General Insurance PrinciplesQuestion 220 of 531

An insurance contract is described as a contract of adhesion. This means:

a.Both parties negotiate and draft the wording together
b.Either party may change the wording at any later time
c.Only the insured makes a legally enforceable promise
d.One party writes it and the other accepts it as written

Explanation

A contract of adhesion is prepared by one party (the insurer) and offered to the applicant on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, with no negotiation of terms. Because the insured did not write the wording, any ambiguity is generally interpreted in favor of the insured. This is separate from the contract being unilateral (only the insurer makes a legally enforceable promise) and aleatory (an unequal exchange of value dependent on chance).

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