Chapter 3 - Contract And Agency Flashcards
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- What type of law do legal aspects of insurance relate to?
English Law.
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- Who is a Claimant?
The party who brings a civil action in a court of law.
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- Who is a Defendant?
The party against whom an action is brought in a court of law.
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A Contract Law
- What is a contract?
An agreement,
enforceable by law,
between two or more persons
to do, or abstain from doing,
some act or acts,
their intention being to operate legal relations
and not merely to exchange mutual promises.
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- What must there be for a contract to be valid and enforceable?
Offer and Acceptance
Consideration
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- Name six important principles of a contract?
Intention to create legal relations
Capacity to contract
Consensus Ad Idem (genuine meeting of minds)
Legality of Purpose
Possibility of Performance
Certainty of Terms
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- What does Void Ab Initio mean in relation to contract law?
(From the beginning)
If a contract is missing any essential elements it is declared invalid from the start
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- What does it mean to say all parties must act in good faith?
They must not mislead one another. However, it is for the buyer to satisfy themselves regarding the quality of the product.
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- Does the seller have a legal duty to only comply with recognized product quality standards?
Yes.
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- Is a document always necessary?
No. Only in certain circumstances.
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A1 Essentials of a Valid Contract
- Does a policy need to be issued for cover to exist?
No.
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B Offer and Acceptance
- When does a contract come into existence?
When one party makes an offer which the other party accepts.
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B1 Unconditional Acceptance
- What is an Unconditional Acceptance?
When an acceptance does not alter any of the terms of the acceptance.
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B1 Unconditional Acceptance
- What must an acceptance be to be effective?
A Final and unqualified agreement to the offer
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B2 Conditional Acceptance
- What is a Conditional Acceptance?
When new terms are introduced
The so-called acceptance becomes a new offer which is open to being accepted or rejected by the person who made the original offer
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B3 Postal Acceptance
- When is acceptance completed if post is the method of communication?
At the point when the letter of acceptance is posted
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B4 Offer and Acceptance in Practice
- Can insurers allow their agents to accept liability on their behalf even before all formalities have been settled?
Yes.
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C Consideration
- What is a Consideration?
Some right, interest, profit or benefit accruing to one party
Or some forbearance, detriment, loss or responsibility given, suffered or undertaken by the other
Put simply, it is each persons side of the bargain.
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D Renewal of Insurance Contracts
- What must insurers alert their customers to under the fair treatment of customers principle?
The fact that cover will expire.
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D Renewal of Insurance Contracts
- When should policy renewal be offered?
“In good time”
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D Renewal of Insurance Contracts
- Rules introduced by the FCA in 2017 require insurers renewing general insurance products to provide what to customers?
The previous years premium on renewal notices
Text encouraging customers to shop around
Additional notice to customers who have renewed four times in a row
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E Cancellation of Insurance Contracts
- What are policy cancellations governed by?
The written terms and conditions in the policy.
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E Cancellation of Insurance Contracts
- What is the policyholder entitled to if insurance is bought at a distance?
A “cooling off” period.
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E1 Insurer’s Rights
- What does the cancellation condition in most general insurances allow the insurer to do?
Cancel a policy with 14 days notice.
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E1 Insurer’s Rights
- What does the insured receive if the insurer decides to invoke the cancellation condition?
A pro rata return of premium, representing the unexpired portion of the risk
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E1 Insurer’s Rights
- Is the insured entitled to a return premium if they have acted fraudulently?
No.
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E2 Policyholders’ Rights
- What right do consumers have regarding cancelling insurances purchased at a distance?
Right to cancel without penalty and without giving reason
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E2 Policyholders’ Rights
- When does the policyholders right to cancel without penalty or reason not apply?
Travel and baggage insurance
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E2 Policyholders’ Rights
- Do policyholders have more rights where cover has been purchased face to face?
No, they have less rights
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E3 Other means of Terminating Contracts of Insurance
- What can cause contracts to be terminated?
Fulfillment
Voidable contracts
Breach of warranty
Fraudulent acts
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E3A Fulfilment
- Give an example of fulfilment. What happens when fulfilment occurs?
Total loss of the subject matter, e.g. an insured vehicle is burnt out so completely it effectively ceases to exist
The policy is automatically terminated
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E3B Voidable Contracts
- When do voidable contracts arise?
When the insured is in breach of a policy condition
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E3B Voidable Contracts
- Give an example of a voidable contract.
The insured is required to maintain equipment in good working order and don’t
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E3B Voidable Contracts
- Can failure to disclose or misrepresentation void a contract?
Yes