Casualty is the one line bucking the soft market – but only in one country

Marsh’s Q2 2026 Global Insurance Market Index put global casualty rates up 2% for the quarter, the only major product line moving in that direction while property, financial and professional lines, and cyber all kept falling. Zoom out from the US, though, and the picture flips completely: Marsh’s numbers show casualty rates actually fell in every region outside the US this quarter. It’s American litigation pressure, on its own, dragging the global figure into positive territory – US casualty rates rose 7% in Q2, only a touch softer than the 9% rise in Q1, and still the standout number in the whole report.