Where a basis of the contract clause makes the correctness or completeness of the insured’s disclosure into a warranty, a breach of that warranty has the effect that the insurance cover never attaches under the contract.
Lord Blackburn said: ‘In policies of marine insurance I think it is settled by authority that any statement of a fact bearing upon the risk introduced into the written policy is, by whatever words and in whatever place, to be construed as a warranty, and prima facie, at least that the compliance with that warranty is a condition precedent to the attachment of the risk.’
Lord Blackburn
[1884] 9 AC 671
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – F L Schuler AG v Wickman Machine Tools Sales Limited HL 4-Apr-1973
The parties entered an agreement to distribute and sell goods in the UK. They disagreed as to the meaning of a term governing the termination of the distributorship.
Held: The court can not take into account the post-contractual conduct or . .
Cited – Bank of Nova Scotia v Hellenic Mutual War Risks Association (Bermuda) Ltd (The Good Luck) HL 1992
The effect of breach of an insurance warranty is automatic, rather than dependant on any acceptance or election.
Lord Goff of Chieveley said: ‘So it is laid down in section 33(3) that, subject to any express provision in the policy, the insurer . .
Cited – Brit Syndicates Ltd and others v Italaudit Spa and others HL 12-Mar-2008
The parties disputed the extent of cover under an insurance policy. The insured firm of accountants had failed to verify the existence of a substantial balance claimed by the company it audited. The policy ‘included as an Assured Firm but solely in . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Insurance
Leading Case
Updated: 02 November 2021; Ref: scu.251140