loss history or lapse in coverage has shut down opportunities, Jencap knows how to reframe the narrative. They highlight operational changes, safety investments, and leadership accountability to demonstrate how the risk has improved. “We had a $25 million contractor that no one would touch,” recalls Bauer. “We met with the insured, saw what they’d changed, and presented that story in a way that made sense to the carrier. They took another look and bound the risk.”
A Partner, Not a Middleman
Jencap’s role extends far beyond market access. Their casualty team collaborates early with agents, shaping strategy, refining submissions, and designing programs that protect relationships while delivering results.
When every standard market says no, Jencap helps agents turn those challenges into opportunities and those opportunities into placements.
Reach Out to Jencap Today
Experience and access matter. Jencap’s casualty specialists know where to go, who to call, and how to get complex deals placed. Make Jencap your first call when your next tough placement needs a smarter path to “yes.”
