Free Idaho Casualty Insurance Practice Questions

Keep these three straight and you'll bank easy points all day: a peril is the cause of loss (fire, wind, theft), a hazard is something that increases the chance or severity of that loss, and risk is the uncertainty of loss itself. The peril is the thing that actually does the damage.

An insurer can't predict whether your house specifically will burn down, but give them a big enough pool of similar homes and they can predict pretty accurately how many out of the whole group will. That's the law of large numbers: more similar exposures, more reliable predictions. It's the statistical engine that makes pricing coverage possible at all.

Insurers like risks that are accidental (due to chance, not intentional) and definite and measurable (you can pin down when, where, and how much). Add in 'predictable for large groups,' 'not catastrophic to the insurer,' and 'affordable premium,' and you've got the recipe for an insurable risk. A loss someone causes on purpose? Not insurable.

Adverse selection is the insurer's headache: the people most likely to have a loss are also the most eager to buy and keep coverage. If underwriting didn't push back, the risk pool would fill up with bad risks and the math would collapse. It's exactly why underwriting and exclusions exist.

The company giving away (ceding) the risk is the ceding company; the company taking it on is the reinsurer. Easy hook: to 'cede' is to give up, so the one giving up the risk is the ceding company.

An admitted (or authorized) insurer holds a certificate of authority from the state and plays by that state's rules. A non-admitted (unauthorized) insurer hasn't been granted one, which is where surplus lines come in for hard-to-place risks. Also worth knowing: domestic equals home state, foreign equals another state, alien equals another country.

A captive (or exclusive) agent represents a single insurer, and that insurer owns the book of business. An independent agent represents multiple companies and owns their own expirations (the renewal rights). The ownership-of-expirations detail is the classic distinguisher.

An agent represents the insurer (the principal); that's the cornerstone of agency law. A broker, by contrast, represents the insured. So when an agent acts within their authority, the insurer is on the hook for what they do. Agent equals the insurer's rep.

Apparent authority is about appearances: what a reasonable customer believes the agent can do based on how the insurer let the agent act (business cards, signage, company applications). Express authority is spelled out in the contract; implied is what's needed to carry out the express. Apparent is the 'looks legit' bucket.

Representations are statements the applicant believes are true, and they only need to be true to the best of the applicant's knowledge. A warranty is a stronger animal: it's guaranteed to be absolutely true. Concealment is hiding a material fact. For most applications, you're dealing with representations.

With agreed value, the parties set the insured amount up front (often for hard-to-value items like fine art), and that agreed figure is paid for a total loss, with the coinsurance requirement waived. Hook: agreed value locks in the payout amount ahead of time, no coinsurance fight later.

A named perils policy covers only the perils it specifically lists, such as fire, lightning, windstorm, or theft. If the cause isn't named, there's no coverage. Hook: named perils covers only what's on the list.

Required coverage is 80% of $200,000, or $160,000. The insurer pays the loss times the ratio of coverage carried to coverage required: ($120,000 / $160,000) times $50,000 equals 0.75 times $50,000, or $37,500. The owner absorbs the $12,500 coinsurance penalty for underinsuring. Hook: did-over-should times the loss, $120k over $160k times $50k equals $37,500.

The limit of insurance is the most the insurer will pay for a covered loss; amounts above it are the insured's responsibility. Hook: the limit is the ceiling on what the insurer pays.

Property insurance is first-party (it pays the insured for their own loss), while liability insurance is third-party: it pays others the insured has harmed and is legally responsible to. The three parties are the insured, the insurer, and the injured third party. Hook: liability pays the third party you injured, not yourself.

Comparative negligence reduces the claimant's award by their percentage of fault, so someone 30% responsible recovers 70% of their damages. It's more forgiving than the older contributory negligence rule, which could bar recovery entirely for any fault at all. Hook: comparative negligence trims your recovery by your share of the blame.

Strict (absolute) liability holds a party responsible for harm without proof of negligence or fault, typically for inherently dangerous activities (like blasting) or, in some contexts, defective products. Hook: strict liability means liable even without fault.

When an insurer pays for a loss, it generally gains rights to the salvage, the damaged property, which it can then sell to recover part of what it paid. Hook: salvage is the leftover the insurer can sell after paying the claim.

A physical hazard is a tangible condition of property or environment that increases risk, like icy steps, faulty wiring, or stored chemicals. It exists in the physical world, unlike moral or morale hazards. Hook: a physical hazard is a real-world condition you could point to.

