Comments about ‘Doug Robinson: Unexpected breakup hard to understand’

Between lawyers, who will take any case regardless of ethics, morals or liability, and insurance companies who love premiums and hate claims, one is left to ponder "justice" or "mercy" and shake their head in unbelief about what is referred to as "business."

This isn't "hard to understand," Doug, it's "business as usual."

In good hands is one of the greatest hoax's any insurance company can brag about, don't believe a word of it. The insurance divorce begins as soon as you sign up for an insurance policy. Auto or home, its all the same impersonal and reckless injustice.

Insurance agents are outcasts with no communication to head or district offices beyond policy language and changes as a salesman.

I was divorced myself, good anagram, by my company of 50+ years of loyalty, payments, and 1 claim of theft, and 1 claim of wind destruction of fencing and 1 flood by toilet fracturing from age.

I learned one thing, never allow claims adjusters to randomly roam with cell phone in hand photographing your home interior/exterior, the photos are used to adj or deny insurance. Adjusters are instructed to photograph every thing in or on your property and send them to corporates headquarters to evaluate property and insurance in undisclosed use of pictures.

Re: "What happened to the Burrups is not uncommon."

No, not at all uncommon. In fact, it's the norm in this gritty, dirty business.

Insurers are the new gadiantons. Their ads disingenuously offer security and neighborliness. Their practices, on the other hand, offer only hassle, lack of concern, and unreasonable, unjustifiable stinginess.

I guess I shouldn't gripe. Insurance company misfeasance and malfeasance is the basis of the good life enjoyed by many in my profession.

But, I can't help but be concerned for the eternal souls of so many otherwise decent people engaged in this evil enterprise.

Blame the ambulance chaser lawyers for this. People getting legitimately compensated is one thing. Finding fault where none exists and then suing is entirely another. Tort reform would solve this problem.

As a former agent for two of the largest insurance companies, you must know that the agents have little to do with this because of the underwriting guidelines. Agents can only accept new business that falls within these guidelines. If customers fall out of these guidelines, then they receive a "nonrenewal" letter. There are some companies that offer guaranteed renewal on their policies. In this case, they could have gone to another company that accepts clients with more "incidents" on their records, but probably would have had to pay more. After reading the story, I am sure all the agent did was put the son on his own policy which allowed the underwriting guidelines to be met. Even with "media scrutiny" because insurance is a regulated industry, exceptions can't be made.

Doug, I enjoyed the article and glad to hear that in the end there was reconciliation. It would be interesting to read of this affair from the viewpoint of the Agent. You make a passing reference to how the agent is caught in the middle, but "in the middle" is where an experienced agent shines.

For over thirty years my agent has assisted, negotiated and hung in there with me. Be it accidents, personal one on ones with my teenage drivers, birthday gifts and yes rate increases. Or more simply he and his staff personally communicate with their clients.

Today too many businesses neglect the personal care that was once a mainstay of the industry.