Child hit with $132,000 bill for accidentally knocking over sculpture

[mcv]

I don’t really get why this is an issue. It’s sad that it broke certainly, but surely the parents’ liability insurance covers this?

[mcv]

@Grey_Devil

Not necessarily, museums routinely exhibit artowrk worth in the millions as is, not behind glass, because they want to present the artwork as intended and with as little barriers between the viewer and the work itself.

Museums, yes. But from what I understand, this wasn’t a museum, but a community center hosting a wedding. Unless they made really clear well in advance that no kids would be allowed.

[Skeptic]

@mcv

I don’t really get why this is an issue. It’s sad that it broke certainly, but surely the parents’ liability insurance covers this?

I wonder what percentage of people have personal liability insurance? Many homeowners do, but not that many renters do.

[mcv]

@Skeptic

I wonder what percentage of people have personal liability insurance? Many homeowners do, but not that many renters do.

Maybe it’s my first-world prejudice, but I kinda expected everybody to have liability insurance. In fact, I thought it was mandatory in Netherland, but apparently it’s not, and according to ABN AMRO Bank - ABN AMRO only 99% of Dutch people have it. Still, it’s the second or third type of insurance people get (after health and car insurance) and for good reason. It can save you from bankruptcy.

[armozel]

@TerryLicia

Define “properly supervised” — was the child in the clutches of both parent’s hands?

Sorry, I couldn’t help but think of this image.

But in all seriousness, my dad told me a story when he went to a museum (think the art museum in KCMO) when he was a kid. He got to see one of the paintings by Van Gogh with the Sunflowers in it and decided to get behind the rope to touch said painting. This resulted in one of the petals coming off. I don’t know if anyone has noted this in the painting at all or he was just blowing smoke up my butt but I can imagine my dad getting in big trouble today since all he got was a spanking from grandpa.

[Skeptic]

In the US, the largest cause of bankruptcy is medical expenses, including many people with medical insurance (though the ACA has helped drop that number by half. Thanks Obama! No, really, thank you, for real. Trump and the GOP will literally cause millions of bankruptcies by rescinding the ACA, as if that is good for the economy.)

I think many people without a really large asset like a house are less inclined to protect against bankruptcy. And thanks to our increasingly large income inequality, many people in the US have no significant assets and are sometimes called “judgement proof” because there is nothing for a plaintiff to seize to pay off a judgement.