Liberty Mutual was founded in 1912 as the Massachusetts Employees Insurance Association (MEIA). It was formed following the passage of a Massachusetts state law requiring employers to protect their employees with workers’ compensation insurance in 1911 and started out as a worker’s compensation insurer.
Liberty Mutual was established as a mutual company which means that it is an insurance company that is owned by its policyholders. Their first branch office was opened in 1914, and the company quickly moved into other insurance areas, writing its first automotive policy in 1918.
In 1964, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company moved into the life insurance market through its Liberty Life Assurance Branch and in 1973 Liberty Mutual grew outside the U.S. opening operations in the United Kingdom. Liberty Mutual continued to grow over the years through a variety of acquisitions, including the 2008 purchase of Safeco for $6.2 billion.