Accident Terms and Definitions

Quote
An estimate of the cost of insurance based on information supplied to the insurance company.

Policy
Written contract of insurance.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Pays for bodily injury or wrongful death caused by an underinsured motor vehicle (that is, a vehicle which is insured, but at an amount that is less than your uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) limits).

Broker
A person who for payment of a fee procures insurance on your behalf.

Subpoena
Document issued by the authority of the court to compel a witness to appear and give testimony or produce documentary evidence in a proceeding. Failure to appear or produce is punishable by contempt of court.

Liability Insurance
Coverage for a policyholder's legal liability resulting from injuries to other persons or damage to their property.

Negligence
The absence of ordinary care.

Claim
Notice to an insurer of a loss that under the terms and conditions of a policy may be covered.

Comparative Negligence
The percentage of fault shared by each driver in an accident in which both contribute to causing the collision.

Exclusion
A contractual provision in an insurance policy that denies coverage for certain perils, persons, property, or locations.