Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 38 > Chapter 55 > Article 5 - Insurance Fraud and Reporting Immunity

• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Authorized agency: means any duly constituted criminal investigative department or agency of the United States or of this State; the Department of Insurance; the Department of Revenue; the Department of Public Safety; the Department of Motor Vehicles; the Workers' Compensation Commission; the State Accident Fund; the Second Injury Fund; the Department of Employment and Workforce; the Department of Consumer Affairs; the Human Affairs Commission; the Department of Health and Environmental Control; the Department of Social Services; the Department of Health and Human Services; the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; all other state boards, commissions, and agencies; the Office of the Attorney General of South Carolina; or the prosecuting attorney of any judicial circuit, county, municipality, or political subdivision of this State or of the United States, and their respective employees or personnel acting in their official capacity. See South Carolina Code 38-55-530
• Commission: means the part of the premium paid to the producer as compensation for his services. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• 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.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal 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.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Department: means the Department of Insurance of South Carolina. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Director: means the person who is appointed by the Governor upon the advice and consent of the Senate and who is responsible for the operation and management of the department. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• 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.
• False statement or misrepresentation: means a statement or representation made by a person that is false, material, made with the person's knowledge of the falsity of the statement and made with the intent of obtaining or causing another to obtain or attempting to obtain or causing another to obtain an undeserved economic advantage or benefit or made with the intent to deny or cause another to deny any benefit or payment in connection with an insurance transaction, and such shall constitute fraud. See South Carolina Code 38-55-530
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Immune: means that neither a civil action nor a criminal prosecution may arise from any action taken pursuant to this article unless actual malice on the part of the reporting person or gross negligence or reckless disregard for the rights of the reported person is present. See South Carolina Code 38-55-530
• insurance: includes annuities. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Insurer: includes a corporation, fraternal organization, burial association, other association, partnership, society, order, individual, or aggregation of individuals engaging or proposing or attempting to engage as principals in any kind of insurance or surety business, including the exchanging of reciprocal or interinsurance contracts between individuals, partnerships, and corporations. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• 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.
• License: means a document issued by the state's director or his designee authorizing a person to act as an insurance producer for the lines of authority specified in the document. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• 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 any natural person, company, corporation, unincorporated association, partnership, professional corporation, or other legal entity and includes any applicant, policyholder, claimant, medical providers, vocational rehabilitation provider, attorney, agent, insurer, fund, or advisory organization. See South Carolina Code 38-55-530
• Policy: means a contract of insurance. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Premium: means payment given in consideration of a contract of insurance. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• producer: means a person who represents an insurance company and is required to be licensed pursuant to § 38-43-10. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.