Waiver of subrogation, and why renewals drop it
Subrogation is an insurer's right to recover what it paid on a claim from whoever caused the loss. A waiver of subrogation is the insurer giving up that right against a specific party — usually because a contract required it. When a renewal quietly drops the waiver, the insured can fall out of compliance with a contract they signed and never know until the recovery action lands.
This covers the FACTS of the relevant endorsements for renewal-checking, without reproducing any copyrighted form wording.
How a waiver is granted
The waiver lives in an endorsement, not the declarations. On general liability it's commonly the CG 24 04; on workers' compensation it's a waiver-of-our-right-to-recover endorsement (with state-specific variants). A waiver can be blanket (applies wherever a written contract requires it) or scheduled (names specific parties — the schedule has to include the right ones).
Why contracts require it
Commercial contracts push each party's losses onto that party's own insurance; waivers keep the insurers from unwinding that arrangement through recovery actions. Construction contracts, leases and service agreements routinely require waivers on GL and workers' comp — which means the waiver's presence is a contract-compliance question, not just a coverage nicety.
Checking the waiver at renewal
The renewal check on waivers:
- The waiver endorsement present this term if it was present last term — a dropped CG 24 04 or WC waiver is a contract-compliance gap.
- Blanket vs. scheduled identified; if scheduled, the required parties still on the schedule.
- Edition date and applicability compared against prior.
- Any carrier-specific waiver wording flagged for human review.
Frequently asked questions
Is a waiver of subrogation the same as additional insured?
No. Additional insured gives a party coverage under the policy; a waiver of subrogation stops the insurer from recovering against a party afterward. Contracts often require both, and each is its own endorsement to check at renewal.
How do I know if the waiver carried forward to the renewal?
Compare the renewal's endorsement schedule to the prior term's and confirm the waiver form is still there (and, if scheduled, still names the right parties). A renewal diff surfaces a dropped waiver automatically.
Diff your first renewal free — upload the prior policy and the renewal, and see what changed in about a minute. No signup wall, no demo call.