Accidental Damage vs Wear and Tear

imm

Hi - it's the first time I've really had a run in with an insurance company, but we recently moved house and have had an ongoing renovation. We had a skip delivered, and the lorry drove on the drive - 2 weeks later the drive subsided due to a burst water main. The insurance company decided it was 'wear and tear' and consequently won't cover the repairs after the leak potentially left a large void under the foundations of the property - I suspect this will cost between £3k to £5k to repair.

The water supply pipe was old but the pipe was partially compacted with (what looks like) a puncture hole and scuffing on the top of the pipe. Is there anyway to get a second opinion?

Thanks.

paddyandstumpy

Pay for a second opinion.

What relevance is the skip + lorry? Do you think they caused the issue? If so, you'll need to pursue their PL insurer for a third party property damage claim.

Mungo76

did you have full cover, or was it reduced (known as FLEE(A) cover) ? This may be an issue.

If you have accidental damage, they should be paying for the damage caused, but not the leak if it is wear and tear.

Otherwise if you believe the pipe burst was caused by an insured peril, it is up to you to prove the insured peril, so you would need evidence that of the skip company, photo's, reporting of it happening etc, not just a hunch it happened in the same area.

Photo's of an inward compression to the pipe will help a lot, along with the skip company invoice/delivery note/duty of care note etc, present this to the insurer and tell them they need to reconsider their opinion.

It's then for the insurer to disprove the peril if presented as reasonable.

Getting an opinion from a plumber stating the damage is consistent with impact rather than wear and tear will boost your case.

Retrogamer

paddyandstumpy wrote: »

Pay for a second opinion.

What relevance is the skip + lorry? Do you think they caused the issue? If so, you'll need to pursue their PL insurer for a third party property damage claim.

And to do that, you'd need to prove the lorry both damaged the pipe and that it happened as a result of negligence.

FutureGirl

If the pipe has burst due to it being old, or being a faulty design then they won't pay out.

You will need to get someone out yourself to get a second opinion. If they confirm it is due to an insured peril, then you would need that in writing from the contractor to pass on to your insurers.

Insurance covers one off events. So if the pipe was old, and on it's way out already, and the lorry has helped it along causing it to burst, then the cause is still the age of the pipe, and not the lorry.