Glossary

A common accident is one in in which two or more persons are injured.

A common carrier is a term used for a commercial individual or organization that carries persons or property from one place to another for payment—for example, a trucker.

A common disaster is a situation in which the insured and the beneficiary of a life insurance policy appear to die simultaneously without evidence of who died first.

For years, cedents have been able to protect privileged information shared with a reinsurer from disclosure to its policyholder in a coverage dispute on the basis of the common interest doctrine.

In professional liability claims, expert testimony is often needed to assist the jury in assessing whether the defendant's professional performance or conduct conformed to the standard of care for that professional and the particular activity involved. The expert opines on whether the professional was in breach of that duty and whether that was the proximate cause of the claimed damages. The common knowledge exception is a rule that allows a layperson, not an expert, to testify as to whether the defendant's professional standard of care was breached, dispensing with the need for expert testimony. This exception is limited and may not apply in all cases or states.

Common law is a body of law derived from court decisions based on custom and precedent as opposed to being derived from statutes.

Common law defenses are defenses to suits for liability claims based in common law.

Common law liability is responsibility imposed on a party by law based on custom, as opposed to liability imposed by statute.

Common policy conditions are the part of the insurance policy typically relating to cancellation, changes in coverage, audits, inspections, premiums, and assignment of the policy.

A communicable disease is spread from one person to another either by direct transmission of bacteria or viruses between the carrier and infected person or through a vector, such as food contaminated by the carrier and consumed by the infected person.