Colinvaux's Law of Insurance, 14th Edition (2 Volumes) | 2025

Colinvaux's Law of Insurance, 14th Edition (2 Volumes) | 2025

For the definitive resource on insurance contract law, Colinvaux’s Law of Insurance is unmatched. It is divided into three main parts: the first part explores foundational aspects of insurance contracts — including terms and conditions, risk, causation, subrogation, claim notifications, and limits of recovery.

The following parts examine the roles of all parties involved and explore special classes of insurance contracts in the UK — for example, liability contracts. Its commentary is authoritative, dissecting rights and legal issues, and is enriched with analysis of the most recent and significant case law.

Colinvaux’s Law of Insurance is updated annually to stay current. Among its key features are:

• A thorough analysis of the central principles, rights, and legal issues in UK insurance contract law. 

• Deep commentary on policy construction, covering topics such as risk, utmost good faith, insurable interest, premiums, claims, and losses. 

• Coverage of the roles and obligations of the various stakeholders — including intermediaries — and regulation of insurers. 

• Detailed treatment of nine special types of insurance contract: reinsurance; life & accident; property; liability; third party; motor; financial; marine; and war risks. 

• Clear guidance on wording and phrasing in insurance contract documents. 

• A dedicated chapter focused on the rights of insurers.

•  Discussion of insurer insolvency, relevant legal proceedings, and protections for policyholders.

• In‐depth review of important legislation, regulation, and case law shaping the field. 

• An international dimension: the book considers significant Commonwealth decisions which are influencing English courts.

What’s New in This Edition:

Recent updates examine the legal fallout from major crises like mesothelioma litigation following Fairchild (2001), the Christchurch earthquakes (2010‑11), and especially the COVID‑19 pandemic (starting March 2020). These events have exposed novel legal questions and challenged long­standing doctrines. One major unresolved issue that features prominently in this edition is how business interruption (BI) insurance policies apply to COVID‑19 losses. The Russian invasion of Ukraine (24 February 2022) has similarly raised new questions that draw on and require reinterpretation of earlier case law.

Also, the edition reflects developments under three major statutes that have now been in force for about ten years: the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010, and especially the Insurance Act 2015. While take‑up by courts was initially slow, a growing body of cases is now clarifying how these laws are interpreted in practice. Detailed commentary is provided on these emerging decisions.

Some Verified Examples / Evidence:

• In FCA v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd [2021] UKSC 1, the UK Supreme Court addressed how various business interruption policy clauses (e.g. "disease", "prevention of access", "hybrid") cover COVID‑19 losses. 

• Section 13A of the Insurance Act 2015, which provides for damages when insurers fail to pay claims within a “reasonable time,” is now being litigated more often in COVID‑related BI cases.

• Doctrinal issues such as causation, interpretation of “prevention of access” vs “inability to use”, and whether government restrictions are “restrictions imposed” by public authorities are treated in recent BI test case judgments.

Table of Contents of Colinvaux's Law of Insurance, 14th Edition (2 Volumes):

Preface

Table of Cases

Table of Statutes

Table of Statutory Instruments

Part 1: The Contract of Insurance

1. Contract of Insurance

2. Conflict of Laws

3. Construction of the Policy

4. Insurable Interest

5. The Risk

6. The Duty of Utmost Good Faith

7. Presentation of the Risk

8. The Terms of Insurance Policies

9. The Premium

10. Claims

11. Loss and the Measure of Indemnity

12. The Rights of Insurers

13. Statutory Control of Policies

Part II: The Parties

14. The Regulation of Insurers

15. The Assured

16. Insurance Intermediaries

17. The Insolvency of Insurance Companies

Part III: Special Types of Insurance Contract

18. Reinsurance

19. Life and Accident Insurance

20. Property Insurance

21. Liability Insurance

22. Third Party Rights under Liability Policies

23. Motor Vehicle Insurance

24. Financial Insurance

25. Marine Insurance

26. War Risks

Index

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