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I’m actually siding with an insurance company for once
Back in 2003 - around 5 a.m. on December 1st, to be exact - 19-year-old Jennifer Natbony got herself into a bit of a legal pickle. After some late-night partying, including the use of some yummy illegal drugs, she hopped into the Lexus SUV she borrowed from Mommy and followed some friends to a nightclub. But on the way, a patrolling cop spotted her speeding and started going after her. She freaked out because she said another speeding ticket meant her Daddy would sell her car. So she proceeded to lead the cops on a high-speed chase that lasted over 20 minutes, burning through red lights and getting up past 100 miles per hour. The chase ended after two patrol cars rammed her - first, one hit a side of the SUV’s rear bumper, forcing the car into a spin, and then a second car hit the driver’s side, eventually forcing her SUV to get stuck between another cop car and a guard rail. Natbony was arrested and hit with a hefty 16 charges. She ended up pleading guilty to DUI and evading the police but - get this - she didn’t get any jail time, just some probation and community service.
But this entry isn’t about my outrage at her light sentence. Instead, it’s about the stupid lawsuit her father has now filed. In taking a beating from the cop cars, the SUV suffered over $12,000 in damages. And when Daddy’s insurance company refused to cover this, he took ‘em to court. Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. says they’re not responsible for what they call “lawful damages” which, in this case, are the damages the car suffered when the cop cars bounced into it. But Daddy insists he’s entitled to payment.
Now granted, I haven’t seen the policy. And I’m not usually a fan of insurance companies. But the idea that the insurance company has to pay for this sure seems absolutely preposterous to me. I mean, she was in violation of the law (remember those 16 charges?) when the cops bumped her, and they said they did so because they were afraid she could cause harm to someone else. Sure sounds like the kind of thing that should fall outside the scope of what insurance policies usually cover.
So kudos to Daddy Natbony. Not only has he done a less-than-perfect job raising his daughter, but now he’s teaching her about the notion that one needn’t take responsibility for their actions when they can, instead, file frivolous lawsuits and waste taxpayer money. It’s still early in 2007, but this sounds like Father of the Year material to me!
