Insurance policies are comprised of forms aggregated together. (See Lesson 2). The main policy form is typically broken into sections, typically including at least definitions, the coverage(s) provided, and conditions.
Not all conditions are created equal. Each must be read to determine whether breach of the given condition will invalidate a claim entirely or carry some other consequence.
If breach of a condition leads to a complete denial of coverage, then that condition is called a “condition precedent to coverage.” In English, this means that it is a condition that must be fulfilled (by the person or entity seeking coverage) before the insurer will have any obligation to cover the claim.