Definition of "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.

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

Same as term Credit Card Insurance: coverage under a homeowners insurance policy in the event that a credit card is fraudulently used or altered. Fraud includes theft and the unauthorized ...

Legislation that provides support for legal actions against individuals or organizations involved in systematic illegal activities. This act has been applied against insurance organizations ...

Property valued according to its earnings potential. However, property insurance contracts generally indemnify an insured on a replacement cost less physical depreciation and obsolescence ...

Means of setting life insurance reserves based on expected mortality rates as reflected in a mortality table. ...

Model state law of the NAIC that requires that the insurance company and agent provide a prospective insured with written information concerning the cost and benefits of the life insurance ...

Hospital charges in addition to room and board. Miscellaneous expenses are covered under a basic hospital plan, with the limits of coverage expressed either as a multiple of the daily ...

Average earned monthly income (AEMI) for the tax year in which the insured wage earner has income interrupted or terminated because of illness, sickness, or accident. This AEMI is important ...

Agreement that eliminates tariffs among the United States, Canada, and Mexico over a 15-year period. Approximately 65% of United States agricultural and industrial exports would be eligible ...

Combination of several policies with each adding an additional layer or limit of coverage above the limits of the policy that comes before it. For example, Policy A adds $100,000, then ...

Popular Insurance Questions