insurance policies as literature

A Facebook discussion with a friend about a recent accident he had reminded me of how fun it was to read my final renter’s insurance policy when I was living in Chicago in the 1990’s. Despite being an insurance policy, it was one of the most interestingly readable documents I’ve come across.

After warning me that my property was not covered in cases of riot, revolution, or act of declared or undeclared war, the policy concluded with the following gem: “Note: discharge of a nuclear weapon shall count as an act of war even if accidental.”

Hey, if Chicago is ever accidentally nuked, I’m glad to know that my former insurance company will still enjoy long-term financial solvency.

This reminds me that I’ve never read Franz Kafka’s policy paper “On Mandatory Insurance in the Construction Industry.” Has anyone read that intriguing document form Kafka’s day job?