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February 04. 2016 12:01AM Our View: Making it right The unfortunate plight of Caroline Shaffer's family, whose home was flooded with raw sewage when a city sewer line backed up, illustrates what can happen when insurance companies and lawyers get in the way of reasonable people doing what needs to be done. Shaffer, her husband, four children and her elderly mother have been unable to live in her Morton Street home since early November when the sewage backup occurred. The walls and floors of the home's lower level had to be removed to repair the damage. It is still not clear exactly how the backup occurred, but city crews were working nearby when it happened. The city made an initial payment of $24,000 and offered a total of $225,000, but the city's insurance policy apparently caps the city's liability at that amount. That may be good for the city's bottom line, but it doesn't do much for Shaffer, who says her actual costs will be nearly twice that amount. She is asking the city to pay the difference between what the insurance policy covers and her costs. The city should verify that Shaffer's accounting is accurate, but it certainly appears she has a strong case if the matter goes to court. Her attorney says the insurance cap could be exceeded if it was in the public interest of the city's residents. The city should push its insurance carrier to cover the costs, and pay the difference in any case, and then shop around for a new insurance policy. http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20160204/OPINION/160209943 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->