Here, the customer plays with fire, on two fronts. The first problem is that most management, business, and cyber applications include fraud alerts right in front of the signature page. These warnings state that in most states, anyone who knowingly attempts to deceive an insurance company conceals information or provides misleading information is subject to civil and/or criminal penalties. So if you don`t disclose material facts when asked, you could be subject to severe penalties. Certainly not worth taking the risk! Insurers have the right, rarely exercised, to limit their risk by including in their policies guarantees that state that the policy is invalid if the coverage is violated at the time of the breach. They do not seem to be used because modern insurers do not understand the effects of guarantees or the ability of a guarantee to protect the insurer from risks they do not want to take. Guarantees in insurance contracts can be divided into two types: affirmative or order. An affirmative guarantee is a statement of fact at the time of the conclusion of the contract. A promissory note guarantee is a statement about future facts or facts that will continue to be true throughout the life of the policy. A false affirmative guarantee invalidates an insurance contract at the beginning. If a promissory note guarantee is realized, the insurer may terminate the coverage at the time the guarantee becomes false. For example, if an insured party guarantees that the property that will be covered by a fire insurance policy will never be used to mix explosives, the insurer can cancel the policy if the insured decides to mix explosives on the property.
The provisions relating to the guarantee must include language indicating whether they are affirmative or guilty. The second problem with not disclosing information is that if this „situation” actually leads to a claim and you present it to your insurer, it is likely that they will discover during the discovery phase of the claim that you were not true when you completed the warranty statement and that you had prior knowledge of the circumstances that led to that claim. When this happens, the insurer is not required to sue your defense, so they close their case and you are back to zero, paying for the defense out of your own pocket. If the insured person or a person responsible for the insured vehicle does not meet the requirements of this coverage, the policy expires. The Insured agrees that the coverage provided is essential to the Insurer`s decision to insure against the risk of loss of the vehicle or its contents and that the failure of the Insured or a person responsible for the Insured Vehicle to comply with the requirements of this Warranty will result in the invalidity of the Policy. It is guaranteed by the insured that the property covered by the insurance is protected at all times by one or more guards (with an approved registration system or clock) who must constantly monitor in and above the insured premises: since the warranty language is often so broad, companies should work with their consultants and cover brokers to negotiate changes that correspond to the circumstances of the company. For example, a guarantee may ask: „Has a professional indemnity claim or lawsuit been brought against the applicant firm or an officer, partner, officer, managing member or employee of the claimant firm within the last five years, or a former or current independent contractor of the claimant firm?” Depending on the company`s staff and claims history, the company may attempt to change this wording by limiting the number of years or by limiting the list of persons against whom a professional indemnity claim has been filed. Not all false information from an insured party gives the insurer the right to cancel a policy or deny a claim. Only false information about the terms and guarantees of the contract confers such rights on an insurer. To be considered a condition or guarantee, the statement must be explicitly included in the contract, and the provision must clearly show that the parties intended that the rights of the insured and the insurer depend on the veracity of the statement. With four job titles, he has proven his professional competence at a level that less than 2% of insurance professionals reach in a career. Similarly, companies should work with their brokers and hedging advisors to obtain divisible and non-removable language in the policy itself.
Highly separable language is crucial to protect you from the risk of reversal. A typical provision of the „full severability clause” states that the „claim” for insurance „shall be construed as a separate claim for coverage by each individual insured and that the knowledge of an individual insured person is not attributed to any other insured person to determine whether coverage is available.” In addition, the company can negotiate a language that can only attribute to the company the knowledge of certain executives, such as . B CEO or CFO. Such strong severability language can help protect innocent directors and officers when an insurer attempts to cancel or deny coverage, even if another senior executive misrepresents important information in the application ..