Uberrimae fidei—rhymes with obey! This matters in maritime law. The doctrine is one of the oldest and deeply entrenched of all maritime laws, yet so often it causes unwary mariners to run aground.

The Latin phrase translates to “utmost good faith”. It requires an insured purchasing marine insurance to “disclose to the insurer all known circumstances that materially affect the risk being insured.” Knight v. U.S. Fire Ins. Co., 804 F.2d 9 (2d Cir. 1986). Failure to abide has dire consequences. The breach of this duty permits the insurer to void the entire marine policy “ab initio”, another Latin phrase, meaning from the beginning!

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