Product Recall

Recall Expense & Liability Coverages:

• First-Party Recall Costs: Costs of getting products off the shelves, proper disposal, & notification logistics
• Reputation & Brand Protection: Costs for PR, marketing, & crisis management to restore brand reputation
• Third-Party Liability: Coverage for damages or financial losses of customers, including retailers or OEMs
• Consulting & Expert Fees: Coverage for costs associated with consultants, & expert legal teams
• Government-Ordered Recalls: Costs for complying with mandatory recalls by regulatory bodies like the FDA, NHTSA, or CPSC
• Replacement & Redistribution: Costs for manufacturing & introducing new products

Primary Policy Structure:

• Claims-Made with cut-off date Recall Liability & Recall Expense
• Policy limits up to $5M
• Deductible & participation percentage options available

Excess Policy Structure:

• Follow form coverage
• Up to $5M in capacity
• Available on an unsupported basis

Minimum Premiums:

• $1,750 – $250,000/$250,000
• $2,500 – $1M/$1M
• $10,000 – $5M/$5M

Primary Coverage Enhancements:

• Optional additional coverage – loss of income due to loss of reputation with optional extra brand remediation expenses
• Optional Cyber Security Consultant Costs Endorsement for “smart” products & digitally connected medical devices
• Optional Fair Trade Recall Trigger Endorsement
• Optional Pre-Recall Monitoring Expenses Endorsement
• Optional Surgical Removal Costs Endorsement for implantable medical devices
• Self-initiated recall & government-initiated recall triggers
• Worldwide coverage

Submission Requirements:

• Signed & dated Product Recall supplemental application
• Five-year currently valued Product Recall & General Liability company loss runs
• Copies of the following:
  • Any FDA, CPSC, or other government agency citations or recalls
  • Your product QA procedures & recall plans
  • Current declarations page
• Website information or product catalog

• What is Product Recall insurance?

  Product Recall insurance is a first-party policy that reimburses a business for the direct costs associated with recalling defective, contaminated, or unsafe products from the market.

  Kinsale’s Product Recall Liability & Recall Expense protect a business’s financial assets by helping to cover the direct and indirect expenses of a recall via reimbursement, such as notification costs, logistics, disposal, replacement, legal fees, regulatory fines, and brand rehabilitation efforts.

• Do I need a separate Product Recall policy if I already have a Products General Liability (GL) policy?

  Yes. Product the two policies serve very different purposes and are designed to work together, not in place of each other.

  A Products GL policy covers third-party claims arising from bodily injury or property damage caused by a defective product. It is designed to protect you from lawsuits brought by customers or other parties who are harmed by your product.

  Product Recall coverage can be triggered as soon as a product defect is discovered and helps a business cover the direct costs of removing a product from the market regardless of whether a lawsuit has been filed.

  Think of GL as protecting you from claims against your business, and Recall as protecting your business itself.

• Is recall coverage included in a Products Liability policy?

  Generally, no. Standard Products Liability policies usually exclude first-party recall costs. While some may include an endorsement for limited product withdrawal or recall expenses, those sublimits are typically very low and the scope of coverage is far too narrow to provide adequate protection for most manufacturers and distributors.

  When a real recall event occurs, the total costs, including logistics, notifications, disposal, replacement inventory, regulatory response, and brand rehabilitation, can far exceed what a recall endorsement on a GL policy would cover. A dedicated Product Recall policy ensures you have the right protection in place before you need it.

• Do I have to bind a products liability policy with Kinsale in order to bind the recall policy?

  No. Products Liability and Product Recall insurance are completely independent. You do not need to have a Products Liability policy with Kinsale in order to obtain a Product Recall policy with us.

  Kinsale’s Product Recall coverage can be written on a standalone basis, making it accessible to insureds who carry their GL and products liability coverage elsewhere.

• How is Product Recall insurance different from a Manufacturer's E&O policy?

  While both coverages relate to product defects, they protect against very different types of losses. A Manufacturers’ Errors and Omissions (E&O) policy is a third-party coverage that protects against financial losses suffered by your customers or business partners as a result of a design flaw or manufacturing defect that renders a product unusable or unfit for its intended purpose.

  Product Recall insurance, on the other hand, is a first-party coverage that reimburses your own business for the direct costs of removing a product from the market. The two coverages can complement each other as part of a broader product risk management program, but they are not interchangeable.

  What types of products can be covered?

  Kinsale’s product recall coverage is designed for a wide range of industries and product types, including:

  • Food and beverage, including meat, seafood, dairy, poultry, produce, and processed or ready-to-eat foods
  • Consumer products, including sporting goods, furniture, electronics, electronic cigarettes/vapes, and toys
  • Component parts and raw materials
  • Cannabis and hemp products
  • Medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and dietary supplements

  Learn more about our appetite.

• What kinds of recall costs can be reimbursed?

  A product recall can trigger a wide range of expenses that add up quickly. Kinsale’s Product Recall policy is designed to cover the costs that matter most, including:

  • Business interruption losses resulting from the recall event
  • Product replacement and redistribution costs
  • Crisis management and consulting fees
  • Brand rehabilitation expenses to restore consumer confidence
  • Pre-recall investigation expenses incurred before a formal recall is announced

  Having the right coverage in place means your business can focus on responding to the recall—not absorbing the financial shock. Review our Recall Guide to learn more.

