Two policies with no special other-insurance wording cover the same building, one for $300,000 and one for $200,000. A covered $80,000 loss occurs. On a pro rata basis, the $200,000 policy pays:
Explanation
Pro rata sharing splits a loss in proportion to each policy's limit against the total insurance in force. The $200,000 policy is 40 percent of the $500,000 total, and 40 percent of $80,000 is $32,000, while the larger policy pays the remaining $48,000. Splitting the loss evenly at $40,000 ignores that the limits differ. Either way the insured collects the $80,000 once and not twice, which is what an other-insurance clause is for.
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