Not surprisingly, the insurance contract contains a plethora of definitions. There are some definitions that apply throughout the entire at fault policy, and some that just apply to individual coverages. They may seem like common, everyday words, but don’t be fooled. They are not as simple as they may sound. The ones that apply to the whole policy are as follows:

We, us our: the insurance company

You, your: the policyholder named in the Declarations, and spouse if living in the same household.

Bodily injury:

Bodily injury to or sickness, disease or death of any person.

Property damage:

Damage to or destruction of property, including loss of its use.

Your insured car:

Any car described in the Declarations, owned or leased by you and any private passenger car or utility car you may replace it with, ownership of which you acquire during the policy period. If you wish Car Damage Coverage or All Risks Physical Damage Coverage (both of which are discussed in other articles in this series), to apply to the replacing car, you must notify us within 30 days of its acquisition;

(a) Any additional private passenger car or utility car of which you acquire ownership during the policy period, provided that we also insure all other cars you own. You must, however, notify us within 30 days of its acquisition;

(b) Any utility trailer you own;

(c) Any car or utility trailer not owned by you or a resident of the same household in which you live being temporarily used as a substitute for any other vehicle described in this definition, because of its withdrawal from normal use due to breakdown, repair, servicing, loss or destruction, provided such use is with the permission of the owner.

Car or private passenger car: refers to a four wheel land motor vehicle of the private passenger type with a rated load capacity of 4,000 pounds or less, licensed for use on the public roads and not used as a residence or premises. “Car” also includes a motor home, provided it is not used as a residence and not used in any business;

Relative: a person living in the same household in which you live and related to you by blood, marriage or adoption, including a ward or foster child;

Occupying: means in, on, getting into or out of;

Utility car: a vehicle designed to be towed by a private passenger car and includes a farm wagon or farm implement while towed by a private passenger car or utility car;

State: refers to the District of Columbia, and any state, territory or possession of the United States, and any province of Canada;

Declarations: the document which has been most recently been issued by the insurance company to the insured prior to the date of loss in respect to the policy, which lists the insureds, insured vehicles, coverages, limits, deductibles, discounts and premiums.

Automobile business: the business or occupation of selling, repairing, servicing, delivering, testing, road-testing, parking, or storing motor vehicles.