The Case of Other People’s Property
By: Jonathan Hermann
I shouldn’t have asked for a ride from my friend Bad Luck Betty, but with my car in the shop, I had to get to Costco somehow. Things just seem to happen to Betty—bad things. Not an hour went by without her breaking a nail, losing her keys or accidentally setting a department store Christmas display alight.
For whatever reason, karma had a personal vendetta against poor Betty, which became clear as her car sputtered to an unscheduled stop on the side of I-95. I popped the hood and stared down at the complex maze of metal. “Looks like steam is coming from the reverse axial pipe, and your counter-clockwise grinder belt slipped off the rotational gear-sockets.”
“You know nothing about cars, do you Ace? Step aside,” she said as she confidently reached into the engine.
“You’re going to fix it yourself?”
“I learned a long time ago to fix things myself: cars, radios, ripped prom dresses, the 1919 World Series…”
“What?”
“Just seeing if you where paying attention, Ace. That should do it,” she said, jumping in the driver seat and turning the ignition. The car leapt to life with a mighty purr.
“Looks like this is my lucky day,” she said, stepping out of the car with a smile and grease on her face. But her mechanical success must have given her an adrenaline rush because she slammed the door closed so hard, the window exploded into a million jagged pieces.
“I guess it’s true what they say,” I said. “When one door shuts, a window opens.”
“Not funny Ace, and not when that door is shut by a claims adjuster.”
“Spill it, Betty.”
“The 1991 ISO HO-3 form under Damage to Property of Others’ Additional Coverage states that ‘We will pay at replacement cost up to $500 per occurrence for property damage to property of others caused by the insured.’”
“And what does that have to do with the price of eggs at Costco, which are only one cent per egg when you buy a hundred cartons.”
“My insured’s brother-in-law was helping clear out some trees damaged by a windstorm at the insured premises. The brother-in-law’s tractor was damaged by a tree limb, and the insured presented a claim that was denied since it was not ‘caused by the insured.’ The brother-in-law was driving the tractor, by the way. I was hoping for coverage, but they slammed the door pretty hard on me.”
“Sometimes Betty, so many windows open up that it causes a draft.”
What was Ace talking about? Click here to check your solution against Ace’s.
Jonathan Hermann (hermannism@gmail.com) is an IA contributing editor.
For whatever reason, karma had a personal vendetta against poor Betty, which became clear as her car sputtered to an unscheduled stop on the side of I-95. I popped the hood and stared down at the complex maze of metal. “Looks like steam is coming from the reverse axial pipe, and your counter-clockwise grinder belt slipped off the rotational gear-sockets.”
“You know nothing about cars, do you Ace? Step aside,” she said as she confidently reached into the engine.
“You’re going to fix it yourself?”
“I learned a long time ago to fix things myself: cars, radios, ripped prom dresses, the 1919 World Series…”
“What?”
“Just seeing if you where paying attention, Ace. That should do it,” she said, jumping in the driver seat and turning the ignition. The car leapt to life with a mighty purr.
“Looks like this is my lucky day,” she said, stepping out of the car with a smile and grease on her face. But her mechanical success must have given her an adrenaline rush because she slammed the door closed so hard, the window exploded into a million jagged pieces.
“I guess it’s true what they say,” I said. “When one door shuts, a window opens.”
“Not funny Ace, and not when that door is shut by a claims adjuster.”
“Spill it, Betty.”
“The 1991 ISO HO-3 form under Damage to Property of Others’ Additional Coverage states that ‘We will pay at replacement cost up to $500 per occurrence for property damage to property of others caused by the insured.’”
“And what does that have to do with the price of eggs at Costco, which are only one cent per egg when you buy a hundred cartons.”
“My insured’s brother-in-law was helping clear out some trees damaged by a windstorm at the insured premises. The brother-in-law’s tractor was damaged by a tree limb, and the insured presented a claim that was denied since it was not ‘caused by the insured.’ The brother-in-law was driving the tractor, by the way. I was hoping for coverage, but they slammed the door pretty hard on me.”
“Sometimes Betty, so many windows open up that it causes a draft.”
What was Ace talking about? Click here to check your solution against Ace’s.
Jonathan Hermann (hermannism@gmail.com) is an IA contributing editor.
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