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General

Claims-Made vs. Occurrence

Claims-made policies cover claims reported during the policy period; occurrence policies cover events that happen during the policy period regardless of when the claim is filed. The difference matters most for long-tail professional liability.

Two ways liability and professional policies trigger coverage. Occurrence pays for events that happen during the policy period, no matter when the claim is reported. Claims-made pays for claims reported during the policy period, regardless of when the underlying event happened. Example: a doctor on an occurrence policy in 2020 is covered for a 2024 lawsuit about 2020 treatment. A doctor on a claims-made policy must keep coverage active in 2024 (or buy tail) to be covered.