Cedric Stephens | Risk and insurance: Solar panels, salvage rights, and the struggle for fair hurricane claims

Hurricane Melissa is healing my recurring ambivalence about writing this nearly three-decade-old column. The first sign that the process had started was an email from a leading environmentalist. The insurer wrote off a vehicle that was damaged by last year’s Category 5 hurricane. The claimant, who has a 36-year relationship with the insurance company, was satisfied with the proposed settlement, except that the offer stated that ownership of the damaged vehicle, or salvage, would not be transferred to the insurer, as happens in some cases.