The title of this paper, “Varieties, Combinations, and Coverages,” embraces virtually every significant development in marine insurance that has marked its evolution into the sophisticated industry that it is today. To aid those who must transit these sometimes difficult waters, this Article has been prepared with three primary objectives in mind. The first is to serve as a primer, informing the reader of the basic types of marine insurance coverages and explaning the more salient features of each. One coverage that is a relatively new source of indemnity to the maritime industry is the comprehensive general liability (CGL) policy. The second objective of this Article is to illuminate the significance of the CGL policy to the marine insurance business as defined by its experience in our courts.
A sophisticated insured's insurance portfolio will include a broad array of coverages designed to accommodate most foreseeable business risks. Modern coverages disputes frequently spill beyond the confines of a single policy and involve difficult considerations posed by multilayered excess and umbrella coverages and other diverse considerations. This Article seeks, as its third goal, to examine these multilayered disputes. The purpose is to provide basic guidance for those whose professional interests bring them into contact with these daunting issues.