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
Difference between the yield on earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities. ...
Statements by an insurance applicant concerning personal health history, family health history, occupation, and hobbies. These statements are required to be substantially correct; that is, ...
Federal legislation passed in 1988 (repealed November 23, 1989) that significantly increased the benefit amounts provided under medicare, both Part A and Part B, in the following manner: ...
Subrogation clauses are used in both the real estate and insurance industries to follow lawful claims against a third party that damaged the property of the insured. If we encounter a ...
Mortality table whose statistics have been adjusted to show expected mortality experience. ...
Restoration of a policy that has lapsed because of nonpayment of premiums after the grace period has expired. In life insurance the reinstatement time period is three years from the premium ...
Provision in commercial property coverage under which an insured must report the value of an insured property at periodic intervals in order to preserve coverage up to values reported. In ...
Direct relationship between the use to which a building is put and the likelihood that it will catch on fire. Occupancy is one of the most important factors in setting fire insurance rates. ...
Plans that are similar to stock appreciation rights (SARS) in that an employee is granted a contractual right by the employer to a stipulated number of units in the business, which is ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.