Global warming has been on everyone’s minds for over a decade now and is starting to become a serious issue. In one particularly strange turn of events, global warming is the centerpiece in a series of lawsuits related to weather damages, and that trend is expected to continue.

In Chicago, the recent series of rain storms has caused massive flooding. The antiquated sewer and drainage systems have caused streets to become buried under water, and homes to be abandoned. Several blocks are accessible only by kayak or boat, and sinkholes have appeared, swallowing cars whole.

Normally in situations like this, individuals will submit claims against their house insurance policies, and those insurance companies are looking for anyway possible to hold onto their billions of dollars. Oddly enough, the insurance carriers are not acting against the individual insurance consumers as normal, but rather against the government itself.

The lawsuit in question, filed by Farmers Insurance Co against several Chicago municipal government entities, alleges that the government knowingly ignored global warming signs and warnings, which led to the flooding and damage.

Central to Farmers’ case is a set of plans published by water management authorities in 2011, stating that the drainage systems were no longer up to code.

It is unknown whether this lawsuit will be taken seriously or not, or even if the lawsuit is anything more than a desperate attempt to get out of paying on insurance claims. But, it is the first high-profile case by an insurance company against a government entity related to global warming. As the world’s weather continues to become more erratic, however, it is not unreasonable to expect this trend to continue.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/05/19/climate-change-get-ready-or-get-sued/