Why is the concept of estoppel particularly important in insurance?

The concept of estoppel is particularly important in insurance because it discourages misleading statements that can impact claims. Estoppel prevents a party from asserting something contrary to what is implied by a previous action or statement when it would unfairly harm another party who relied on that behavior. In the context of insurance, if an insurer has made a statement or taken an action that leads an insured party to believe they are covered for a specific risk, the insurer may be estopped from denying that coverage later. This principle promotes fairness and reliability in the insurance process, ensuring that insured individuals can trust the representations made by their insurers, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of insurance agreements.