Court Insurance companies have been fighting with their customers since the earliest days of the modern insurance industry, when merchants pooled their assets at places like Lloyd's of London to protect against individual cargoes being lost at sea.
Disputes often center on what property is covered by insurance and what risks are insured against.
Relations have gotten even more contentious since the early 1980s, when the insurance industry started to become a self-service market. It began selling a growing percentage of policies directly to customers by mail, phone and even computer online systems. Companies have also cut back on customized coverage and now offer a few basic policies of each kind. Many customers have had problems dealing with these off-rack policies. A little practical cynicism is in order here.