Why it matters for your company
When two policies could respond to the same claim, their other-insurance clauses decide who pays and in what share. Primary means your policy goes first. Non-contributory means your insurer cannot turn to the customer's insurer for a contribution.
Most customer insurance exhibits pair this with additional insured status. Many general liability policies can provide it by endorsement when a written contract requires it, and the certificate should reference that endorsement. For a pilot on a hospital or utility site it is close to a standard ask.
Related terms
- Additional insuredA person or company added to your policy by endorsement so they can claim under it too, usually a landlord or customer whose contract asks for it. They get a right to defense and payment for claims arising from your work, within the limits of the endorsement.
- Certificate of insuranceA one-page summary issued by your broker that shows which policies you carry, their limits and dates, and who the certificate holder is. It proves coverage exists and changes nothing about it.
- EndorsementA page attached to a policy that changes it: it adds coverage, removes it, names a new party, or rewrites a definition. The endorsement controls over the base form wherever the two disagree.
- Umbrella and excess liabilityBoth add limits above your primary liability policies. Excess follows the terms of one underlying policy, while an umbrella can sit over several and sometimes responds to claims the underlying forms leave out.