Long-tail Liability
One where an injury or other harm takes time to become known and a claim may be separated from the circumstances that caused it by as many as 25 years or more. Some examples: exposure to asbestos, which sometimes results in a lung disease called asbestos; exposure to coal dust, which might cause black lung disease; or use of certain drugs that may cause cancer or birth defects. These long-tail liabilities became very expensive for many corporations in the 1970s and 1980s, also causing problems for insurers because it was unclear when the situation that gave rise to the claim happened and who should pay the claim. One theory, the MANIFESTATION/INJURY THEORY, states that the insurer is responsible whenever the disease is diagnosed. The other view, the OCCURRENCE/INJURY THEORY, states that the insurer must pay only when the person is injured.
Popular Insurance Terms
Situation involving a chance of a loss or no loss, but no chance of gain. For example, either one's home burns or it does not; this risk is insurable. ...
Applications for insurance coverage that have been forwarded to an insurer but not yet processed. ...
Ratio commonly used by the property and casualty insurance industry as a measure of financial strength or to indicate to what degree a particular insurance company is leveraged. A low ratio ...
Coverage of the hull of a ship and its tackle, passenger fittings, equipment, stores, boats, and ordnance. Coverage is provided under the following types of policies: builders risk hull ...
Irrevocable living trust (rights to make any changes are forfeited by the grantor permanently) in which the grantor forfeits control of all assets placed in the trust. However, the grantor ...
Liability insurance coverage for claims arising from acts that occurred before the beginning of the policy period. Policies written on a claims made basis, such as malpractice liability ...
Individual who has a contractual agreement with a policyowner. The agent of record has a legal right to commissions from the insurance policy. ...
Payments made on a monthly basis by users of the medical services of health maintenance organizations (HMOs). After this payment is calculated for a future period of time, usually one year, ...
Expenses and damages incurred as the result of damage to a ship and its cargo and/or of taking direct action to prevent initial or further damage to the ship and its cargo. These expenses ...
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