In All Should Use Greater Care Handling Underwriting Information, insurance customs expert witness Akos Swierkiewicz writes:
Misrepresentations or omissions primarily originate from negligence by the applicant or broker during the course of the obtaining underwriting information and completing the application.
One of the major functions of brokers is to obtain accurate and complete underwriting information, which requires their active involvement in the process of gathering, preparing and communicating such information to the insurers, rather than just being the conduit to pass information from applicants to insurers. Brokers should also take the initiative and explain major provisions or conditions of the policy to applicants to minimize negative surprises when a claim occurs.