PSA: I spent most of today helping Mrs. Wypoxic with insurance claims related to her office burning down (and up). We are making progress and, thankfully, Mrs. W is mostly over her shock and grief and back at running her successful business that she loves…

On a side note, we are also getting a not-really-needed lesson in U.S. insurance industry capitalism. The insurance company is actually doing a good job of responding to us and paying claims as we submit. However, we are stuck on claims for our vehicle which was parked in the garage under the building. Of course, our insurance company is looking to “subrogate” all or some of our claims. Subrogation is the act of one insurance company trying to find someone else at fault for an event (like an electrical fire that burned down an office building) so they can go after the at-fault party’s insurance carrier to get paid for the claims they are paying to us. Given the parties involved, that might take months or years. In the meantime, our totaled minivan slowly decomposes due to fire, smoke, water and mold. And us? We just wait.

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TBone Dinosaur3 months ago

Might be time to get an attorney to contact said insurance company on your behalf to demand the claim be paid regardless of when/whether any other entity is liable to pay them back. They have nothing to subrogate unless and until your claim has been paid to you!

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TBone Dinosaur3 months ago(edited)

Disclaimer: (IANAL but I play one on the internet).

It can't hurt to get a free consultation in this regard!

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TBone Dinosaur3 months ago

(I just had a free consultation last week that resulted in a great outcome for me at no cost.)

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Joe is Wypoxic3 months ago

I'll take all the free consultation I can get TB!

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mister mixAuthor3 months ago

I wonder how much it would have cost them to just pay the claim on the minivan rather than screwing around burning staff time to try to get another company to pay for it…

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Joe is Wypoxic3 months ago

Right? And it didn't actually burn in the fire. It was the smoke and water that got it. I finally got to go into the garage after about 6 weeks a few days ago and when I opened the door it looked like some kind of alien mold creature had started to eat it alive. I literally couldn't breathe...

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Scott H3 months ago

When people call insurance companies "scum of the earth", they do so with very good reason.

Our model exists to make money for owners & shareholders...nothing else.

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Joe is Wypoxic3 months ago

I've known that from running the other orgs I've led. The best advice I give people is,"The insurer is NOT your friend".