An insurance company that doesnt want to to pay up

Brooker_Dave

dmg24 wrote: »

The questions that your friend was asked are all reflective of how the insurance company are cracking down against fraud.

The difficulty that you will have is if they have had tests carried out (and it is quite possible that they have) and they have found that on the balance of probabilities a child would not be able to throw the pot and/ or open it, it will be your word against that of a professional.

It is a difficult one, but I fear that your friend will be a victim of the massive increase in fraudulent claimants who are making things more difficult for the rest of us.

When our 10month old dropped our 52 inch plasma telly down the stairs, which then bounced straight out of the front door onto the car we've been trying to offload for months, crushing the roof as if someone had jumped up and down on it, the nasty men from the insurance company said we were just clowns trying it on.

These insurance companies can be ruthless over such tragic accidents, I plan to demand compensation.

Brooker_Dave

super_dad wrote: »

Insurance company have come back with "pull the other one sonny jim, it's got bells on".... where does my mate stand?

"Common claims are for deliberate spills or cigarette burns on carpets or sofas"

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/insurance/article1767323.ece

FlameCloud

super_dad wrote: »

the darling child is almost 3.. and it was a small tin of gloss type paint. the paint was not open. We are all trying to work out how he actually managed to open it up but we can't actually work it out. We've put it down to "just one of those things" and the impact of it hitting the wall.

It was a new can of paint and they're assuming that someone may have opened it in the store before it was purchased by our friends and then not closed it properly (that's their argument anyway)

This alone will be enough to convince most insurers that your 'friend' is not telling the truth.

The properties of gloss paint react far differently to being spilt that most people imagine. Dulex and a company of forensic scientists have compiled a huge work- its now got over a 1000 examples in it, of exactly what happens to the paint compared the angle, height and weight of the tin.

dmg24

FlameCloud wrote: »

This alone will be enough to convince most insurers that your 'friend' is not telling the truth.

The properties of gloss paint react far differently to being spilt that most people imagine. Dulex and a company of forensic scientists have compiled a huge work- its now got over a 1000 examples in it, of exactly what happens to the paint compared the angle, height and weight of the tin.

Interesting, I did wonder if such research has been done, as it is such a common 'accident'.

super_dad, you should be aware that if this goes to the Ombudsman, I would not be surprised if the insurance company requested access to the sofa, in order to compare the spill to research as described above.

super_dad

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

When our 10month old dropped our 52 inch plasma telly down the stairs, which then bounced straight out of the front door onto the car we've been trying to offload for months, crushing the roof as if someone had jumped up and down on it, the nasty men from the insurance company said we were just clowns trying it on.

These insurance companies can be ruthless over such tragic accidents, I plan to demand compensation.

I'm making a hand gesture.. can you guess what it is?! :rotfl::rotfl:

I am kind of hoping the insurance company ask to see their sofa as it would be nice to see them actually argue their case... i'll keep you guys informed. will be interesting i think.

thanks for your help

dmg24

super_dad wrote: »

I'm making a hand gesture.. can you guess what it is?! :rotfl::rotfl:

I am kind of hoping the insurance company ask to see their sofa as it would be nice to see them actually argue their case... i'll keep you guys informed. will be interesting i think.

thanks for your help

But they won't just look at it, they will test the marks to check whether they support the story or not.

Did the paint not go on anything else?

Are you sure your friends are telling the truth? The more I think about it, the more 'staged' it sounds?

G42

Interesting that no mention is made of the wall now needing redecorated or carpet /flooring needing replaced or cleaned. Tin launched at wall. Lid lands cleanly on sofa with no spatter. Amazing. Friend's name isn't "Grimm" is it?

sarahg1969

G42 wrote: »

Interesting that no mention is made of the wall now needing redecorated or carpet /flooring needing replaced or cleaned. Tin launched at wall. Lid lands cleanly on sofa with no spatter. Amazing. Friend's name isn't "Grimm" is it?

Maybe that's because the sofa is more of a problem? Paint on a wall can be easily rectified - doesn't mean it's not been mentioned to the insurers.

The OP hasn't said that the tin landed only on the sofa. Only that the sofa was damaged in the incident.

I don't really get what your point is.

As an aside, my 3 yo son tipped a full tin of black Hammerite on to my dining room carpet before Christmas. It went on the suite too. I didn't claim, though - I just took the opportunity to get my husband to decorate and buy a new carpet and suite!!

G42

Yes, you're right. Sorry, I should have said that the tin landed on the sofa not the lid. My mistake.

If you don't get my point I'll make it clear. I'm sceptical. From the info supplied it appears that the only thing being claimed for is the sofa. Remarkably nothing else seems to have been damaged or it would have been mentioned. Your case appears to be different in that a tin of paint was spilled and as you would expect it affected the carpet as well as the suite. This tin was thrown with such vigour that it bounced off the wall, undid the lid and landed on the suite without causing any other damage. Such force would cause damage to the wall and spatter paint over the at least the immediate area. Little wonder that the insurance company is a little sceptical.

It could be of course that it was non-drip paint!

super_dad

if you must know!!

A little on the floor which came up quite easily (laminated floor).. a little on a cheap rug which was bought from next, but they decided to chuck the rug as it wasn't worth the hassle on the day... and some on the kids clothes... that clear things up?!

God, was only asking for some advice.. didnt think i'd get called a liar and accused of fraud!

I'll let mates know and apologies for causing a bit of an uproar in your otherwise dull days!