South-eastern Underwriters Association (SEUA) Case

Definition of "South-eastern underwriters association (SEUA) case"

Important 1944 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the insurance business constituted interstate commerce and was thus subject to the SHERMAN antitrust act. This decision came in U.S. v. South-Eastern Underwriters Association, a price-fixing case, brought against a fire insurance rate-making group by the U.S. Attorney General, at the urging of the state of Missouri. SEUA relied for its defense on the 1869 Paul v. Virginia decision by the Supreme Court that insurance activities were not commerce and the Sherman Act did not apply. The high court subsequently accepted the argument that the industry was subject to the antitrust law. In response, Congress passed the MCCARRAN-FERGUSON act (public law 15) in 1945, in effect overruling the court by stating affirmatively that regulation of insurance was the job of the states, not the federal government. The law exempted insurance from federal antitrust rules if it was covered by state regulation.

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

Liability insurance exception for pollution coverage that is not both sudden and accidental from the insured's standpoint. As a result of the damage suits from such incidents as the ...

Coverage when residential property does not qualify according to the minimum requirements of a homeowner's policy, or because of a requirement for the insured to select several different ...

Amount subtracted from an annuity or from mutual fund proceeds payable to an annuity owner or mutual fund owner to reflect expense fees described in the annuity contract or mutual fund ...

Annuity with no fixed schedule for payment of premiums. For example, premiums can be paid for 10 straight months, then not paid for the next 10 months, then paid every other month, or any ...

Insurance company that puts together a consortium of insurance and reinsurance companies to provide an adequate financial base with sufficient underwriting capacity to insure large risks. ...

Company formed and operated without the profit motive as its normal business objective; normally sells and services health insurance policies. ...

In reinsurance contracts, clause that requires the re-insurer to provide coverage if an underlying carrier is unable to fulfill its obligations under the policy ceded to the re-insurer. ...

Account that is similar in form to the health plan flexible spending account (FSA) with contributions to this account used to reimburse employees who are parents for expenses at a ...

Maritime acts resulting in a liability circumstance falling under common law and statutory law. ...

Popular Insurance Questions