TITLE
"Readability in Insurance: An Analysis of the Comprehension
of New Policies," Journal
of Insurance Issues, Collier, James A., 1985,
Vol. VIII, No. 2: 79-89.
ABSTRACT
Nobody really believes that insurance policyholders read their
policies when they are delivered. One would expect them to check
on the spelling of their names, the limits, deductibles, descriptions
of properties, and the premium. They might anticipate a special
kind of loss and read parts of the policy to be sure coverage
exists. Insureds are not policy-readers, and they probably do
not read leases, warranties, finance charges, or lengthy operating
manuals.
This article begins with the decision of two recent court cases
centering on the meaning of words and how well policies are understood
by insureds. Then the background fo the easy-to-read movement
is reported, followed by tests of the older and the newer policies
using the Reading Ease Test and the Fog Index.
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