1. Insurance Contracts
, H7 O S* m2 ~0 K) k An Insurance contract determines the legal framework under which the features of an insurance policy are enforced. Insurance contracts are designed to meet very specific needs and thus have many features not found in many other types of contracts. Many features are similar across a wide variety of different types of insurance policies.5 P# \! J) B( ?# f
1.保险合同
/ s( o, X$ \6 R9 `5 P/ U* j 所有保险合同确立了一个法律框架,在此框架下保险单的各要素才得以实施。保险合同是用来满足特定需要,因此有许多的要素在其他一些合同中并不存在。而在大量不同类别的保险合同中却有相似的要素。/ d7 S$ }# S" B& @& T5 l
A. General Features
) w& M' C/ z7 M5 Q( I5 J The insurance contract is a contract whereby the insurer will pay the insured (the person whom benefits would be paid to, or on the behalf of), if certain defined events occur. Subject to the “fortuity principle”, the event must be uncertain. The uncertainty can be either as to when the event will happen (i.e. in a life insurance policy, the time of the insured’s death is uncertain) or as to if it will happen at all (i.e. a fire insurance policy).
5 B; g; s, ~ Y! N' _$ P- Z% [' i6 z p% E a. Insurance contracts are generally considered contracts of adhesion because the insurer draws up the contract and the insured has little or no ability to make material changes to it. This is interpreted to mean that the insurer bears the burden if there is any ambiguity in any terms of the contract.
9 J& u/ R! x/ s6 D3 v% k7 F b. Insurance contracts are aleatory in that the amounts exchanged by the insured and insurer are unequal and depend upon uncertain future events.
: S' D x7 A/ M( u5 F c. Insurance contracts are unilateral, meaning that only the insurer makes legally enforceable promises in the contract. The insured is not required to pay the premiums, but the insurer is required to pay the benefits under the contract if the insured has paid the premiums and met certain other basic provisions.7 H; w* b5 n s) M
d. Insurance contracts are governed by the principle of utmost good faith which requires both parties of the insurance contract to deal in good faith and in particular it imparts on the insured a duty to disclose all material facts which relate to the risk to be covered.) x, q9 N" G' n: A( i
A.一般特征
3 P2 | e* C. d0 Y% e 保险合同是假如所界定的事件发生之后保险人将对被保险人(受益方)给予赔付的合同。依据偶然性原则,该事件必须是不确定的。不确定性可以是事件发生的时间(比如在人寿保险单中,被保险人的死亡是不确定的)或该事件是否会发生(比如火灾保险单)。& a- T7 z* x; l2 h+ C% i& s0 w# G! R
a.保险合同一般被认为是附和式合同。因为保险人一方制定合同,被保险人不能修改保单的内容。这意味着假如合同条款措词含糊则由保险人承担责任。
9 b6 }- z3 q/ K b.保险合同是具有偶然性特征,因为被保险人与保险人交换金额是不等值的,取决于未来不确定的事件。
3 }+ ]; E. y1 M1 M c.保险合同是单方面的,指的是只有保险人在合约上做出承诺。被保险人是不需要支付保险费,但是假如被保险人支付了保费并满足其他一些基本条款,保险人需要支付保单项下的红利。4 [' R4 j. s, Z: [- {, \8 }
d.保险合同受最大诚信原则约束,要求保险合同双方当事人必须诚信,特别要求被保险人有义务披露所有与承保风险相关的事实。
6 C6 K/ F% k( y$ A( M3 R B. Parts of an insurance contract
! E0 n: H; `2 E o4 D a. Definitions., _+ G4 K: y- b7 Q$ g- U
b. Insuring agreement——the part of the contract where the insurer agrees to pay the insured for covered losses.
' V9 ^$ v7 t# t( T" V c. Declarations——section that notes the identifying information about the insured and/or the insured property, such as name, address, etc.
% W1 J' _- ^( u! H. ]7 | d. Exclusions——section where certain perils that are not covered under the policy are enumerated.
) `, ?6 Q6 g% L% i9 d# } B.保险合同的组成部分
1 x: c0 A3 ?0 ~4 d9 O% G1 ^ a.定义
" ?( s* C9 k# x6 G- O b.保险协议――保险人同意赔付被保险人所投保的风险损失部分
) O& ?* p7 k2 x2 K2 u% E* u c.申明部分――列明了关于被保险人和/或保险财产的识别信息例如名称、地址等7 v4 s9 L3 Y+ M) t- H
d.免赔部分――解释了保单下不承保的风险范围 |