International law firm DAC Beachcroft has today launched its 2026 predictions for the global insurance market, highlighting potential opportunities and challenges for the industry in the year ahead.
Liam O'Connell, Head of Insurance at DAC Beachcroft, comments, "The principal environmental and social issues we are monitoring are PFAS, climate change litigation, ultra-processed food and weight loss drug litigation. These emerging trends feed more broadly into social inflation, which is coming full circle, in that the way damages are awarded in civil litigation in Mexico may now influence the United States.
"Geopolitically, sanctions will continue to keep underwriters and compliance functions busy.
"In the UK, we expect the government and regulators will continue moving towards more proportionate and competitive regulation, and of particular interest are the proposals to deliver a new framework for captive insurance in the UK.
"The impact of AI also features across many of our predictions. For example, we anticipate professionals across the board will continue to grapple with the rapid evolution of AI, and that it will remain high on the cost/benefit spectrum for lawyers."
Our global predictions include insights from over 20 jurisdictions and across more than 20 lines of insurance and reinsurance business. They are grouped under six key themes – geopolitics, environment, social, technology,economics and regulation.
Published on Informed Insurance: the home of DAC Beachcroft's thought leadership for the insurance industry, you can read them all here.
