Claims-made vs. occurrence — what's the difference?

A coverage trigger distinction. Occurrence policies cover claims arising from incidents that happened during the policy period, no matter when the claim is later filed. Once you've held an occurrence policy for a year, that year is permanently covered — no tail coverage needed. Claims-made policies cover claims that are first reported during the policy period (subject to the retroactive date), regardless of when the underlying incident happened. Claims-made starts cheaper but rises in price each year for 5–7 years, requires tail coverage at termination, and locks you into continuous coverage to maintain protection. Used predominantly for professional liability, medical malpractice, D&O, and EPLI; commercial GL and property are typically occurrence. See Batches 1, 3, and 5 for line-specific discussion.