Concurrent Causation — Insurance Claims Definition
A loss resulting from two or more causes operating together, where at least one cause is covered and another may be excluded.
Concurrent causation doctrine addresses losses from simultaneous covered and excluded perils — e.g., wind (covered) and flood (excluded) in a hurricane. Jurisdictions differ: some apply efficient proximate cause, others anti-concurrent causation clauses in policies to bar recovery if any excluded cause contributes.
Policy language and state law determine whether any part of the loss is paid.
Examples
Wildfire damages a home while an excluded earth movement crack worsens structural failure; courts or policy anti-concurrent language decide how much is covered.
Common Mistakes
Adjusters and insureds oversimplify multi-peril events; engineering and sequencing evidence matter. Assuming wind covers all hurricane damage ignores flood exclusions.
