Definition of "Abandonment clause"

In marine insurance, clause giving an insured the right to abandon lost or damaged property and still claim full settlement from an insurer (subject to certain restrictions). Two types of losses are provided for under abandonment clauses:

  1. Actual total lossproperty so badly damaged it is unrepairable or unrecoverable; causes include fire, sinking, windstorm damage, and mysterious disappearance. For example, until the 1980s the Titanic, which sank off Newfoundland in 1912, was deemed to be unrecoverable and the Commercial Union Insurance Company had paid its owners for their loss due to sinking. Owners of ships that mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle have been able to collect insurance proceeds. Disappearance of pleasure craft due to drug pirates has resulted in indemnification of owners through insurance proceeds.
  2. Constructive total lossproperty so badly damaged that the cost of its rehabilitation would be more than its restored value. For example, a ship and/or its cargo is damaged to such a degree that the cost of repair would exceed its restored value. The insured can abandon the property if (a) repair costs are greater than 50% of the value of the property after it has been repaired and (b) the insurance company agrees to the insured's intent to abandon.

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

Provision in a property, liability, or health insurance policy stipulating the extent of coverage in the event that other insurance covers the same property. ...

Rate of return computed by dividing the current annual dividend (if a stock) or annual coupon amount (if a bond) by the amount paid for that financial instrument. ...

Personal view regarding how losses occur and the validity of loss prevention and reduction; also, whether an individual is a risk taker or a risk avoider. For example, if a driver takes the ...

Common law rule of negligence that imposes liability on an individual who had one last opportunity to avoid an accident but did not take it. An example is a driver who could have avoided ...

Relationship of the frequency of deaths of individual members of a group to the entire group membership over a particular time period. ...

Value or property given by an individual to a trustee who holds and administers it for the benefit of the donee (recipient of the gift). For example, a father entrusts a life insurance ...

Accrediting body for the CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter) designation. The institute provides undergraduate and continuing education in property and casualty insurance ...

Circumstance that produces the loss. ...

Model state regulation that governs method of selling life insurance to prevent fraud or misrepresentation by agents or insurers. A life insurance disclosure model regulation to help buyers ...

Popular Insurance Questions