Oh, Now That You Mention It

We always say we insure people, not objects.  What the following story lacks in humor, it more than makes up for in irony –  a client interview not soon forgotten:  A man walks into an insurance agency and says he wants to buy liability coverage for his dump trucks. The agent did not know the man, so he spent some additional time to get to know his personal and business history.  Soon, the agent came to the standard driving record question:  What is your driving record the past three years, including any moving violations and  accidents?  Without hesitating, the fellow said:  “I’ve had no problems, with the possible exception of a speeding violation a few years ago.”  This was followed shortly by the question:  Have you ever been cancelled by an insurance carrier?  Once, again, the answer was, “no.”  However, the man’s official driving record told an entirely different story in its three pages and fifteen entries.  The last entry was a fatal accident.

The local Sheriff’s Department helped fill in the blanks.  It seems a friend of this man waved him down on a gravel road to talk and then pulled his vehicle up behind him and stopped.  When they had finished talking, the friend walked back to his truck, but instead of getting in the cab he stepped in between the two vehicles.  We will never know for certain why he did this because our fellow then put his truck in reverse and crushed him between the two vehicles.  When confronted with the long driving record and fatality, he responded:  “Oh, now that you mention it, I do recall I had a problem with the truck that day.”  You don’t say?

Insurance Coverage:  Business Auto bodily injury liability.  Claim  covered?  Yes. Our claim?  No, thank you.