Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 507E - Insurance Fraud

• Account: means the same as defined in section 554. See Iowa Code 554E.1
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of insurance. See Iowa Code 510.1B
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Insurance: includes any and all contracts, arrangements, or agreements contemplated by, falling within, and coming under section 87. See Iowa Code 507E.2A
• Insurer: means any corporation, association, partnership, or individual engaged in the business of insurance, including but not limited to a corporation, association, partnership, or individual that issues a policy of workers' compensation, a self-insured business for purposes of workers' compensation liability, or a group or self-insured plan as described in section 87. See Iowa Code 507E.2A
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Money: means the same as defined in section 554. See Iowa Code 554E.1
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Record: means the same as defined in section 554D. See Iowa Code 554E.1
• Sale: means any sale, offer for sale, or attempt to sell or lease any land, to the public in this state, for cash or on credit. See Iowa Code 543C.1
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.