Well, this is interesting. I just got a policy amendment document from my insurance company that has the following item:

"There is no coverage for loss to any vehicle that results from:
a.) Nuclear reaction
b.) Radiation or radioactive contamination from any source
c.) The accidental or intentional detonation of, or release of radiation from, any nuclear or radioactive device."

Do the insurance comapnies know something we don't? This has a darkly humorous, yet ominous tone to me.

I know when I got travel insurance to go to see the CERN facility in Geneva (a high energy particle accelerator) we weren't covered in the event of a radiation accident... which we thought was quite funny considering where we were going, but this was pretty generic travel insurance, not home/ car insurance...

Rob,

Doesn't surprise me much. If your car is involved in a contamination incident, even though it probably won't have any damage it will cost a fortune to have a hazmat team clean it up, which is why the insurance companies are excluding that.

Consider that there was a teenager a few years back that thought it would be really cool to get the glowing substance out of a tritium exit sign he found at a renovation site. Took it home and broke open the tubes (which promptly stopped glowing). He noticed the small rad label on the sign, and fessed up to his parents, who notified authorities. I think the cleanup of the house cost in the neighborhood of $250,000. And that was for something relatively harmless.

If your car is damaged in a nuclear blast, you probably have other things to worry about at the moment. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

My advice is that if your car gets contaminated (depending on what with), just take it to the car wash and forget about it. Maybe run it through a couple times...

Or get a rider for your policy... <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Greg

Perhaps they Know something, andor are Covering their Bases in any event. Going for their "Own Kind of Insurance", and of course Risk Aversion regarding things on the potential Claims / Payout Front.

Of course in Many Ways thruout their Industry, -I Can't Blame Them.

Dirty Bomb Possibilities at least, must have achieved enuff Potentiality to Take their Place on their Radar Screen.

I Don't Know, -but Thruout the Height of the U.S. - Soviet Cold War Competition, -More Conventional Nuclear Attacks *may* Not have come under their typical Umbrella. If Not, -This could Say or Suggest something, as regards a Stackup with what you report Today.

I also Think from what you say, that They're "Covering" Three Mile Island and Chernobyl type situations under that Umbrella too. I also Know Not for Sure on that, but they may have been doing that for a Long Time. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]gear freak[/email]

It doesn't surprise me. I should point out I have a rather low opinion of insurance in general.
Rant On
I think people forget insurers are there to make money, and if they can reduce thier risks and still rack in the same high premiums, they will.
I can see the day comming when your genetic make-up will be required before you can get insurance. If were willing to let the insurance companies make there side as risk free as possible, then I think we should ask ourselves some tough questions on what we want out of life, and how much were willing to pay for it. Whats the point of paying premiums if the chances of "it" happening are miniscule.
Life about taking risks, not lining your insurances brokers pockets by buying policies that are stacked so much in thier favour as to make them worthless.
Rant Off
Having said all that I do have insurance, and I do realise its a necessity for some people. I just feel I'm being conned!

I agree with ya 100%, I held an insurance dealers license in two different states, so have a pretty clear understanding of how the system works, and my advice to friends is; medical insurance is a given necessity, other than that, put your premiums into savings along with a little extra, and you'll (most likely) be better off in the long run.

Troy

Yes, but in the event Worse *Does* Come to Worse, to be Caught without Insurance to Fall Back On, is like our Taking an Airline Flight over the Oceans, Jungles, Deserts, Mountains, or Anywhere Else!, of our World, -*Without* our various PSKs, FSKs, and All Else we so Practice and Value!

We are About Preparedness! As with Insurance Actuarials and Risk Assessment, Chances are Great that Many to Most of us will Never Have to actually Apply whats in our Kits. Not in a Real Life or Death Survival Situation anyway. We "Practice" Insurance *in a Sense*.

But Shud we Ever Have To!, -We're Gonna be Glad we Did!

Insurance is of course Much the Same Thing.

There's a Great Beauty to Insurance at it's Most Ideal !, as Well as in Many a "World as It Really Is" of Respects. They the Companies earn Far More than they ever Pay Out in Claims. And a Policyholder can Get Awarded Far More than they've ever Paid in Premiums, for their particular Claim and Coverage. In that Way it's a Win - Win Situation. ( Of course that Doesn't Apply for the Policyholder, if they Don't Have a Claim to Begin with, / Are Denied One, or are Not Covered for One, / or Receive Less on a Claim, than Felt Due, or Requested. It's Not Fully Win - Win There. Not Faulting the Companies here, -Just Relaying a Fact.)

Sure Money is a Driving Force, and the Name of at least Much of it's Game. They Dip Less Than Noble of Themselves, X Amount of the Time, and in X of Ways. It's Not Always Right of them, and with the Aid of Consumer Protection Et Al or No, -We Do have to "Caveat Emptor" Ourselves! Sure, Many of them also Try to Get Out of Paying Legitimate Claims when they should. But there's an Awful Lot of Policyholder Insurance Fraud going on, as well ! They are Not the Only One's often enuf being Less Than Noble.

But This of course Does Not Take from either the Importance, Beauty, or Advisability of Insurance Otherwise!

I Well Understand Winging some Things, which Aren't Likely to Happen, by Not Carrying Insurance on Many a Thing. I'm Presently of Small Means, and at the Time, I Carry Little to No Insurance myself! But we Really Run and Risk It!, if various Worse Comes to Worse shud ever Happen to us! If we then Find we Have No such Insurance to Turn To!

BTW, I Don't Know all that Much of Insurance, It's Not Exactly my Central Cup of Tea! I Don't Work in any way in the Insurance Business, Nor ever Have I. I Have No Connections of Any Kind, to this Insurance Business or Industry. I'm Not here Defendingly Speaking in Behalf of the Industry for Such. But Only Relate my Own Personal Views on such Matters as your Contribution and this Thread prompts. I just wanted to say that too, because by my *Defense* of Aspects of the Insurance World, It might Seem that I'm an Insider of Sorts. I Simply am Not!

I might Choose to Wing It with some things. But I would Think, that Personal Means Permitting, that I would Carry More than just Medical ! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]wildcard163[/email]

O.K., O.K., I forgot to mention Auto, Property, Liability, etc. My main target was the various Life (especially term life, what a rip off!!!) policies. Sorry, I stand corrected.

Troy

Hmmm...My mind goes back to recent floods we had in the south of England.
I remember hearing the news reports of the aftermath of the flooded houses. The insurance companies were saying we'll pay out this time, but that will be the last time. In effect that property which had been insurable (and therefore worth something) has now become un-insurable and practicably unsellable on the open market. Is that justice for the home owner who bought the home in good faith, and was deemed a good risk before the flood? Should the insurance company have done there homework a bit more carefully? At the end of the day we the consumer pay when the insurance companies weasle their way out of social commitment.

I Hear you. On Both your Points. And there are such Ripoffs and the Like. Life Insurance is one of the Areas that I'm even Less Knowledgeable on Insurance, But I Take your Word for it there. I'm Sure there's Rip Offs, "Less than Best Nobles" and Such there too. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]wildcard163[/email]