Definition of "Abandonment clause"

In marine insurance, clause giving an insured the right to abandon lost or damaged property and still claim full settlement from an insurer (subject to certain restrictions). Two types of losses are provided for under abandonment clauses:

  1. Actual total lossproperty so badly damaged it is unrepairable or unrecoverable; causes include fire, sinking, windstorm damage, and mysterious disappearance. For example, until the 1980s the Titanic, which sank off Newfoundland in 1912, was deemed to be unrecoverable and the Commercial Union Insurance Company had paid its owners for their loss due to sinking. Owners of ships that mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle have been able to collect insurance proceeds. Disappearance of pleasure craft due to drug pirates has resulted in indemnification of owners through insurance proceeds.
  2. Constructive total lossproperty so badly damaged that the cost of its rehabilitation would be more than its restored value. For example, a ship and/or its cargo is damaged to such a degree that the cost of repair would exceed its restored value. The insured can abandon the property if (a) repair costs are greater than 50% of the value of the property after it has been repaired and (b) the insurance company agrees to the insured's intent to abandon.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Obligations and responsibilities subject to evaluation, interpretation, and enforcement in a court of law. Casualty insurance provides coverage for an insured against a civil legal ...

Distribution of a deceased beneficiary's share of an estate among that beneficiary's children. Contrast with per capita. ...

In which at least two insurance policies provide identical coverage for the same risk. ...

Insurance company's investments in assets other than in companies it controls and/or companies with which it shares common ownership, stocks, and bonds. ...

Same as term Civil Damages Awarded: ...

Association of general agents and managers affiliated with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR LIFE UNDERWRITING (NALU). Their objective is to seek solutions to common managerial problems. GAMC ...

Assets minus liabilities of the insurance company. ...

Organization that seeks to educate the public on the benefits of private health insurance coverage. Its membership consists of private companies that sell health insurance. The HIAA ...

Rule that prohibits the introduction into a court of law of any oral or written agreement that contradicts the final written agreement. For example, an insurance contract containing clauses ...

Popular Insurance Questions