Definition of "Fortuitous event"

Same as term Fortuitous Loss: loss occurring by accident or chance, not by anyone's intention. Insurance policies provide coverage against losses that occur only on a chance basis, where the insured cannot control the loss; thus the insured should not be able to burn down his or her own home and collect. Insurance is not provided against a certainty such as wear and tear. Life insurance will not pay a death benefit if the insured commits suicide within the first two years that the policy is in force. Even though death is a certainty, the insured cannot buy a policy with the intention of suicide within the first two years.

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

Strong expectation of an occurrence resulting in a monetary interest that gives rise to an insurable interest. For example, a daughter has a strong expectation of wearing her mother's ...

Day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for transactions; used in calculating accumulation unit values for variable dollar insurance products. ...

Policy provision that provides coverage for continuing payroll expense of all employees of an insured business (except for officers and executives) for the first specified number of days of ...

Provision in a property insurance policy to the effect that in the event the insured and insurer cannot agree on the amount of a claim settlement, each appoints an appraiser. The appraisers ...

Same as term: Actuarial Science: branch of knowledge dealing with the mathematics of insurance, including probabilities. It is used in ensuring that risks are carefully evaluated, that ...

Executive of Travelers Insurance Company who developed the domino theory of accident causation by studying over 75,000 industrial accidents and concluding that most accidents would be ...

Phrase describing a form of joint tenancy ownership where property passes to the survivors when one party dies. ...

Compulsory employee benefit plan under which participants are entitled to a series of benefits as a matter of right. The plan is administered by a federal or state government agency and has ...

Right of a policyholder in life insurance with cash value to elect a smaller, fully paid-up policy, without any further premiums to pay. The amount of the paid-up policy is determined by ...

Popular Insurance Questions