Glossary

Primary cover refers to the policy that responds first to an insured loss, either on a first-dollar basis or after allowing for a deductible.

As respects professional liability coverage for contractors, primary liability refers to the direct performance of design and other professional services conducted by in-house employees.

Primary payer refers to an insurance policy that pays first when a person is covered by more than one insurance plan (usually associated with health insurance).

In a surety bond, the entity whose performance is being guaranteed—the obligor—is also referred to as the principal.

The principal sum is the amount payable in one sum in the event of accidental death and, in some cases, accidental dismemberment.

Principle of indemnification is the basis of insurance, providing that a loss payment will replace what is lost, putting the insured back to where it was financially prior to the loss without rewarding or penalizing the insured for its loss.

The priority of payments provision refers to a provision found within most, but not all, directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance policies that sets forth the order in which policy proceeds will be paid out to the various insureds under the policy.

Prior acts coverage is a feature of claims-made policies that have either no retroactive date or a retroactive date earlier than the inception date of the policy.

The prior and pending litigation exclusion found in most directors and officers (D&O) liability policies precludes coverage for claims from litigation that was pending prior to the inception of the policy.

A prior work exclusion is an endorsement sometimes attached to contractors' general liability policies.