A moral hazard arises from a person's character, a dishonest tendency that increases risk, such as someone who would intentionally cause or exaggerate a loss to collect. Hook: moral hazard is dishonesty, the intent to cheat the insurer.

Part A is Liability Coverage, the part that pays for bodily injury and property damage the insured causes to others. It is the core of the auto policy and the coverage states require. Hook: Part A is liability, what you owe others, and it comes first in the PAP.

In split limits the first number is the per-person bodily injury cap, the second is the per-accident bodily injury cap, and the third is the property damage cap per accident. So 100/300/50 is 100,000 per person, 300,000 per accident, 50,000 for property. Hook: split limits read per person, per accident, then property damage.

The first claim is capped at the 25,000 per-person limit, the other two ($20,000 and $15,000) are under that cap and paid in full, summing to 60,000. But the 50,000 per-accident bodily injury limit caps the total payout at 50,000. Hook: apply the per-person cap first, then the per-accident cap can still trim the total.

Liability coverage includes the insurer's duty to defend the insured against covered claims, and those defense costs are usually paid in addition to the policy limits, not subtracted from them. Hook: liability buys you a lawyer, and the defense cost normally sits on top of your limit.

UM bodily injury pays for the insured's injuries caused by an at-fault driver who is uninsured or who flees the scene. Whether UM also covers property damage varies by state. Hook: UM-BI is for your injuries when the other driver is uninsured or a hit-and-run.

Auto physical damage is normally paid on an actual cash value basis, which is replacement cost minus depreciation, reflecting the car's worth at the moment of loss. Vehicles lose value over time, so ACV is usually less than what was paid. Hook: cars are paid ACV, depreciated value, not what you paid for them.

The newly acquired auto rule automatically extends the policy to a car the insured buys during the term, for a limited window (commonly up to 14 days), so the insured is not driving uninsured before reporting it. Hook: buy a new car and you get an automatic grace period to add it.

After a total loss, physical damage pays only the ACV, which can be less than what the insured still owes. Gap coverage pays that shortfall between the ACV and the outstanding loan or lease balance. Hook: gap covers the gap between what the car is worth and what you still owe.

Financial responsibility laws make drivers demonstrate the ability to pay for harm they cause, generally by carrying at least the state minimum liability limits. An SR-22 is a filing the insurer makes to confirm that coverage is in force. Hook: financial responsibility means prove you can pay, and SR-22 is the proof on file.

In a no-fault system, each injured party turns to their own Personal Injury Protection coverage for medical bills and related expenses without first proving who was at fault, which speeds payment and limits lawsuits. Hook: no-fault means you collect from your own PIP, no blame needed.

A monoline policy covers a single line of business, such as property alone. Add a second coverage part and it becomes a package. Hook: one line is monoline; two or more is a package.

The common policy conditions, things like cancellation, changes, inspections, and transfer of rights, govern every coverage part in the package, while each part also has its own specific conditions. Hook: common conditions are common to all parts; specific conditions live in each part.

The first named insured may cancel by mailing or delivering notice, and the insurer may cancel by sending advance written notice (the number of days is set by the condition and state law). The first named insured acts on behalf of all insureds. Hook: the first named insured cancels by notice; the insurer cancels with advance written notice.

The BPP is the workhorse coverage form of the commercial property coverage part, insuring buildings and business personal property. Hook: the BPP is the heart of the commercial property part.

The BPP has a separate Personal Property of Others category for property of others in the insured's care, custody, or control, such as customers' goods left for service. Hook: customers' property in your care goes under Personal Property of Others.

Commercial property attaches one of three causes-of-loss forms, Basic, Broad, or Special, to decide which perils are covered. They run narrowest to broadest. Hook: commercial causes of loss are Basic, Broad, Special.

The Special form is open perils: it covers all causes of loss except those specifically excluded, making it the broadest causes-of-loss form. Basic and Broad are named-perils. Hook: Special form is open perils, the broadest of the three.

The commercial crime coverage part handles dishonesty and theft exposures, including employee theft, forgery, robbery, and theft of money and securities. Hook: theft, forgery, and employee dishonesty live in the crime coverage part.

Company vehicles are insured under the commercial (business) auto coverage part, which provides liability and physical damage on the business's autos. Hook: company trucks go on the commercial auto coverage part.

