What is the broadest definition of "occurrence"? Where can I look for other definitions?

Massachusetts Subscriber

"Occurrence" is not defined in the ISO Building and Personal Property Coverage Form. So, we look to the ordinary, plain usage of the word for its definition, such as the court did in Western & Clay, LLC v. Landmark American Ins. Co., No. C09–1423 MJP, 2010 WL 4855879 (W.D. Wash. Nov. 22, 2010).

The court stated that the word "occurrence" is not defined in the policies. Therefore, the court chose to analyze the plain, ordinary, and popular meaning by consulting the dictionary. An occurrence is defined in the dictionary as something that takes place or comes about, and the court found this to be synonymous with an event or incident. Any temporal limitation can only be determined with regard to the specific occurrence and context of that occurrence.

That is a pretty broad definition. As the court noted, whether an event constitutes more than one occurrence is based on the specific facts of the event. Case law would be a good place to look for how courts have interpreted the term and to find those definitions.