Insurance

Insurance Claim Filing

The investigation or settlement of claims against the university should not be undertaken by an individual, department, or other unit. If you become aware of a claim, or if someone presents a claim against the university, the claim should be referred to the Risk Management Office.

Under no circumstances should an individual, department, or other unit of the university pay money to settle a claim.

Insurance Requirements for Vendors & Contractors

The University requires a Certificate of Insurance from any vendor providing a service under contract with the University. It is the responsibility of departments to obtain certificates of insurance from all vendors/contractors who perform services on campus. A certificate is not a binding document. This certificate is proof that a person or company has insurance. It requires that notice be given to the certificate holder 30 days prior to the policy being canceled or amended. The certificate is an indication that a policy is in effect.

Bryant University should be named as an additional insured for General Liability and Umbrella Liability. The additional insured status should be noted on the certificate.

All contractors/vendors should have the following minimum insurance limits, unless approved in advance by the Director of Purchasing, Auxiliary Services, and Risk.

• Commercial General Liability – $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 annual aggregate Products Liability – $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 annual aggregate. (This is only needed if a product is being purchased by the university).
• Commercial Automobile Liability $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit
• Workers Compensation – Statutory
• Employers’ Liability – $1,000,000
• Umbrella Liability – $1,000,000 per occurrence

These are the most common insurance requirements requested by the university; however, other lines of insurance coverage may be required for certain types of exposure and limits of liability may vary depending on the type of contract.  Examples of other insurance that may be required are:

• Cyber/Data Breach (for any contract where a vendor has access to PII of students or employees): $1,000,000 per claim
• Professional Liability (Architects, Engineers, Healthcare are examples): $1,000,000 per claim/$3,000,000 annual aggregate
• Pollution Liability (for any contractor working with hazardous materials): $1,000,000 per claim/$3,000,000 annual aggregate

It is also recommended that insurance carriers have a minimum A.M. Best rating of A or better. Ratings indicate the size and financial stability of the insurance company. The agent shown on the certificate can provide you with information regarding these ratings.

Certificates of Insurance should be submitted via the Vendor COI Upload Form.

Certificate of Insurance Request

If a vendor requires a Bryant University certificate of insurance with the vendor named on the COI, users should submit a request using the “Certificate of Liability Insurance Request Form”. 

If the vendor only requires a generic certificate of insurance showing Bryant’s insurance coverages, provide the “Bryant Certificate of Insurance (generic)”.

Insurance Document Retention Policy

To be in alignment with industry best practices, the university has established a policy for document retention regarding insurance related documents. This retention policy aims to safeguard the university from claims that could be filed retroactively and ensures appropriate record keeping for insurance and legal matters.