Build the Machine. Stand Behind Every Cycle.
Protecting the makers of the machines that run industry
Industrial machinery manufacturers build equipment that other businesses run hard, every shift, often with workers close to moving parts and high energy. When a machine amputates, crushes, or malfunctions, the resulting claim is severe, and it reaches past ordinary product liability into the design decisions, guarding, warnings, and controls the manufacturer engineered. Many of these makers also specify, install, commission, and service the equipment, which layers a professional and completed-operations exposure on top of the product itself. This is a design-and-build risk, not a simple goods-sold risk, and it needs to be insured that way.
Insuring an industrial machinery maker is about covering the machine, the engineering behind it, and the work that puts it into service.
Key Risks in Operations
Severe product liability from machine-related injuries — amputation, crush, and caught-in claims
Design and engineering errors in guarding, controls, warnings, and safety systems
Installation, commissioning, and service exposure at customer sites
Completed-operations claims that follow the machine for its working life
Property, tooling, and equipment-breakdown exposure in the plant
Contractual liability assumed in supply and service agreements
High-hazard employee injury in a heavy-manufacturing environment
The risk lives in both the machine and the engineering decisions behind it.
Core Coverages
Product Liability — Covers bodily-injury and property-damage claims alleging the machine was defective, inadequately guarded, or unsafe — the core coverage for this class.
Professional Liability / Design E&O — Responds to claims that the engineering, specification, or design of the equipment was negligent.
Completed Operations — Covers claims arising after the machine is installed and in service.
General Liability — Protects against third-party injury and property damage, including at customer sites during installation.
Commercial Property & Equipment Breakdown — Covers the plant, machinery, tooling, and inventory, and repairs production equipment after a failure.
Installation / Riggers Exposure — Addresses damage and injury while equipment is delivered, rigged, and commissioned.
Contractual Liability Coverage — Addresses indemnities assumed in supply, installation, and service contracts.
Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Umbrella / Excess Liability — Round out the program for staff, fleet, and the large limits machine-injury claims demand.
What's Commonly Overlooked
Industrial machinery manufacturing programs are often weakened by:
No design errors-and-omissions coverage for the engineering behind the machine
Completed-operations coverage overlooked despite the machine's long service life
Gaps in installation and commissioning coverage at customer sites
Product liability limits set too low for amputation and crush verdicts
Contractual indemnities to customers that outrun the policy
These gaps typically surface at claim time — not before.
A worker is injured by a machine and the guarding or controls are blamed
A design or specification error leads to a failure in the field
An installation or commissioning incident injures a customer's employee
A machine malfunctions years after sale and a completed-operations claim follows
A customer demands indemnity under a supply or service agreement
A single machine-injury verdict can exceed a mid-sized manufacturer's limits.
Why Proper Placement Matters
Coverage varies significantly based on:
The type of machinery and its injury potential
Whether the maker designs, installs, and services the equipment
Domestic manufacturing versus imported components
Industries served and contractual requirements
Safety engineering, guarding standards, and documentation
Improper placement can leave the design and completed-operations exposures uninsured.
Our Approach
At Cory Washington & Co., we build industrial machinery manufacturing programs around the full exposure — the product, the engineering, and the installation and service work — so a machine-injury claim is answered from design to field. For job shops and fabricators, see our machine shop and metal fabrication pages; for the companies that distribute equipment, our industrial equipment and machinery distributor page.
Engineer the machine. We'll engineer the coverage.
All insurance descriptions on this website are provided by Cory Washington & Co. LLC strictly for general informational purposes. They are not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal, financial, or insurance advice. The information presented is general in nature and does not guarantee the availability, terms, conditions, or scope of any insurance coverage. Actual coverage is determined solely by the specific policy language issued by the insurer and remains subject to underwriting approval. Nothing on this website creates or implies an agent-client relationship, binds coverage, or alters any existing policy. Cory Washington & Co. LLC expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the content provided here. For advice regarding your particular situation, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional at Cory Washington & Co. LLC or another qualified insurance professional, and always review your policy documents in full.
See the coverages an industrial machinery manufacturing business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — plus the gap most often missed, in the Industrial Machinery Manufacturing Coverage Checklist.
Complete the Industrial Machinery Manufacturing Supplemental online in a few guided steps, download the fillable PDF, or browse all applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get industrial machinery & equipment manufacturing insurance through Cory Washington & Co.?
Request a quote or contact our team. We start with a short conversation about your operations, analyze your exposures, then negotiate industrial machinery & equipment manufacturing insurance across multiple carriers that compete for your account and present options with the trade-offs explained. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
How much does industrial machinery & equipment manufacturing insurance cost?
It depends on your exposure. Industrial machinery & equipment manufacturing insurance is priced on factors like your industry, size, prior claims, and the limits and deductibles you select — so two businesses rarely pay the same. We shop your account across competing carriers and present the trade-offs in plain English.
Who needs industrial machinery & equipment manufacturing insurance?
Requirements vary. Industrial machinery & equipment manufacturing insurance may be mandated by statute, or required under your contracts, leases, or loan agreements — and in many cases it is simply prudent given the risks involved. We look at your specific obligations and exposures, then recommend the coverage and limits that fit.
What if another agency has already declined or non-renewed my coverage?
Difficult, specialty, and previously-declined placements are a core part of our work. We access excess & surplus (E&S) and specialty markets that many generalist agencies cannot, and we explain the trade-offs clearly so you can decide with confidence.
Available in all 50 states. See how requirements differ in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or choose your state.