nsurance is a risk-sharing mechanism whereby manyindividuals contribute to a pool of money. This pool willbe used to compensate those contributors who suffer losses.Those who decide to use this mechanism pay a sum called apremium to an insurance company. In return, the insurancecompany issues an insurance policy, a formal agreement topay the policyholder a specified amount in the event of losses.
There are certain basic principles about insurance thatwe should understand. These principles are: insurable interest,utmost good faith, indemnity, contribution, subrogation, andthe doctrine of proximate cause.
The principle of insurable interest holds that a personmay not insure against any risk unless he will suffer a loss if therisk occurs. One can insure his house against fire, or his caragainst road accidents, because if any of these things happensthe insured will be adversely affected. One can even insure hisown life （e.g. for his dependents） or the life of his boss if theboss is so important that he will suffer losses in case the bossdies. But, one cannot insure another person's house, car orother properties, because he has no insurable interest in them.He might just be encouraged to see that the insured suffered aloss if he could profit from it without suffering any loss himself.
The second principle of insurance is utmost good faith.The insured must tell the insurance company every detail heknows that may affect him when fixing premium and payingany claim later.