Product Design Firm Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a product design firm business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for industrial and product design firms. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual services, contracts, and clients.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Liability (Tech / Design E&O) | Covers client financial loss from design failures and delays. | Core | |
| Products-Completed Operations | Covers injury from products built to your design. | Core | |
| General Liability | Covers premises and prototype handling. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation | Covers shop and machining injuries. | Core | |
| IP Infringement Defense | Covers patent, trade dress, and copyright claims. | Prevalent | |
| Contractual Liability | Covers indemnities clients demand. | Prevalent | |
| Cyber Liability | Covers theft of CAD files and client IP. | Prevalent | |
| Property / Inland Marine | Covers prototyping equipment and models in transit. | Prevalent | |
| Product Recall Expense | Covers your share if a design triggers a recall. | Situational | |
| Foreign Liability | Covers offshore factory visits and products sold abroad. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by design firms is bodily injury from a defective design. E&O often excludes bodily injury and GL often excludes professional services, leaving no coverage when a product built to your design hurts someone — the exposure states that treat designers as manufacturers create. Confirm products-completed operations has no professional services exclusion, or that E&O carves injury back in.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your product design firm coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Product Design Firm Insurance · Product Design Firm Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a product design firm business need?
The core coverages for a product design firm business are Professional Liability (Tech / Design E&O), Products-Completed Operations, General Liability, Workers' Compensation. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my product design firm coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.