Heightened concerns about litigation risk, economic volatility, and the rise of artificial intelligence and cyberattacks are dominating discussions among corporate insurance buyers at RISKWORLD 2026, as industry leaders confront what many describe as a structurally more volatile risk environment.
At the annual gathering in Philadelphia hosted by RIMS, executives told Insurance Business that clients are increasingly focused on social inflation, or the persistent rise in claims costs driven by litigation trends that outpace general economic inflation.
“The top concerns are the global economy, litigation trends, and workforce issues,” said Jeff Cole, assistant vice-president of national accounts at Sentry.
Industry data suggest that the scale and frequency of large jury awards have surged in recent years, intensifying fears among businesses that a single adverse verdict could prove existential.
According to Lex Machina’s 2025 Damage Awards Report, average plaintiff verdicts reached $16.2 million in 2024, a 276% increase from 2019, while so-called “nuclear verdicts” exceeding $10 million continue to proliferate. Marathon Strategies reported that in 2024 alone, 135 such verdicts were recorded, the highest number on record, with total payouts exceeding $31 billion.
In response, companies are restructuring their insurance programmes, building higher layers of liability coverage and reassessing limits to guard against catastrophic losses. “The biggest verdicts tend to hit the most recognizable companies, so large firms feel this more acutely,” Cole noted.
Meanwhile, cyber risk has emerged as one of the most dynamic and difficult-to-price exposures at RISKWORLD 2026, with insurers and brokers alike describing a landscape evolving faster than traditional underwriting models can keep pace with.
Adrian Robinson, head of global specialty at The Hartford, said the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is accelerating both defensive capabilities and threat sophistication, creating what he characterized as a continuous “arms race.”
Insurers are attempting to close that gap by embedding risk management services into their offerings. These include real-time vulnerability scanning, employee training tools, and incident response support to help clients proactively reduce exposure rather than relying solely on indemnification after a breach.
“Cyber is the quintessential example of risk changing in real time. These new technologies create risks at a pace that’s hard to fully understand,” said Robinson. It’s a wake-up call – not just for insurance, but for society.”
Beyond cyber, clients are also seeking greater predictability from insurers amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Mike Nardiello, president of global property and casualty insurance at CNA, said market sustainability has become a central theme.
“Clients want stability rather than volatility,” Nardiello said. “Cost is always top of mind, but they also want carriers they know will be around long term.”
Geopolitical risks are adding further complexity, particularly in marine insurance. Ongoing tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to critical shipping lanes have heightened concerns about supply chain resilience and cargo security.
“The unpredictability is the main issue... clients don’t know what’s coming next,” Nardiello said.
At the same time, Nardiello said, emerging exposures linked to infrastructure investment, notably the expansion of hyperscale data centres, are introducing new risk considerations in areas such as builders’ risk and inland marine insurance.
Against this backdrop, RISKWORLD organizers have placed a strong emphasis on collaboration, launching new networking initiatives and discussion forums to help risk professionals share strategies and adapt to evolving threats.
With more than 10,000 professionals in attendance, the event underscores the scale of the challenges facing the industry as companies contend with complex legal and geopolitical headwinds.
