Definition of "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.

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

Type of individual retirement account (IRA) allowed by the employee retirement income security act of 1974 (erisa) whereby contributions in the form of premium payments are made on a fixed ...

Types of reinsurance instruments under which the amount of risk transferred is more limited than under traditional risk reinsurance instruments. The limitations on risk transfer take the ...

Coverage giving income benefits to surviving family member (s) if one member should die. These include the family income policy, family income rider, family maintenance policy, and the ...

In property insurance policies, provision that excludes the insurance company's liability for indemnification of the insured for the insured's expenses incurred in the demolition of ...

Termination of premium payments by an employer on behalf of an employee to an employee benefit plan. ...

Department in an insurance company that prepares policies to be sent to the policyholder, sends the policies, and keeps records of the policies that were sent. ...

In many health insurance and dental insurance policies, stipulation that, if the estimated cost of a recommended plan of treatment exceeds a specified sum, the insured must submit the plan ...

Same as term Blanket Bond: coverage for an employer in the event of dishonesty of any employee. ...

Compensation that varies with the class and type of insurance sold. Many insurance companies offer varying commissions according to the volume of business an agent places with the company. ...

Popular Insurance Questions