• Who should purchase Recall coverage?

  Any organization that manufactures, distributes, or imports products should consider Product Recall insurance as a core part of its risk management program. Additionally, small and mid-sized businesses are often more financially vulnerable than large corporations when a recall occurs, as they may have fewer reserves to absorb the associated costs.

  Use our Guide to Better Recall Policies to learn three simple ways to help agents and/or insured appreciate the value of recall protection.

• Does the policy only apply if a government entity initiates a recall?

  No. Kinsale’s product recall policy will respond to both government-mandated recalls and voluntary recalls initiated by the insured. In fact, many of the costliest recall events are voluntary. Companies that proactively pull a product from the market before a government mandate often face the same (or greater) costs, and acting quickly can be critical to protecting consumers and preserving brand reputation. Kinsale’s coverage is designed to support you regardless of how the recall is initiated.

• What information is needed to get a product recall quote?

  Getting a product recall quote with Kinsale is straightforward. We typically need the following information to evaluate and price the risk:

  • Gross sales figures
  • Details on products sold, including key ingredients and suppliers
  • Number of production and distribution facilities
  • The insured’s quality control, traceability, and testing procedures
  • Any third-party testing certifications utilized
  • Recall history and regulatory inspection history, if relevant
  • Prior GL and recall loss history, if applicable

  The more detail you can provide upfront, the faster we can turn around a quote.

• Does Kinsale cover both product recall and product contamination exposures?

  Yes. Kinsale writes Product Recall coverage for both consumer products and consumable goods, including food, beverage, and other products where contamination is a key exposure.

  One of the advantages of placing Product Recall coverage with Kinsale is our streamlined approach: we offer a single, unified coverage form that addresses both product recall and contamination exposures. Most competitors in the market offer separate policy forms depending on the type of exposure, which can create gaps and administrative complexity. With Kinsale, you get comprehensive protection on one clear form.

• Is Product Recall insurance expensive?

  Product recall insurance is more affordable than many businesses expect, especially when weighed against the potential cost of an uninsured recall event. A 2025 study published in the Journal of Food Protection states that median recall costs for food and beverage producers range from $3M to $73M per organization, shippers/distributors pay between $0.1M and $2.3M per business, and nonrestaurant retailers can face from $0.1M to $3.1M in costs.

  Kinsale’s Product Recall policies start at a $1,500 minimum premium, making meaningful coverage accessible for companies of all sizes, including smaller manufacturers and first-time buyers.

  The cost of a policy will vary based on factors such as gross sales, product type, quality control practices, and prior recall history, but our underwriters work to find competitive pricing that fits your account.

• How much Recall insurance is needed on average?

  The right recall limits will depend on the size of a business, the nature of covered products, and the potential financial exposure of a recall event. Factors to consider include annual sales volume, the number and geographic reach of distribution channels, the cost of the product, and any contractual requirements from retailers or partners.

  Kinsale can offer primary limits starting at $100,000 and up to $5M. We can also offer excess options over other recall carriers up to $5M at any attachment point, helping satisfy contractual requirements and providing additional peace of mind for businesses with larger exposures. Our underwriters are happy to help you think through the right limit for your situation.

• If a business has never carried a Recall insurance policy, will Kinsale consider them for coverage?

  Absolutely. Kinsale welcomes first-time buyers. Our affordable minimum premiums and responsive underwriting process make it easy for new ventures and growing businesses to get covered quickly.

  Whether the account is a startup entering the market or an established company purchasing recall coverage for the first time, Kinsale’s team will guide you through the process and make sure your client has the right protection in place.

• My initial quote isn't quite where it needs to be. How can I request a revised quote?

  At Kinsale, the first quote is just the start. Our goal is to make sure your accounts get the coverages they need—and because our underwriters are experienced, creative thinkers, we tend to get it right quickly. But if you ever need to negotiate terms and price, let us know. We’ll work with you.

• I'd like to get a direct appointment with Kinsale. How do I do that?

  If you are a wholesale broker with a surplus license interested in an appointment, the process is simple! The first step is to complete our online Producer Questionnaire. Once you’ve completed the form and attached the necessary documents, you will be able to provide an e-signature, click “Continue,” and the form will be sent to us automatically.

  Be sure to have the following available to either upload online or email as an attachment: your entity/individual producer license(s) for all states, a copy of your latest financial statement, a Fidelity Declarations page, and an E&O Declarations page.

  If you are a retail agent, hold a surplus license, and specialize in Product Recall insurance, our business development manager can review an appointment with you. You can use the link above to complete the questionnaire and someone from our business development team will be in touch!

• There is a lot of information on the website! Is there a point of contact I can reach to further discuss my Product Recall accounts?

  Yes! For general questions about our products, coverages, or target classes, contact:

  Victoria Muntean
  Assistant Vice President, Product Recall
  (804) 289-1278
  victoria.muntean@kinsaleins.com

  If you’re already appointed with Kinsale and would like to request a quote, you can email your submission to rc@kinsaleins.com, and one of our underwriters will be in touch.