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
Coverage for the owner of a business. When a proprietor dies, debts of the business become the debts of the estate since in this circumstance the law recognizes business and personal assets ...
Individual to whom rights to a benefit are assigned. A life insurance policy is assigned by the collateral borrower (assignor) to the collateral creditor (assignee) as security for a loan. ...
Interest earned on dividends from a participating life insurance policy left on deposit with the insurance company and subject to taxation. ...
Requirement of an employer to report annually to the U.S. Treasury Department the names of employees who terminated employment with vested benefits, and the amount of the benefits. The ...
Claim against property for payment of taxes. Life insurance proceeds and annuity benefits are protected against certain creditors of the insured, but the federal government is not one of ...
Assets, such as furniture and fixtures, that are not permitted by state law to be included in an insurance company's ANNUAL STATEMENT. ...
Individual or other entity who owns an insurance policy. Synonymous with policyowner. ...
Deductible eliminated through the payment of an additional premium, resulting in first-dollar coverage under the policy. ...
Deductible amount between a basic health insurance plan and major medical insurance. ...
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