It’s a scary world out there, and no one knows this more than insurance providers. Two Los Angeles-area insurers — Ray Arouesty of Arrow Insurance and Ron Carlson of USI Insurance — recount some of the more ridiculous and tragic claims they’ve come across:
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A. At a home with a brand new driveway, a technician was called out to service the pool. The driveway had been given a decorative stain to create a pattern. Unfortunately, a jug of acid fell out of the tech’s truck and completely bleached out the stain. The homeowners sued the service firm for reimbursement to re-apply the stain.
— Carlson
B. A heater for a hotel pool was vented underneath the floor of the building. Tragically, a crack in the floor allowed the dangerous exhaust to escape into the building, killing people. Professionals always should be aware of carbon monoxide hazards, because they are overlooked in the service industry.
— Arouesty
C. At one Beverly Hills home, the technician had placed a new pool heater on wooden pallets to ensure that it lined up with the other equipment. But the wood rotted and decayed to the point that it sunk the heater, whose shifting caused the gas pipe to crack. A spark lit up and burned down the $7 million house. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire.
— Carlson
D. A quadriplegic child fell into a pool. At first, the company that installed the fence was sued, followed by the foster home where the child lived. Five and a half years after the accident, the pool technician found himself in court. Fortunately, he was covered but the claim was for nearly $1 million.
— Carlson
