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Progressive Insurance: defending the people who kill their customers

2012-08-13 20:06:44.498991+00 by Dan Lyke 9 comments

One of the reasons I am no longer a libertarian is that this is to be expected: My Sister Paid Progressive Insurance to Defend Her Killer In Court.

[ related topics: Politics Libertarian ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-13 22:08:30.954388+00 by: TheSHAD0W

I'm not sure what political system you think this would be better under, or how libertarianism would make it worse. It's government regulations that are preventing the family from suing Progressive directly.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-13 22:11:22.32659+00 by: Larry Burton

The process of Progressive paying for the defense of the guy that killed their insured is a result of the law. When you buy uninsured or underinsured insurance you are paying for insurance that protects the person injuring you. Progressive was being a jerk for not paying what a reasonable person would have acknowledged they owed. I'm not sure where you see the libertarian angle coming in here.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-13 22:45:51.201762+00 by: Dan Lyke

I see the libertarian angle as having to sue to enforce contracts which are reneged on. And I'm probably overstating it and cranky right now.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-13 23:06:45.494595+00 by: Larry Burton

How would a socialist system handle this? If there is a disagreement in terms there has to be some form of mediation regardless of political philosophy.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-14 02:26:30.829322+00 by: Dan Lyke

I think the system we have is pretty good, and I agree that this is how the system works and we should change it so that the consumer can sue the insurance company directly (because though I'm not privy to the full facts, I think that as presented this isn't an issue between the two accident participants but between the estate of the insured and her insurance company). I think that this is just a good example of why we shouldn't tip the balance any further away from consumer protection, and I'd really like it if there were more criminal law in support of contracts.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-14 20:15:11.819651+00 by: Dan Lyke

Progressive says that they didn't defend the defendant, that was Nationwide.

Ad Week article on the situation

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-14 22:21:13.307869+00 by: Dan Lyke

And you have to go click that you accept the terms, come back here and click again, but here's the case information: http://casesearch.courts.state...=24C11002185&loc=69&detailLoc=CC

It is this 19th day of May, 2011, by the Circuit Court For Baltimore City, hereby ORDERED

  1. That Progressive Advance Insurance Company be and is hereby allowed to intervene as a party Defendant.
  2. That Progressive Insurance Company is GRANTED all rights to participate in this proceeding as if it were an original party to this case.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-16 05:13:45.033497+00 by: Dan Lyke

Matt Fisher has a response to Progressive's response.

#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-17 23:36:10.534273+00 by: Dan Lyke

And Progressive has settled.