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 property which moves from location to location either on a scheduled or unscheduled basis. If the floater covers scheduled property, coverage is listed for each item. If a ...
Failure to exercise proper care. Many property insurance policies exclude losses that result from negligence. Neglect is also the basis for many liability suits. If an injury can be ...
Rating system under which a specific premium rate, rather than a manual or class rate, is assigned to each unit of exposure. ...
Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP); trust (ESOP) under which an employer received tax credit instead of a tax deduction for contributions. Until passage of the tax reform act of 1986, the ...
Soliciting of customers for the purchasing of an insurance product. ...
Death from other than accidental means. ...
Federal legislation that established the old age survivors, disability, and health insurance (OASDHI). ...
Circumstance that increases the likelihood or probable severity of a loss. For example, the storing of explosives in a home basement is a hazard that increases the probability of an ...
Insurance sold by a stock insurance company that is usually in the form of nonparticipating insurance. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.