The role of sea transport in the global economy, especially in recent centuries, is exposed to many factors that sometimes affect its safety in a way that is difficult to control. That is why insurance of the risk of transporting goods by sea has become so important, allowing for transferring the burden of responsibility for losses incurred as a result of unforeseen events on specialized institutions. Thanks to the fact that appropriate mechanisms of maritime transport protection were created in a proper time, it could develop so dynamically when favorable circumstances appeared, which was especially visible in the era of great geographical discoveries and just after them. On the other hand, the rapid increase in the number of goods transported by sea contributed to the huge development of the maritime insurance market.