5 Key Insights from RIMS 2026

With over 150 industry sessions available, RISKWORLD provided in-depth analysis of market conditions, emerging risks, and other issues impacting organizations today. Here are some of our takeaways from the conference.

1. Third-party vendor technology risks demand more rigorous contract evaluations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and website-tracking technologies used by vendors pose legal and operational challenges for organizations. Risk managers must address the exposure of sensitive and confidential information through the use of embedded tools such as pixels or chat assistants, which may raise privacy and regulatory concerns, including compliance with laws such as the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) and health privacy statutes.

Organizations should conduct thorough due diligence, regularly audit their vendors, and update their consent management tools (which allow websites to request, store, and manage user content), ensuring contracts include provisions on privacy, security, liability, and indemnification. Comprehensive privacy policies and robust vendor management are increasingly vital for compliance.

2. The energy insurance market is evolving due to phase-outs of renewable tax credits and extreme weather.

Driven by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), organizations face compressed construction timelines, project cancellations, and financing disruptions. Insurers are offering solutions, such as early works coverage, to bridge the gap between site acquisition and construction. With extreme weather events, risk mitigation strategies and asset protection measures are adapting to unpredictable losses. The sector is also managing cyber risks, regulatory uncertainty, and rising demand from data centers, underscoring the need for resilient risk management and flexible insurance options.

3. Marijuana rescheduling raises reimbursement questions, requiring regulatory change or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) rescheduled marijuana from a Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 drug, which may reduce regulatory barriers for medical marijuana, but does not federally legalize it. This change could lead to increased FDA oversight, more testing, and potential shifts in pricing and payments. Insurance coverage for medical marijuana in workers’ compensation may expand, with state laws and human resources policies likely to clarify payment and legal protections for employees with medical marijuana cards. The move may encourage more research and benefit the cannabis industry through tax advantages.

4. Public entities face increased risks from law enforcement liability, climate events, infrastructure failures, and technology.

Municipalities are continuing to contend with rising lawsuits, eroding tort caps, and broader negligence claims, intensified by climate-driven disasters and new technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and AI. Additionally, claims related to road design, sidewalk maintenance, and law enforcement are leading to more sizable verdicts.

To address these challenges, municipalities must implement strong risk management frameworks and proactive strategies to protect budgets and maintain resilience in a rapidly changing legal and environmental landscape.

5. Autonomous and electric vehicles are reshaping casualty and liability trends.

While EVs and autonomous vehicles promise safer roads, liability claims are becoming more complex, with fault often determined by sensor and telemetry data. Product liability will play a greater role when autonomous systems fail, potentially leading to large verdicts as responsibility shifts among manufacturers, drivers, and technology providers.

The industry is moving toward data-driven claims, but loss allocation remains challenging. Claims professionals must develop deeper technical expertise and adapt to new practices in environments where both autonomous and manual vehicles operate.