Insurance Co. Claim Payout?

[bobfnbw]

Hi all. Just wanted to know from the people that have had to cover a loss with insurance, just how long it took and the hassles you had to go thru (or not).
Seems getting our insurance company to pay out for the first part of the work they authorized over a month ago is dragging things along, while my perkins sits in water still.
Once the boat is paid, I will self insure except for liability. This is maddening.....

[iiii]

Had a Morgan 34 totaled by Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne, had a check for the full amount in 3 weeks.
Company was St. Paul/Travelers.

[Evan]

Our boat got hit by another when it's mooring lines broke. Happened in winter, we waited until summer to repair. Insurance company paid the contractor directly so we were never out of pocket except the deductible - that took some months to process and a bit of nagging.

[jimking100]

Had a hard grounding with rudder damage about a year ago. Boat US paid emergency towing within weeks and paid for the repairs within a month of completion of work. They were easy to work with and very prompt.
jim

[Mule]

Originally Posted by bobfnbw

Hi all. Just wanted to know from the people that have had to cover a loss with insurance, just how long it took and the hassles you had to go thru (or not).
Seems getting our insurance company to pay out for the first part of the work they authorized over a month ago is dragging things along, while my perkins sits in water still.
Once the boat is paid, I will self insure except for liability. This is maddening.....

=================================================

I think you have this ins company right where you want them. They are playing right into your hands. I see a new Yanmar in your future at minium cost. I hope you are communicating with them using email. If not start to do so now. Email them with all that has taken place with your claim, that is rehashing the history of the claim and only communicate with them using e mail from here on out. If they call you e mail them back confirming the call and what was said. You want their inaction until that Perkins is unrepairable, then they will have to fund a rebuild like for like.

You want to appear as cooperative and a victim of the company's inefficent claim handling. Do not push too hard until the engine is done. Once the engine is done, then start esculation procedures through their organization, documenting every discussion with e mail followup. After you have exausted esculation, get an attorney to write them, while having the engine of your dreams installed.

They are leaving themselves wide open to be gutted out, if this requires arbitration or litigation their bill will be 5-6 times the cost of the engine and you might get some puniative out of it too. The hailed out engine-transmission is their fault and they will have to back it up. Also involve the Texas Insurance Comission after you spring the trap.

Yes, I have done this before, the claims adjuster dropped the ball, I caught one of his contract adjusters lying to me, then I started treating the company as an adversary. They (he) ignored me and when I sent him a $60K bill my phone started ringing. He mumbled something about me falling through the cracks, then said, "I will reccomend this claim for payment". Translated, "I damn sure do not wnat you talking to my boss".

This involved copper theft of my church's air conditioners, and he was gong to low ball us, but he did not get away with it because of not returning phone calls and e mails. He was in Chicago, I called and emailed during the worst blizzard in 10 years and again the week of Christmas. I then put ALL new equipment in stem to stern and sent him the bill saying, I did not know what else to do because he gave me no guidance. Heh, Heh.

Now go get em tiger, they will likely screw this up to their disadvantage due to their own beauracracy. Play em, do not let them play you.

[Mule]

The last line should have read:

Now go get em tiger, they will likely screw this up to your disadvantage due to their own beauracracy. Play em, do not let them play you.

Sorry about that!

[BigDreams]

Originally Posted by Mule

=================================================

I think you have this ins company right where you want them. They are playing right into your hands. I see a new Yanmar in your future at minium cost. I hope you are communicating with them using email. If not start to do so now. Email them with all that has taken place with your claim, that is rehashing the history of the claim and only communicate with them using e mail from here on out. If they call you e mail them back confirming the call and what was said. You want their inaction until that Perkins is unrepairable, then they will have to fund a rebuild like for like.

You want to appear as cooperative and a victim of the company's inefficent claim handling. Do not push too hard until the engine is done. Once the engine is done, then start esculation procedures through their organization, documenting every discussion with e mail followup. After you have exausted esculation, get an attorney to write them, while having the engine of your dreams installed.

They are leaving themselves wide open to be gutted out, if this requires arbitration or litigation their bill will be 5-6 times the cost of the engine and you might get some puniative out of it too. The hailed out engine-transmission is their fault and they will have to back it up. Also involve the Texas Insurance Comission after you spring the trap.

Yes, I have done this before, the claims adjuster dropped the ball, I caught one of his contract adjusters lying to me, then I started treating the company as an adversary. They (he) ignored me and when I sent him a $60K bill my phone started ringing. He mumbled something about me falling through the cracks, then said, "I will reccomend this claim for payment". Translated, "I damn sure do not wnat you talking to my boss".

This involved copper theft of my church's air conditioners, and he was gong to low ball us, but he did not get away with it because of not returning phone calls and e mails. He was in Chicago, I called and emailed during the worst blizzard in 10 years and again the week of Christmas. I then put ALL new equipment in stem to stern and sent him the bill saying, I did not know what else to do because he gave me no guidance. Heh, Heh.

Now go get em tiger, they will likely screw this up to their disadvantage due to their own beauracracy. Play em, do not let them play you.

The best part is the following: all the texting back and forth remains safe in the electronic database of the ISP which can then be used as a neutral third party form of evidence if things actually make it to civil court. Both sides can use the email exchanges as proof of what was said, but if any pages turn up "missing," they can be obtained from the ISP via court order.

[bobfnbw]

You know I never thought of that. Thanks for that advice.
After 56 days of the boat sitting in the marina, and the rep they sent authorizing the intial work down, (all thru hulls replaced with marelon, new cutless bearing, etc, they have repetedly drugged this out. The daily yard charge is now at I believe $50 per day and they called me today to say they would only cover the haul out, the towing, and the emergency pump out. They would not cover any electrolsis damage, meaning the thru hulls. Its in the policy. But the adjuster told the company that did the work to proceed. Now they are saying they did not. Out of a 9K bill, they are going to pay like 1300, minus my deductable.. so they will pay 300!
What a crock of feces.
There is still damage inside that we havent even addressed. The engine still has water in it, the inverted damaged, the starter and 100 amp alt. destroyed. cushions tools, finished.
Not sure if I should sue or not. At this point I am just tired of it all.

[bobfnbw]

After over 5 months, Insurance company finally settled.
I got a check for enough to do the work myself.
Engine is rebuilt but waiting on a new transmission from Hurth, they are backordered.

All in all this has been a miserable experience.
I am glad this part is over. Now to get the boat back to where she will power and sail.

[colemj]

Name the company please.

Mark

[bobfnbw]

Originally Posted by colemj

Name the company please.

Mark

National Interstate.
Got them thru blue water insurance.

[Delaminated]

USAA or Boat US, them the pros.

[bobfnbw]

Originally Posted by Delaminated

USAA or Boat US, them the pros.

USAA does not insure boats.
They farm it out to progressive.

[Delaminated]

What a shame, they were not cheep but had unrestricted cruising coverage around the world back in the 1980's.
When the bilge water hit's the fan and it's time to pay the claim they were always right at the plate.

[John A]

I had a boat drag into me that then pulled my anchor up and almost put my boat on a rocky beach in Trinidad.
I was uninsured but the other boat owner gave me the e-mail address of his insurer. The broker in Florida had me faq the claim to a 510 area code (East side of SF bay Calif). I then began an e-mail dialog with a representative from Lloyds of London in England. I paid for the repairs and a surveyor in Trinidad verified the whole process. Six months from the date of the accident the full amount was wired from a bank in Cape Town, South Africa to my account in the US.
My free advice? Stay calm, don't get confrontational, and keep the e-mail's flowing. regards John A