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Insurance archaeology services: Uncovering the past to protect your future

The article outlines best practices for managing historical insurance policies to help organizations navigate historical insurance policies and build resilience against future liabilities.

09/12/2025 · 5 minute read

Shifting liability trends and the rise of social inflation are increasing the complexity of long-tail liabilities, which can have a negative impact on the financial stability of organizations like yours.

These liabilities often involve claims that span decades and can be related to multiple exposures, such as asbestos and talc, toxic chemicals, pollution and environmental issues, product and premises liabilities, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, and sexual misconduct or molestation, among others.

Historically, occurrence-based liability insurance policies have helped to provide vital protection against these types of claims. However, locating evidence of the appropriate coverage is often challenging, as courts generally require policyholders to prove the existence, terms, and conditions of their policies. Without a proactive effort to identify historical policies, you may be exposed to significant financial risk when claims arise.

The value of historic insurance assets

Historical insurance policies can offer substantial protection against current and future claim costs, especially since these policies often feature broader coverage, including fewer exclusions, lower deductibles, and the absence of aggregate limits for certain exposures. The combined limits of a historic insurance portfolio may represent a substantial coverage potential, especially since these policies frequently cover defense costs in addition to the limits of liability.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the value of these assets can be diminished by insurer insolvency issues. Organizations with ongoing or potential long-tail liabilities should consider recovering these assets now to mitigate financial risk.

Locating your historic insurance coverage

The responsibility of proving the existence of a historical policy often rests with the insured. Many companies, however, encounter difficulties locating legacy policies, often due to the documents’ age, mergers and acquisitions, changes in insurance brokers, or because files were misplaced or forgotten over time. The departure of employees with institutional knowledge can also hinder efforts to locate these policies.

Marsh’s insurance archaeology services are designed to assist organizations like yours in uncovering these valuable assets. Our team of specialists conducts comprehensive research — including reviewing corporate records and archives, interviewing current and former personnel, contacting brokers, and coordinating with insurers — as part of our effort to help locate the appropriate policy documentation.

How we can help

With decades of experience and access to the archives of the world’s largest broker, our specialists work closely with your team to help identify potential coverage gaps, gather relevant corporate history, and review previous research efforts.

Our process begins with a detailed consultation to define the scope of your project, followed by a tailored research plan. We then provide you with a comprehensive proposal outlining our approach.

To learn how Marsh’s insurance archaeology services can assist you in recovering valuable legacy insurance assets to help you strengthen your risk management strategy, please contact us.

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