cob wall collapsed - insurance wont pay out!

[Pford75]

I suppose it's just another excuse they can use to wriggle out of a claim. Whilst I can perhaps understand where the claim is directly relevant...eg. split paint on carpet whilst decorating....it's when they use completely unconnected events that gets me.

 

[Nemesis]

I wonder if they want a full risk assessment , H and S statement, methodology etc every time we clean out the gutters?

And if we don't ask about cleaning out the gutters, they will have no record of maintenance and so say we haven't done it...

 

[Flyfisher]

...eg. split paint on carpet whilst decorating....

I take the general point, but I find it difficult to imagine circumstances where paint might get spilt on a carpet UNLESS decorating was in progress.

 

[Nemesis]

Clearing out a cupboard, in order to dispose of several tins of part used paint, etc etc...

Or indeed

While having a row with my nearest and dearest I accidentally picked up a tin of paint which was propping up some shelving and threw it at him...

I have no doubt insurance companies have heard all manner of excuses!

 

[Flyfisher]

I have no doubt insurance companies have heard all manner of excuses!

Talking of excuses, a friend sent me the following last week. I doubt it really is true, as claimed, but it's amusing enough and also involves that other love-to-hate group of people - lawyers (no offence!).

THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY.

Charlotte, North Carolina.
A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, and then insured them against, among other things, fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.

In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued... and WON!
>
>
>
(Stay with me.)
>
>
>
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against
fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire" and was obligated to pay the claim.


Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars lost in the "fires".

NOW FOR THE BEST PART...

After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!

With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.

This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.

ONLY IN AMERICA! NO WONDER THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THINK WE'RE NUTS.

 

[MdB]

I doubt it really is true,

http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm not really surprised, but it's one of those stories you wish were true - nothing like a smart-@rse lawyer getting their come-uppance.

Mind you, the penultimate paragraph of your linked article was an interesting twist!

 

[Flyfisher]

Coincidentally . . . . presumably this BBC report is true.