In case anyone is wondering, I am a Licensed Property & Casualty Agent in the State of California. The information that I have provided today in chapter 14 is *very* basic, as insurance laws will vary from state to state.
If you want additional information on how your insurance policies are put together to protect you, contact your Agent. They have a fiduciary obligation to do a review on your coverages annually, upon request.
A number of people in the legal and insurance industry have pointed out to me that the swiftness and amount of the settlement is unrealistic. Actually, I have seen amounts like this in the story awarded, in similar situations. And as for the time-frames? The plot didn't need this to drag out. I took a bit of creative license here. (Okay, a LOT of creative license. But, fiction, you know?) As Lupe stated; "I have seen cases like this go back and forth, dragging out for months and even years!”
Concerning your own coverages, I ask you to ask yourself; “What do you have to loose?” The answer is *EVERYTHING.*