| Property Coverage under Auto Insurance Policies |
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| While statistics on the deaths and personal injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents are understandably the most vivid and immediate reminders of the societal costs incident to the extensive use of cars and trucks in the United States, property damage resulting from vehicular accidents in this country has its own significant economic impact. Motor vehicle insurance policies accordingly contain numerous provisions dealing with various kinds of property damage and loss. More... |
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| Intentional Injury Exclusion in Auto Insurance |
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| When a vehicle is involved in an automobile accident, the conduct of an insured may activate the automobile insurance policy's exclusion for intentional injury. Intentional injuries include suicide and assault, among other acts. Even though some states require automobile insurance companies to provide statutory minimum coverage, the companies may exclude coverage for intentional injuries. The intentional injury exclusion prohibits an insured, which caused an intentional injury to himself or herself or to another person, from recovering insurance benefits for that injury. This is a common exclusion in automobile insurance policies. Further, most no-fault statutes contain intentional injury exclusions. More... |
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| Collision Coverage |
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| Under the collision coverage provision of a policy, an insurer agrees to pay an insured for damage to a covered vehicle caused by an accidental occurrence that is typically described as involving a "collision" or an "upset." More... |
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| Auto Insurance Coverage for Newly Acquired Vehicles |
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| When a vehicle owner has an automobile insurance policy and acquires a new vehicle, the new vehicle will be automatically covered to the same extent and policy amounts as the insured's other insured vehicles, if the insurance policy has a provision for newly acquired vehicles. A newly acquired vehicle can be a replacement vehicle or an additional vehicle. The term also includes purchased and leased vehicles. More... |
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| Punitive Damages in Automotive Products Liability Actions |
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| A plaintiff in an automotive products liability action is generally required to prove that a motor vehicle as sold contained a defect in its design, in the way in which it was manufactured or assembled, or in the failure to warn of a risk inherent in its operation that created an unreasonable risk of death, personal injury, or property damage when the vehicle was used for its intended purpose and that the defect caused an accident or similar incident, such as a vehicle fire, that resulted in the loss or damage for which the plaintiff seeks to recover damages. Because proof of the existence of such conditions does not involve passing judgment on the conduct of the manufacturer, but merely on the status of the vehicle as sold, the plaintiff in such a case can ordinarily recover only his or her actual damages, which can include economic losses and damages for non-economic losses based on the jury's determination of the dollar value of the pain and suffering resulting from the accident. Sometimes, though, the manufacturer's conduct in dealing with the alleged vehicle defect becomes an issue in the case, and the plaintiff may then attempt to recover punitive damages in addition to the actual damages suffered. More... |
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