Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 38 > Chapter 73 > Article 11 - Rating Organizations

• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agency: means any agency, department, board, commission, or political subdivision of this State that issues licenses for the purposes of operating a business in this State. See South Carolina Code 41-8-10
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the Department of Insurance of South Carolina. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Director: means the person who is appointed by the Governor upon the advice and consent of the Senate and who is responsible for the operation and management of the department. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or the director's designee. See South Carolina Code 41-8-10
• 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.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• insurance: includes annuities. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Insurer: includes a corporation, fraternal organization, burial association, other association, partnership, society, order, individual, or aggregation of individuals engaging or proposing or attempting to engage as principals in any kind of insurance or surety business, including the exchanging of reciprocal or interinsurance contracts between individuals, partnerships, and corporations. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• 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.
• License: means a document issued by the state's director or his designee authorizing a person to act as an insurance producer for the lines of authority specified in the document. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• License: means an agency permit, certificate, approval, registration, charter, or similar form of authorization that is required by law and that is issued by any agency or political subdivision of this State for the purpose of operating a business in this State, excluding professional licenses, but including employment licenses, articles of organization, articles of incorporation, a certificate of partnership, a partnership registration, a certificate to transact business, or similar forms of authorization issued by the South Carolina Secretary of State, and any transaction privilege tax license. See South Carolina Code 41-8-10
• 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.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Political subdivision: includes counties, cities, towns, villages, townships, districts, authorities, and other public corporations and entities whether organized and existing under charter or general law. See South Carolina Code 41-8-10
• Premium: means payment given in consideration of a contract of insurance. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Private employer: means any:
  
  (1) person or entity that transacts business in this State, is required to have a license issued by an agency, department, board, commission, or political subdivision of this State that issues licenses for the purposes of operating a business in this State, and employs one or more employees in this State, as defined in § 12-8-10;
  
  (2) person or entity carrying on any employment and the legal representative of a deceased person or the receiver or trustee of any person; or
  
  (3) person or entity for whom an individual performs a service or sells a good, of whatever nature, as an employee, as defined in § 12-8-10. See South Carolina Code 41-8-10
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Unauthorized alien: means an unauthorized alien as defined by 8 U. See South Carolina Code 41-8-10