Which party makes an enforceable promise in a unilateral contract?

In a unilateral contract, only one party makes an enforceable promise. In the context of insurance, the insurer is the party making the promise to pay a benefit in exchange for certain considerations, such as premiums paid by the insured. This promise becomes enforceable when the insured fulfills their part of the agreement by paying the premium.

This situation exemplifies the nature of unilateral contracts, where the insurer's obligation is dependent on the insured's actions or events occurring. The insured does not make a promise in the same way; they typically provide consideration (such as premium payments), but this does not constitute a promise to which they are legally bound. Thus, the insurer is the one that is exclusively bound to fulfill its promise once certain conditions are met.