By Matthew Jacobs and Harrison Stark (July 6, 2017, 4:40 PM EDT) -- When general contractors require subcontractors to purchase "additional insured" coverage endorsements to protect the general contractor from the subcontractor's actions that could result in liability to the general contractor, subcontractors often turn to the most recent standard ISO language, which extends coverage to the additional insured for any bodily injury "caused, in whole or in part," by the acts or omissions of the named insured subcontractor. Despite the broad wording of this endorsement, however, and the lack of any limiting language in the specific provision, some courts have improperly restricted the scope of additional insured coverage by adding requirements that would only extend coverage if the bodily injury was "proximately caused, in whole or in part" by the "negligent acts or omissions of the named insured." By reading words into the additional insured endorsement that are not there, and that further operate to limit the plain meaning of the coverage provision, these courts are ignoring long-standing rules of insurance contract construction. In the face of such decisions, and to ensure that additional insured coverage is provided as intended by the parties to the contract, subcontractors and their intended additional insureds should turn to other available endorsements in the market or negotiate express policy wording affording coverage consistent with the parties' expectations....