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So, visitor flushed baby wipes down the toilet, toilet overflowed, 300K damage. Talk about small actions having large consequences! Tangential to this case, I

So, visitor flushed baby wipes down the toilet, toilet overflowed, 300K damage. Talk about small actions having large consequences! Tangential to this case, I do wonder about the imbalance in insurance. I had a friend who had a small prang into another car only to realise with horror it was a Maserati. The owner was actually really OK about it but it made me think there is something at root quite unfair about people who expect to be able to parade about with immense luxuries and expect others to carry the can if they get damaged. I mean, sure, it's your fault but it's a very disproportionate punishment. Or do I misunderstand the insurance industry?

withinboredom 3y ago
I couldn't find the toilet in a 5 star hotel, and threw up in the sink. I forgot to turn the water off and went back to sleep. I woke up to pounding on the door and stepped out of bed into several inches of water. The sink overflow didn't work, and the water went down floors like a Christmas tree, into their offices in the basement where it destroyed computers. Yes, even though the overflow didn't work, it was still my fault. Thankfully, I had general liability insurance on my homeowners insurance. > Talk about small actions having large consequences! All small actions have large consequences, you just may not be around to see them.
sokoloff 3y ago
There’s a reasonable chance that you’ll strike a building or multiple newish cars in a collision for which you’re liable. I carry quite high liability limits, despite being anti-insurance for all small matters. That supplemental property damage liability coverage costs less than $350/yr. If I damage your property in a collision that’s my fault, I want to make you whole, regardless of whether you were in a 1982 Chevette or a 2023 Ferrari.
- feintruled 3y ago
  I do get that, but it seems like an inversion somehow. MY desire for expensive goods puts YOU at greater risk. It is however true in real terms you get a lot of extra cover for comparatively little.
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  > If I damage your property in a collision that’s my fault, I want to make you whole, regardless of whether you were in a 1982 Chevette or a 2023 Ferrari. Want is fine, but if said 2023 Ferrari is ferrying the Mona Lisa in its trunk, would you really feel like your fault is worth a billion dollars? There's a certain amount of responsibility for placing a very expensive asset in a scenario where accidents regularly occur; if you drive a supercar, you should probably hold insurance that'll cover excess damage over the typical policy limits for someone who might hit you.
  - sokoloff 3y ago
    I assume most people driving >$100K cars on public roads do carry uninsured/underinsured insurance. If they don't, I agree, that's on them, but the legal system still (correctly) assigns liability to the at-fault driver in most states and the not-at-fault insurance coverage is a cashflow/coverage insurance who then turns around and gets a judgement against the at-fault driver, which may or may not ever be paid.

withinboredom 3y ago

I couldn't find the toilet in a 5 star hotel, and threw up in the sink. I forgot to turn the water off and went back to sleep. I woke up to pounding on the door and stepped out of bed into several inches of water. The sink overflow didn't work, and the water went down floors like a Christmas tree, into their offices in the basement where it destroyed computers. Yes, even though the overflow didn't work, it was still my fault. Thankfully, I had general liability insurance on my homeowners insurance. > Talk about small actions having large consequences! All small actions have large consequences, you just may not be around to see them.

sokoloff 3y ago

There’s a reasonable chance that you’ll strike a building or multiple newish cars in a collision for which you’re liable. I carry quite high liability limits, despite being anti-insurance for all small matters. That supplemental property damage liability coverage costs less than $350/yr. If I damage your property in a collision that’s my fault, I want to make you whole, regardless of whether you were in a 1982 Chevette or a 2023 Ferrari.

feintruled 3y ago
I do get that, but it seems like an inversion somehow. MY desire for expensive goods puts YOU at greater risk. It is however true in real terms you get a lot of extra cover for comparatively little.
ceejayoz 3y ago
> If I damage your property in a collision that’s my fault, I want to make you whole, regardless of whether you were in a 1982 Chevette or a 2023 Ferrari. Want is fine, but if said 2023 Ferrari is ferrying the Mona Lisa in its trunk, would you really feel like your fault is worth a billion dollars? There's a certain amount of responsibility for placing a very expensive asset in a scenario where accidents regularly occur; if you drive a supercar, you should probably hold insurance that'll cover excess damage over the typical policy limits for someone who might hit you.
- sokoloff 3y ago
  I assume most people driving >$100K cars on public roads do carry uninsured/underinsured insurance. If they don't, I agree, that's on them, but the legal system still (correctly) assigns liability to the at-fault driver in most states and the not-at-fault insurance coverage is a cashflow/coverage insurance who then turns around and gets a judgement against the at-fault driver, which may or may not ever be paid.