Under the manifestation theory, coverage is triggered by the policy in effect when the injury or damage manifested itself, meaning when it became reasonably apparent or was discovered.
It contrasts with exposure and continuous trigger theories that activate earlier policies.
Alternative Names:
Manifestation Theory, Discovery Trigger
Why it Matters?
Manifestation is the most insurer-favorable trigger for older policies because it confines a long-tail loss to a single recent policy year rather than reaching back decades. It is applied most often in first-party property and construction defect contexts, where the moment damage became apparent is identifiable. Its limitation is that latent disease cases involve injury processes underway long before any manifestation, which is why most courts reject it for asbestos.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
When is manifestation trigger applied?
Why is it rejected for latent disease?
