Opinion ID: 2543131
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: well-settled oklahoma standards for insurance contract construction

Text: ¶ 6 Insurance policies are contracts [5] interpreted as a matter of law. [6] Parties may contract for risk coverage and will be bound by policy terms. [7] When policy provisions are unambiguous and clear, the employed language is accorded its ordinary, plain meaning; and the contract is enforced carrying out the parties' intentions. [8] The policy is read as a whole, giving the words and terms their ordinary meaning, enforcing each part thereof. [9] This Court may not rewrite an insurance contract to benefit either party. [10] It is the insurer's responsibility to draft clear provisions of exclusion. [11] We will not impose coverage where the policy language clearly does not intend that a particular individual or risk should be covered. [12] Furthermore, a split in authority over whether a certain term is ambiguous will not, in itself, establish an ambiguity [13] nor will the fact that the parties disagree, [14] as the issue is one of law for the Court. [15] Finally, payment of premiums is a crucial factor in determining whether a specific coverage is available to the insured. [16]