| Unit name | Insurance Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0156 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Miss. Kate Bracegirdle |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Insurance is a backdrop to many of the domestic and commercial situations in which we find ourselves, from the compulsory liability insurance of a driver who crashes into us or the employer who does not keep us safe at work to insurance on our homes, factories, offices and shops. We insure goods in transit, loans and even our lives. In this unit we focus on the law of insurance in a commercial context, although many of the principles and rules we study apply more widely. Insurance is one of the largest global industries, which presents opportunities for lawyers with specialist knowledge and skills. This unit will allow you to gain a sound understanding of the key principles of insurance contract law, learn about and practise applying the technical legal rules, as well as introduce you to some of the relevant regulatory mechanisms.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This is an optional unit which fits comfortably within several of the LLM programmes. Due to the focus primarily on insurance in a commercial context, this unit would be of particular interest to students who enjoy commercial and/or corporate law. As insurance can also be used as a form of investment, and insurance companies play an important role in the financial markets, the unit may also interest students studying finance law. In addition, studying this unit opens up opportunities to write a dissertation on a contemporary research question of practical commercial importance.
An overview of content
Topics studied on the unit include: identifying the defining features of insurance; what it means to say that an insurance contract is one of utmost good faith and how the related duties have been changed by recent law reform; the operation of distinctive contractual terms in insurance; determination of whether a loss was legally caused by an insured risk; the response to fraudulent claims; the role of insurance brokers and the commercial remedies of contribution and subrogation, which assume particular importance in insurance law.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of a dynamic legal specialism which plays an essential role in underpinning domestic and international commercial activity. They will develop new skills for legal practice by examining how legal doctrines and statutory provisions apply in realistic problem scenarios. Students will also enhance their key skills of communication and critical analysis by evaluating and critiquing the current law, including recent reforms, and by providing precise, nuanced advice in complex fact situations.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:
The unit is taught by a team of academics who specialise in insurance law. The team has close links to insurance and legal professionals, which enables them to introduce a current practitioner perspective to enrich students’ academic learning.
Weekly lectures: these sessions will be guided by the lecturer, who will introduce new concepts and materials. They may involve traditional lecture-style delivery, small-group discussions, Q&A sessions, problem-based learning and skills sessions, including essay writing prior to submission of the Coursework assessment. They will also include consolidation sessions, feedback sessions and revision sessions.
8 x 2-hour seminars: these sessions will enable you to deepen your learning alongside your peers. They may involve small-group discussions, Q&A sessions, problem-based learning, class debates, skills sessions, essay planning, analysis of academic literature, and other formative exercises. You will be expected to prepare for the seminars by completing a variety of tasks which are presented in our supportive virtual learning environment, including watching videos, engaging in directed reading, preparing written answers and participating in discussion boards.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A formative assessment task will provide you with an opportunity to prepare written advice in response to a realistic problem scenario. This will allow you to develop the necessary skills for answering this type of question in the summative Timed Assessment (see below). Following marking of the formative assessment you will be provided with both group and individual feedback by your tutor.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The unit will be assessed by means of two summative assessments, each worth 50% of the overall grade for the unit. The assessments will comprise a Coursework in Teaching Block 1 and a Timed Assessment at the end of Teaching Block 2. The Coursework assessment will have a maximum word limit of 3,000 words (ILOs 1 and 3 met). The Timed Assessment will comprise a choice of questions, both problem-based and essay, of which you will be required to answer two. At least one answer must be to a problem-based question and the maximum word limit for each answer will be 1,500 words (total word count of 3,000 words) (ILOs 1 to 3 met).
When assessment does not go to plan:
The re-assessment will take the same form as the assessment task. You will be offered a Coursework and/or a Timed Assessment (as required) of a similar format during the reassessment period.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0156).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
