Virginia Code § 38.2-100 et seq. defines insurance terms. A loss (option C) is the actual injury or damage sustained (e.g., a broken leg or burned house), the event insurance covers. Option A (claim) is the request for payment post-loss, not the loss itself. Option B (peril) is the cause (e.g., fire, collision), not the result. Option D (accident) is a type of peril or event, not the damage. The study guide likely clarifies this chain—e.g., a car crash (peril/accident) causes $5,000 damage (loss), prompting a claim—using examples to distinguish loss as the outcome, making C the precise term.