The Case of the Troubled Texans

During a layover in Houston, I hopped into a cab and visited my old school chum Laura at her agency downtown. We used to be partners in shop class where we once built a wooden car with wooden wheels and a wooden engine. Unfortunately, it “wooden” run.

Laura spotted me as soon as I walked through the doors, and her face lit up like the Fourth of July.

“Ace! What are you doing here,” she yelled.

“Just thought I’d pop in to say hello,” I said.

That’s when I noticed Laura’s husband in the back of the office, kicking a copier machine. “Is that George?” I asked.

“Yep—he recently left his position as president of the United Stations of Amtrak, and now he needs something to do, so he decided to join me here. Lucky me.”

Like many of my recent blind dates, Laura’s face was covered in disappointment. Before I could ask her to explain, George sauntered over.

“Howdy, I’m the president…no, wait, can’t say that anymore. I’m just George. And who might you be, stranger?”

“Hi, just George, I’m Ace Insura, an old high school friend of Laura’s. We actually met once at a class reunion a few years ago.”

He looked confused, as if I just asked him who, who wrote the book of love. “Well,” he asked, “are you old friends with Laura or did you meet at a class reunion?”

I could see his mind was bowling-ball sharp, so I quickly veered the conversation toward insurance.

“How is it working together?” I asked.

Neither answered, trading nervous stares instead, as if I was sitting on the trunk that hid the dead body.

“Let me rephrase the question,” I offered. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“Yes,” Laura squealed. “George and I are having a little disagreement. You see our commercial insured hired an independent contractor to snowplow his lot. If our insured is sued, would his CGL kick in or would the exposure fall under his BAP with Symbol 8 or 9 coverage? In other words, is this a hired or non-owned auto exposure? George thinks it all comes down to the BAP, but I think the CGL policy will suffice?”

“Well,” I said, “two rights may make a wrong, but luckily only one of you is right.”

On whose side will Ace’s judgment fall?

For help solving this mystery and to check your solution against Ace’s, click here.

Jonathan Hermann (hermannism@gmail.com) is an IA contribution editor.