Introducing a gun insurance?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4936358

by edouard1234567 • 14 years ago

2 12 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

An fb friend (or should I say a social neighbor) just posted a comment with what I think is a brilliant idea (I won't mention his name since I'm not sure he wants to be quoted).

He suggested we introduce a gun insurance very similar to the car insurance. I think this is a brillant idea for many reasons. What do you think?

gregcohn2• 14 years ago

Can you explain further -- do you mean liability insurance, ie for accidents or injuries to others? Would it be required?

edouard12345675• 14 years ago

Yes, the idea would be to mandate all gun owners to pay for liability insurance the same way we do for cars and let the private insurance industry assess risks and calculate premiums.

gregcohn2• 14 years ago

I think this is incredibly interesting. The most out-of-the-box idea I've heard yet. There are lots of impracticalities, but it deserves to be part of the discussion.

Is it getting traction anywhere?

staunch2• 14 years ago

What's the point? There's something like 500 unintentional firearm deaths per year. With 100,000,000 million gun owners we're talking about $5/yr or something.

To put that in perspective, every year 25,000 people die from falling.

edouard12345675• 14 years ago

I think one should also consider intentional firearm deaths. I might be wrong and the analogy might not be appropriate but high premiums could disuade people at risk from owning a firearm in the first place and maybe prevent some of the intentional violent crimes.

staunch2• 14 years ago

Insurance doesn't pay for intentional acts and criminals don't buy insurance. Sorry, this idea is ridiculous.

edderly2• 14 years ago

What are you buying for your insurance? With car insurance you're buying protection for yourself against a risk that either you cause an accident or someone else causes an accident that you are involved in.

edouard12345675• 14 years ago

I was referring to a liability insurance, if you kill or injure somebody (outside of legitime defense) with your firearm the insurance.

edderly2• 14 years ago

So who receives the insurance claim? If I shoot my mother in law, does my wife as an only child get a check?

sagacityhappens• 14 years ago

i been trying to get an re-insurance co interested in marriage insurance. Any takers?

Introducing a gun insurance?

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