Liberty Mutual: Frequently Asked Questions

Liberty Mutual asks these questions frequently in their advertising so I have decided to share the answers for the benefit of others.

Q: How can my car depreciate before its first oil change, you ask?

A: Cars depreciate very rapidly as they lose that new car smell.

Q: What good is having insurance if you get punished for using it?

A: In my state, it's the law. If you do serious bodily harm to someone and live paycheck to paycheck, then you'll need a way to pay for the damage you have done. Shocking.

Q: Don't those people know you're already shaken up?

A: Yes, they know. They're giving you $37,000.

Q: Was it raining? Were your flashers on? Was there a dog with you?

A: My dogs? Thanks for asking! Liberty Mutual would never ask that, but I can see that you really care about the well-being of my pets! I assure you that my dogs were safe at home at the time the garbage truck backed into my parked car. Bless you for showing such concern though. I really appreciate it.

Q: What are you supposed to do? Drive three-quarters of a car?

A: Yes, you'll want to put the heavy stuff in the seat behind the driver and install a warning beacon where the front right tire used to be.

Q: Why pay for insurance if you have to pay even more for using it?

A: Because reducing the deductible by using an optional service means the monthly premiums go up, which means that people who do not have frequent accidents will pay even more. It's not a charity service. They will get the money one way or another.

Disclosure: I have home, auto, and health insurance, but I sure don't like insurance companies. An insurance company's resistance to paying claims is directly proportional to the size of the claims. In other words, when you absolutely need it the very most, you may actually need to hire a lawyer. Sigh.