Definition of "Municipal insurance"

Property and/or liability coverage for a municipality. Municipalities are responsible for maintenance of through ways as well as a myriad of public services. Liability insurance for municipalities became an issue in the insurance crunch of 1985-1986, when this coverage became difficult to find, or became overly expensive. The problem was aggravated by court decisions in negligence cases in which the doctrine of joint and several liability came into play. This doctrine provides that a judgment against several defendants could be collected from one if the others were unable to pay. A municipality found to have been 10% liable in a traffic accident because of the improper placement of a stop sign might end up paying 100% of the judgment if the driver who was 90% responsible had no assets. This resulted in sharply higher premiums for municipal insurance.

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

An exception to section 101 (a) (1) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE tax-exempt Status Of the DEATH BENEFIT in a life insurance policy where the transfer of the interest in the policy by the ...

Same as term Ceding Company: insurance company that transfers a risk to a reinsurance company. ...

The right to purchase insurance without physical examination; the present and past physical condition of the applicant are not considered. ...

Difference between the yield on earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities. ...

Federal agency that regulates commerce across state lines. The ICC does not oversee insurance, which is subject to regulation by the states according to Public Law 15, McCarran-Ferguson ...

Physical contact of an automobile with another inanimate object resulting in damage to the insured car. Insurance coverage is available to provide protection against this occurrence. ...

Provision in ocean marine cargo policies to limit an insurance company's liability for partial losses; the company has liability only for losses that exceed a stipulated percentage of the ...

Arrangement by which the insured agrees to incur a given degree of variability in the ultimate total costs associated with financing its losses. ...

Part of an ocean marine policy that provides coverage of goods through all of the stages of a journey. Coverage begins when goods leave the warehouse of a shipper, and continues until they ...

Popular Insurance Questions