Insurance Policy Translation for the USA

Regulation state by state: there is no single federal authority

In the United States, insurance is regulated by each state through its own department of insurance and its insurance commissioner; there is no single federal insurance authority covering the country as a whole. How a policy will be assessed in the USA may therefore vary with the state involved. A Turkish policy, for its part, has been issued within the Turkish regulatory framework (SEDDK); the translation does not turn it into a US policy but carries it across with its own identity. How far the cover will be treated as valid in the USA is for the state concerned and the receiving institution to assess.

This difference between states means that the form in which the same document is asked for in one state may diverge from the form asked for in another; finding out at the outset how the document is to be submitted keeps a file prepared on the wrong expectation from coming back. The translation does not stand in for those local assessments; it makes the cover, the limits and the term stated in the policy legible.

Names of classes of cover and the claim file

In the USA, classes of cover go by their settled English names: liability cover is liability, cover for damage to the vehicle in a crash is collision, damage other than a collision is comprehensive, and medical cover is health insurance. The Turkish “kasko” has no single mould into which it fits in the USA; it usually corresponds to a combination of collision and comprehensive cover. The cover is therefore conveyed with the scope the document gives it, and the counterpart is explained where necessary; equating a Turkish product with one US term misrepresents its scope.

Where a loss occurs abroad, the policy becomes the basis of the claim and is translated into English in full. The claim file is usually put together alongside the policy with official records, reports and invoices; translating those consistently with the policy allows the insurer to assess the file as a whole. The limit of cover, the deductible and the currency are carried across exactly; a figure or a currency that slips affects the indemnity payable directly and may lead to the file being reopened.

In the US context a policy is sometimes translated not purely for a claim file but to evidence a precondition of some procedure; valid health cover, for example, is looked for in certain visa categories, and the scope and term of the policy are read for that purpose. With motor cover, since proof of financial responsibility in the USA is regulated at state level, cover shown by a Turkish policy usually does not take its place directly; it is treated only as a record of the person’s past insurance position. The translation therefore carries the class, the limit and the period of the cover across as they stand, without turning the policy into a US product; how it is assessed is the business of the state concerned and of the insurer. Because an insurer that has paid a claim may exercise subrogation against a third party at fault, the subrogation and deductible clauses in the policy are also translated in full; summarising these freely leaves it unclear to whom, and up to what limit, the indemnity will be paid. The schedules to the policy are brought within the scope of the translation just as its body is. The inception and expiry dates of the cover call for the same care; whether a loss fell within the period of cover is a precondition of payment, so the months are written out in full to keep date formats from being confused.

• Do not turn the policy into a US policy; keep the differences between states in view.
• Do not equate kasko with a single term; preserve the collision and comprehensive distinction.
• Convey the limit, the deductible and the currency exactly.

Certification: a signed statement of accuracy

There is no sworn translator regime in the USA; a translation of a policy or of claim documents is usually accompanied by a signed certificate of accuracy, and some procedures also require the signature on that certificate to be notarised. Whether the document needs an apostille depends on the procedure and the state it will be used for; if the policy is to be notarised, the apostille is obtained from the governor’s office or the district governor’s office. As the USA is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can run your claim file through our single office in Ankara Kızılay, see the cost on our pricing page and request a quote by uploading your document. This page is for general information and is not insurance or legal advice; consult your insurer about the scope of your cover.