Posted on 09/18/2020 3:46:50 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
As a summer dominated by street demonstrations against racism and police brutality winds down, more than 40 legal claims have piled up against Seattle for its handling of the protests.
But money is tight at City Hall as the COVID-19 pandemic has demanded emergency spending and sapped revenues. Insurance coverage that Seattle may need to settle claims was recently slashed, and two insurers threatened to drop their policies entirely, apparently because of concerns over law enforcement and public safety.
The city isn't in dire straits yet, but its problems are multiplying.
Claims have been filed by protesters injured by police, businesses damaged during demonstrations, residents exposed to tear gas and relatives of people killed amid the tumult.
Some cases already have made headlines, and could lead to big payouts, including the father of a child who was sprayed in the face with Mace by police at a protest; residents and business owners in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone that descended into chaos over several weeks; the father of a 19-year-old fatally shot in the zone; and the parents of a protester who was hit and killed by a driver when Interstate 5 was supposed to be closed.
Seattle provides its own insurance for individual losses of up to $6.5 million. Last year the city spent about $19 million on liability claims and related expenses; the city budgeted $28 million for this year but now could end up spending more.
For losses over $6.5 million, the city relies on "layers" of excess liability insurance. Each layer is designed to kick in when the previous layers have hit their limits. The city currently has layers provided by six insurers.
(Excerpt) Read more at insurancenewsnet.com ...
So sad. ; )
I would call it FRAUD!
A municipal government levies taxes on the populace, and their property to provide “to serve and protect” services, then in a time of local agitators playing the pied piper to throngs, the municipal government decrees the ‘protection force’ to stand down. Ergo, no service, no protection.
The suggestion of six layers... beginning to sound like a piece of cake (torte) minus the frosting for a few at the top.
RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT:
Peaceful protesters responsible for the largest insurance payout in history.
The mayor and governor are totally responsible for all that happened, but will never be brought to justice for their crimes.
Insurance companies are notoriously tight (for good reason). I wonder if they have any fine print in their policies that void the policies in case of municipal malfeasance or mismanagement.
Having mayors order the police to stand down when arsonists are going to destroy buildings is dereliction of duty at best.
I'll bet the insurance company lawyers and investigators are going to be all over this stuff...like ants at a picnic.
This article is a great addition to FR. We need more like this instead of the junk from Breitbart about celebrity opinions.
Insurance companies and bondholders aren't going stand by while the mayors and governors destroy their assets.
This part of the story is just getting started.
Thx much. I agree.;-)
Simple solution:
Consider city officials’ negligence “An Act of God”. Any Act of God is ALWAYS considered in such matters; thus, refusing to pay “one thin dime” to those insured. Of course, considering the mass number of attorneys which will be needed for the litigation....d’rats (politicians) will be making money hand over fist.
Interesting fact: Kate Steinly, when shot in San Francisco:
IIRC her family was told they could not sue the city. Correct? May have facts wrong, but understand that some cities cannot be sued.
It looked to me like the lawsuits are actually the usual...some thug or parent of a thug suing because the police actually did something to stop said thug. One is suing because their little bubbula got Maced by the police while rioting, for example.
The true success story of having a Democrat run city
Am I going to hell because I pray that Seattle and SF, slip into the ocean during the next earthquake? Asking for a friend.
Apparently, actions don’t have consequences. Fortunately, inaction does.
In a sick way it has become kind of comical. Our increasingly litigious culture is looking to implode on itself. They are afraid to act because they can get sued. (look at the Breana case in Louisville)
But if they don’t act they can get sued.
It was fun while it lasted though.
Business owners should sue the government officials for dereliction of duty
They will. We can be sure that opportunistic lawyers are laying plans for such suits right now.
It is part of the destroy the economy plan. Cities go bankrupt, insurance companies go bankrupt. Higher taxes unless we vote marxism. Doesn’t anyone get it!
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