A business owner purchases a commercial general liability policy. Later that year, a complex claim arises involving an incident that is vaguely described in the policy's exclusion section. The language could reasonably be interpreted to either cover or deny the claim, leading to a legal dispute between the insured and the insurance company. Based on the distinctive legal characteristics of insurance contracts, how will a court most likely resolve this ambiguity?
- The court will interpret the ambiguity in favor of the insured because the policy is a contract of adhesion drafted entirely by the insurer.Answer
- BThe court will interpret the ambiguity in favor of the insurer because a contract of adhesion requires the policyholder to strictly adhere to the company's intended meaning.
- CThe court will interpret the ambiguity in favor of the insurer because the insurer's consideration legally extends only to perils that are explicitly defined without vagueness.
- DThe court will interpret the ambiguity in favor of the insured only if the insured's original application statements were guaranteed as absolute warranties.
Answer
The court will interpret the ambiguity in favor of the insured because the policy is a contract of adhesion drafted entirely by the insurer.
Insurance policies are contracts of adhesion, meaning they are drafted entirely by the insurance company and offered to the insured on a 'take it or leave it' basis. Because the insured has no opportunity to negotiate the wording, a fundamental principle of contract law dictates that any ambiguity in the language must be interpreted against the party who wrote it. Therefore, if a clause can be reasonably interpreted in two opposing ways, the court will side with the insured.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Contract of Adhesion and Ambiguity