A CPP is built piece by piece from chosen coverage parts and suits a wide range of businesses, while a BOP is a standardized bundle of property and liability designed for eligible small to mid-size businesses. Hook: CPP is build-your-own; BOP is the prepackaged small-business bundle.

Under workers compensation, an injured worker collects benefits without proving the employer was negligent, and benefits are generally owed even if the worker was careless. Fault is set aside. Hook: no-fault means benefits flow without proving blame.

Benefit types and amounts are set by each state's workers compensation statute, which is why the policy promises to pay whatever the law requires rather than a chosen dollar limit. Hook: the state statute, not the employer, sets the benefits.

Workers compensation medical benefits generally cover the full reasonable cost of treating the job injury, with no deductible and no overall dollar cap, unlike most health plans. Hook: comp medical is usually first-dollar and unlimited for the work injury.

Permanent partial disability (PPD) applies when the worker is left with a lasting impairment, such as the loss of use of a limb, but retains some ability to work. Benefits often follow a statutory schedule. Hook: permanent partial means a lasting impairment, but still able to work somewhat.

A fatal work injury triggers death benefits to the worker's surviving dependents (often a percentage of wages) along with a burial or funeral allowance set by statute. Hook: a fatal claim pays the dependents plus a burial allowance.

Part Three provides coverage if the employer begins operations in a state listed there during the policy period, protecting against gaps when the business expands into new states. Hook: Part Three is the just-in-case coverage for states you might expand into.

The experience mod compares an employer's actual losses with those expected for its class. A mod above 1.0 raises premium, below 1.0 lowers it, rewarding good safety records. Hook: the experience mod credits or debits you for your own loss history.

Many states let sole proprietors, partners, and corporate officers opt out of their own workers compensation coverage or elect to be included, since they are owners rather than ordinary employees. Hook: owners can often opt in or out of their own comp coverage.

The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (USL&H) covers maritime workers such as longshoremen and harbor workers who fall outside state workers comp. The Jones Act covers seamen and FELA covers railroad workers. Hook: dockworkers fall under USL&H, the Longshore act.

The Jones Act gives seamen (crew members of vessels) the right to seek damages from their employer for job injuries. Railroad workers use FELA instead. Hook: seamen sail under the Jones Act; railroaders ride FELA.

NFIP flood coverage typically does not take effect until about 30 days after purchase, which discourages buying only when a flood is imminent. Limited exceptions apply (such as loan-related purchases). Hook: NFIP usually makes you wait about 30 days, no buying ahead of the storm.

Scheduling valuables like jewelry, furs, or fine arts is done on a personal articles floater, which is a personal inland marine form. Hook: the personal articles floater is inland marine for your valuables.

Large or powerful vessels exceed the homeowners watercraft limits and exclusions, so their liability and physical damage belong on a dedicated boatowners or yacht policy. Hook: the bigger the boat, the more it needs its own watercraft policy.

A surety bond is a three-party guarantee: the surety guarantees to the obligee that the principal will perform an obligation. Insurance, by contrast, is a two-party contract covering accidental loss. Hook: surety is three parties and a guarantee; insurance is two parties and a loss.

A fidelity bond covers an employer for losses caused by dishonest employees, such as theft or embezzlement. It is about employee dishonesty, not third-party liability. Hook: fidelity bonds guard against the crooked employee.

Unlike insurance, a surety expects the principal to ultimately bear the loss, so after paying the obligee the surety can seek reimbursement from the principal. Hook: the surety pays, then comes back to the principal to be repaid.

FAIR Plans are state residual-market programs that make basic property insurance available to applicants who cannot get it in the voluntary market, often because of location or risk. Hook: FAIR Plans are the property safety net for hard-to-insure risks.

A DIC policy is written alongside basic property coverage to fill gaps, commonly adding catastrophic perils such as flood and earthquake that the underlying policy excludes. It supplements rather than replaces. Hook: DIC fills the holes, often adding flood and quake to a property program.

Title insurance covers losses from title defects, such as liens, errors in records, or competing ownership claims, that already existed but surface after the property is bought. Hook: title insurance protects against ownership defects hiding in the property's past.

Most insurance covers future accidental losses, but title insurance looks backward, covering title defects that already exist, and it is paid for with a one-time premium at closing. Hook: title insurance is paid once and looks backward at past defects.