by Insurance Maze » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:30 pm
Recently I wrote a home insurance policy on a customer who told me he had no trampoline on his property. He signed the home insurance application that stated "No trampoline on the property".
When the insurance company inspected the property, guess what? - they found a trampoline in the customer's back yard.
Prior to the time the insured received the "Notice to Cancel" from the insurance company, there was an accident involving the trampoline, which seriously injured a neighbor's child.
The customer called the insurance agent to report a claim and the agent advised the customer that since there was a "material misrepresentation" on the original application, the insurance company intended to cancel the policy back to the date of issue (as though it never happened).
The customer was very angry and advised the agent that he was going to see his attorney.
A few days later, an article appeared in the local newspaper which actually "slandered" both the insurance company and the agent.
Can the agent sue the customer for "slander" or "defamation of character"?
When the insurance company inspected the property, guess what? - they found a trampoline in the customer's back yard.
Prior to the time the insured received the "Notice to Cancel" from the insurance company, there was an accident involving the trampoline, which seriously injured a neighbor's child.
The customer called the insurance agent to report a claim and the agent advised the customer that since there was a "material misrepresentation" on the original application, the insurance company intended to cancel the policy back to the date of issue (as though it never happened).
The customer was very angry and advised the agent that he was going to see his attorney.
A few days later, an article appeared in the local newspaper which actually "slandered" both the insurance company and the agent.
Can the agent sue the customer for "slander" or "defamation of character"?
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 07:11 pm Post Subject:
Thanks, the vote of confidence and kind words were definitely a bright spot in my day.
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 07:33 pm Post Subject:
hummingbird wrote:
I hear that you cannot get coverage if you have a fireplace either .Is that true?
Insurance companies routinely cover fireplaces. If not, half the homes in the U.S. couldn't get coverage on their homes. Insurers may, at times, have issues with certain woodstove and pellet-burning stoves, but if they're UL approved and properly installed to code, that's normally not a problem either.
InsTeacher 8)
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