Contract Law Flashcards
The Insurance Contract
A legal agreement that describes the responsibilities for the insurance company and the insured.
The Doctrine of Utmost Good Faith
Mutual reliance on truthfulness
The Binder
Provides immediate temporary insurance protection (30/60)
•Evidence of temporary coverage
Listed on The Binder
- The Insurer’s name
- The effective date of coverage
- The policy limits
* Never premium
Three Ways a Binder Can Expire
- Policy is issued
- One day after a cancellation letter is received from the insurance company
- Date of expiration when a policy is not going to issued.
Five elements of a legal contract
- Offer
- Acceptance
- Consideration
- Competent Parties
- Legal purpose
Representation
A statement made in an application that is represented as being correct to the best of his or her knowledge at the Time of the application.
Warranty
A statement of absolute truth that A condition exist and will continue to exist throughout the policy
Material misrepresentation/material fact
A lie that impacts the rate or causes the policy to be rejected
Misrepresentation
A written or verbal lie
Concealment
Intentionally withholding information; telling a partial truth or hiding information on a material fact.
Fraud
Deliberate misrepresentation for financial gain. Attempt to benefit from a lie financially.
Accidental unexpected uncertain
Never intentional or predictable
• exception: below the age of reason 12 and younger
Measurable/calculable
Definite and verifiable
• amount
•place
•time
Meet the law of large numbers
- Permits and ensure to predict.
- The greater the numbers the more accurate statistics.
- large numbers of homogeneous units/risks.
- Groups with the same perils.
Underwriting
- The process of selecting, classifying and pricing risk for insurance coverage.
- The most important piece for underwriting is the application.
Unfair discrimination
Illegal treatment based on criteria that does not measure the risk. •Color •creed •religion •origin •disability
Adverse selection
The propensity for those with a greater need to purchase insurance while those with a lesser need are less apt to purchase coverage.
Fair credit reporting act federal government. FCRA
Protects consumers privacy
•Equifax
•Trans Union
•Experian.
Federal law regulates:
•Collection
•distribution
•use of consumer credit information.
•Credit reports can only be ordered for underwriting insurance OK so
The insurers Obligation when credit reports are used for the underwriting
- Advise the applicant a credit report will be obtained.
- Must notify the consumer when there is an adverse section.
- Not responsible for correcting inaccuracies.
- Must provide the consumer with the reporting agency to correct their in accuracies (Equifax)
Time frames
- Credit reports can be reviewed back to seven years.
* Bankruptcy can be review back to 10 years.
TRIA
- A federal program that provides coverage from losses resulting from an act of terrorism.
- Protects consumers by ensuring available and affordable insurance.
- Protection for commercial insurance only.
* Not health insurance
Requirements to become commissioner of insurance
Gubernatorial appointment/not elected and no set term.
•He serves as the leisure/pleasure of the governor.
•Required to post a $50,000 bond.
•Insurance knowledge and skills. •NAIC(National Association of insurance commissioners) participation
Admitted/Authorized
•The commissioner grants the company the right to do business in Indiana.
•Issued a certificate of authority(COA)
The company must have a COA when admitted to do business.
Certificate of authority-A document that is like an agent or broker‘s license but for an insurance company.
To be admitted a company must be:
- Solvent – sound finances/capital money to (pay claims).
- Have a sound business plan.
- Integrity-competent agents – good character
License compliance officer
Responsible for ensuring the company and all producers agent/broker adhere to state insurance laws.

Insurer origin
A classification for where an insurance company was charted, formed, don’t masiled or incorporated
Domestic insurer
An insurance company charted or formed in this state (Indiana)
Foreign insurer
An insurance company charted or formed outside of this state Indiana, but inside the United States/or US territory.
- Guam
- Maryland
Alien insurers
An insurance company charted or formed outside of the United States.
- Mexico
- Canada
- European country
Examination
Ensures companies meet basic standards
Admitted companies can be examined whenever the commissioner wants. Admitted companies must be examined every five years.
Domestic insurers-must be examined the commissioner is prohibited from waving examination.
Foreign/alien insurers-their examination can be waived by the commissioner when their company meets NAIC guidelines
The commissioner is never prohibited from the examination of any company
Rehabilitation
Due process=notice &hearing