The terms sudden and accidental appear a scant sixteen times in sixty-four pages of policy language across multiple policies, and all instances are centered around specific perils in certain situations. (Credit: Dragonstock/Adobe Stock)
If you have been in insurance for any length of time, you've heard the phrase "sudden and accidental", meaning that the cause of loss must be just that; sudden and accidental. It is routinely tossed around as if it has been standard wording forever and is a key factor in determining whether a loss is covered. Adjusters and agents often use the term sudden and accidental, in particular when setting parameters as to why a loss should or should not be covered.
The truth, however, is surprising, if not downright startling. Sudden and accidental are not widespread parameters for covered losses; in fact, the term appears rarely, if at all, in most policies. Let's look.
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Christine G. Barlow, CPCU
Christine G. Barlow, CPCU, is Executive Editor of FC&S Expert Coverage Interpretation, a division of National Underwriter Company and ALM. Christine has over thirty years’ experience in the insurance industry, beginning as a claims adjuster then working as an underwriter and underwriting supervisor handling personal lines. Christine regularly presents and moderates webinars on a variety of topics and is an experienced presenter.
