CG 20 15: Additional Insured Vendors Endorsement Explained

CG 20 15 adds a scheduled vendor as an insured for certain bodily injury or property damage claims arising from the named insured's scheduled products. It is designed for a manufacturer or supplier whose retailer or distributor wants protection from product-related liability as the goods move through the sales chain.

What does CG 20 15 cover?

The form extends insured status to the listed vendor for liability tied to the named insured's listed products that the vendor distributes or sells in its regular business. A township policy packet reproduces CG 20 15 04 13 and shows the vendor-and-product schedule that controls the grant.^[1]

Consider a retailer sued because a customer alleges that a packaged product made by the named insured caused injury. The endorsement may respond for the retailer, subject to causation, exclusions, contract terms, law, and policy limits. It does not cover a slip and fall unrelated to the product.

Which vendor activities are restricted?

The standard endorsement contains several vendor-specific exclusions. They address liability assumed only by contract, warranties the manufacturer did not authorize, intentional physical or chemical changes to the product, certain repackaging, failure to make agreed inspections or adjustments, and demonstrations, installation, servicing, or repair performed by or for the vendor.

The exact language includes exceptions and qualifications, so a checklist cannot replace the issued form. Relabeling a product or using it as a component of another product can also affect status. A vendor that modifies, installs, or private-labels goods should tell the broker exactly what it does.

What should a supplier and vendor verify?

Compare the supply agreement with the endorsement schedule. Confirm legal entity names, covered products, edition, limits, and whether the contract requires broader wording than the policy provides. The 12 19 edition appears in current certificate evidence for product suppliers, showing that later editions are in active use.^[2]

Obtain the endorsement, not only a certificate. Then review products-completed operations coverage, any self-insured retention, recall coverage, and the vendor's own CGL policy separately.

This guide is for educational purposes and summarizes standard ISO policy concepts in original language. Form numbers and titles are used only for identification. Menlo Insurance Services is not affiliated with or approved by Insurance Services Office, Inc. Your policy, supply agreement, and attached endorsements control. Talk to a licensed broker about your actual products.