Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes > Chapter 431K - Risk Retention

• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• board: means the governing body of the risk retention group elected by the shareholders or members to establish policy, elect or appoint officers and committees, and make other governing decisions. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Commissioner: means the insurance commissioner of this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Completed operations liability: means liability arising out of the installation, maintenance, or repair of any product at a site which is not owned or controlled by any person who:

  (1) Performs that work; or

  (2) Hires an independent contractor to perform that work; but shall include liability for activities which are completed or abandoned before the date of the occurrence giving rise to the liability. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contract for sale: includes both a present sale of goods and a contract to sell goods at a future time. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 490:2-106
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Director: means a natural person designated in the articles of the risk retention group or designated, elected, or appointed by any other manner, name, or title to act as a director. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• feasibility study: means an analysis which presents the expected activities and results of a risk retention group including, not less than the following:

  (1) The coverages, deductibles, coverage limits, rates, and rating classification systems for each line of insurance the group intends to offer;

  (2) Historical and expected loss experience of the proposed members and national experience of similar exposures to the extent that this experience is reasonably available;

  (3) Pro forma financial statements and projections;

  (4) Appropriate opinions by a qualified, independent casualty actuary, including a determination of minimum premiums or participation levels required to commence operations and to prevent a hazardous financial condition;

  (5) Identification of management, underwriting procedures, managerial oversight methods, investment policies;

  (6) Identification of each state in which the risk retention group has obtained, or sought to obtain, a charter and license, and a description of its status in each state; and

  (7) Other matters as may be prescribed by the commissioner for liability insurance companies authorized by the insurance laws of the state in which the risk retention group is chartered. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financially impaired: means that a risk retention group:

  (1) Has admitted assets that are less than the sum of its aggregate liabilities and the amount of surplus to policyholders required to be maintained by a risk retention group chartered in this State and authorized to do the same kind or kinds of insurance; or

  (2) Has admitted assets that are less than the sum of its aggregate liabilities and outstanding capital stock; or

  (3) Is insolvent. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Hazardous financial condition: means that, based on its present or reasonably anticipated financial condition, a risk retention group, although not yet financially impaired or insolvent, is unlikely to be able to:

  (1) Meet obligations to policyholders with respect to known claims and reasonably anticipated claims; or

  (2) Pay other obligations in the normal course of business. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insolvent: means that a risk retention group has admitted assets that are less than the aggregate amount of its liabilities. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Insurance: means primary insurance, excess insurance, reinsurance, surplus lines insurance, and any other arrangement for shifting and distributing risk which is determined to be insurance under the laws of this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Liability: means legal liability for damages, including costs of defense, legal costs and fees, and other claims expenses because of injuries to other persons, damage to their property, or other damage or loss to those other persons resulting from or arising out of:

  (1) Any business, whether for profit or nonprofit, trade, product, services, including professional services, premises, or operations; or

  (2) Any activity of any state or county government, or any agency or political subdivision;

  but does not include personal risk liability and an employer's liability with respect to its employees other than legal liability under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, 45 U. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Personal risk liability: means liability for damages because of injury to any person, damage to property, or other loss or damage resulting from any personal, familial, or household responsibilities or activities, rather than from responsibilities or activities referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) in the definition of "liability". See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Product liability: means liability for damages because of any personal injury, death, emotional harm, consequential economic damage, or property damage, including damages resulting from the loss of use of property, arising out of the manufacture, design, importation, distribution, packaging, labeling, lease, or sale of a product, but does not include the liability of any person for those damages if the product involved was in the possession of the person when the incident giving rise to the claim occurred. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Purchasing group: means any group which:

  (1) Has as one of its purposes the purchase of liability insurance on a group basis;

  (2) Purchases this insurance only for its group members and only to cover their similar or related liability exposure, as described in [paragraph (3)];

  (3) Is composed of members whose businesses or activities are similar or related with respect to the liability to which members are exposed by virtue of any related, similar, or common business, trade, product, services, premises, or operations; and

  (4) Is domiciled in any state. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Risk retention group: means any corporation or other limited liability association formed under the laws of any state, Bermuda, or the Cayman Islands:

  (1) Whose primary activity consists of assuming and spreading all, or any portion, of the liability exposure of its group members;

  (2) Which is organized for the primary purpose of conducting the activity described under paragraph (1);

  (3) Which:

  (A) Is chartered and licensed as a liability insurance company and authorized to engage in the business of insurance under the laws of any state; or

  (B) Before January 1, 1985, was chartered or licensed and authorized to engage in the business of insurance under the laws of Bermuda or the Cayman Islands and, before this date, had certified to the insurance commissioner of at least one state that it satisfied the capitalization requirements of that state, except that any group shall be considered to be a risk retention group only if the group has been engaged in business continuously since this date and only for the purpose of continuing to provide insurance to cover product liability or completed operations liability, as defined in the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981, 15 U. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1

• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• State: means any state of the United States or the District of Columbia. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431K-1
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.