Trayvon Martin family's HOA insurance claim lands in federal court

[Baitball Blogger]

Recent court filings show Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, has filed a claim for monetary damages against an insurance company for the Retreat at Twin Lakes homeowners association in her 17-year-old son's death.

The insurance claim was revealed in paperwork filed last week by Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America. In those documents, the insurer seeks clarification of its responsibilities in the teen's death and asks a federal judge to absolve Travelers of liability.

The teen, who was staying at Retreat at Twin Lakes with his father's girlfriend, was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman Feb. 26 while returning from a local 7-Eleven store, authorities say. Prosecutors allege Zimmerman profiled and pursued the teen; Zimmerman says he fired in self defense after Trayvon attacked.

About a month after the shooting, the federal filings show, Travelers issued an insurance policy to the homeowners association, effective March 30. "After the inception of the claims-made policy, Fulton made a claim for monetary damages..." Travelers says "...as a result of the fatal shooting of Martin."

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-06/news/os-trayvon-martin-insurance-claim-20120806_1_sybrina-fulton-trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman

[freshwest]

1. Nasty comments below that article.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Welcome to Central Florida.

[dballance]

3. I had to look up "claims-made policy"

My first thought was how the heck can they file a claim on a policy that wasn't even issued yet at the time of Trayvon's death? But apparently insurance companies issue policies that can cover events prior to the policy being issued back to a "retroactive date."

This seems counter-intuitive to me when I consider how insurance companies usually do everything possible to avoid paying a claim and incurring a "loss."

Is there an insurance agent or attorney here on DU who can explain this please to laypersons like me?