damn fool doctrine

damn-fool doctrine. Insurance. The principle that an insurer may deny (esp. liability) coverage when an insured engages in behavior that is so ill-conceived that the insurer should not be compelled to bear the loss resulting from the insured’s actions.

— Also termed damned-fool doctrine.

“The ‘damn foolish acts’ concept is not a perfect predictor of judicial decisions, both because of its own imprecision and because other considerations, such as a desire to assure an innocent third party a source of indemnification, may influence a court. However, especially when … the insured who acted foolishly has sufficient resources to provide compensation to the injured persons, analysis of a coverage issue on the basis of a ‘damn fool’ doctrine is frequently a very effective approach both to predicting and to understanding outcomes.” Robert E. Keeton & Alan I. Widiss, Insurance Law: A Guide to Fundamental Principles, Legal Doctrines, and Commercial Practices § 5.4, at 541 (1988).

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