Purpose
The Sue & Labor Acknowledgment confirms the insured's duty — and the insurer's promise to reimburse reasonable expenses — to act in preservation of insured cargo or hull property after a covered peril, per the Sue & Labor clause standard in inland- and ocean-marine forms.
When to Send
Send at FNOL of a marine loss where the insured has taken, or must take, immediate steps to prevent further loss (salvage, cargo recovery, de- watering, emergency repairs, transshipment) — typically within 24 to 48 hours of notice.
Required Components
1. Loss Facts & Interests
Identify the claim ({{claim_number}}), date of loss ({{date_of_loss}}), the insured ({{insured_name}}), the interest (cargo / hull / builder's risk), conveyance or vessel, and voyage or project location.
2. Policy Provision
Cite the policy ({{policy_number}}) Sue & Labor / Duty-to-Mitigate clause, confirming that reasonable and necessary expenses to avert or minimize a covered loss are reimbursable in addition to the sum insured.
3. Authorized Salvors, Surveyors & Recovery Vendors
Assign or confirm the appointed marine surveyor, salvor, and recovery contractor. Require the insured to coordinate non-panel vendor engagement with the insurer before incurring material expense.
4. Expense Documentation
Request contemporaneous records: salvor contracts (Lloyd's Open Form or otherwise), surveyor reports, invoices, photographs, and cargo-condition surveys. Confirm expenses must be reasonable, necessary, and directly related to averting or minimizing the covered loss.
5. Reservation of Rights
State that acknowledgment of Sue & Labor duties does not admit coverage for the underlying loss. Reserve on seaworthiness, inherent-vice, delay, and particular-average franchise/deductible questions pending completion of the survey.
Jurisdiction Notes
Universal
Ocean-marine policies are largely governed by admiralty and federal maritime law, with the McCarran-Ferguson reverse-preemption doctrine varying by state. Inland-marine forms track state insurance regulation. Confirm which regime applies before citing specific statutes.
Adjuster Guidance
- Act quickly — Sue & Labor expenses often front-load in the first 72
- Preserve the general-average and subrogation posture by securing bonds
- Document the causal link between expenditures and the covered peril;
- Coordinate with coverage and admiralty counsel on any loss involving
