My insurance policy is very confusing to read. Who has the final say in its meaning?
• A: Courts and other government departments understand that policies can be confusing to consumers. So when a lawsuit about the wording of a policy is filed, there is already a set of “rules of construction,” or rules to follow for interpreting the document. If there is more than one way to understand the policy, the judge will usually rule that the insurance company has to pay the claim. If the question is about excluding coverage, the judge usually allows very little outside meaning to be applied to the information in question. In this case, the judge will most likely rule that the insurance company has to pay more rather than have the ability to exclude coverage.
