I spoke to Aviva this morning. They have authorized me up to $1,000 (up to $100 per day) for a hotel room. Intact is letting me have a car for a few days, but they haven’t decided yet for how long. I have to pay for the hotel out of pocket and wait to be reimbursed, so I only booked until Monday morning because money is suddenly very, very, very tight.
The adjuster for Aviva says that even if the damage is a result of the accident, they may rule against me because I drove without having the rig properly inspected and may have made more damage. I am going to play the ‘look at how much free advertising you guys get from me’ card, especially since the repairs aren’t going to be that much from their perspective. I mean, the hotel amount is ‘just $1,000.’
I have certain things to do today and into tomorrow that require my undivided attention. I hope to leave for the hotel late tomorrow afternoon, freshen up (a shower is going to feel so nice!), then meet up with my friend for our evening. I will sleep at the hotel on Thursday night, but will probably just use it during the day over the weekend.
What. A. Nightmare.
I hope things turn around and start going well for you soon.
Oh Rae, I’m so sorry you are having to go through all this. Having experienced something similar, I can empathize! We spent a day and a half in a KOA “Kamping Kabin” while Mo’s engine was completely taken apart and a new carburator installed for mega-bucks in South Dakota, after breaking down on Labor Day 3 days into a month-long vacation. But here we are 5 years later with great stories. You too will look back and sigh and smile proudly that you handled it all and came through intact. Meanwhile I ordered your Early Bird RV show and hope that helps. Enjoy your time with your friend–at least you are within visiting distance now (that is one of the things on the “plus side”– you will start adding them up, I know.)
We are sending you good thoughts!
Like it wasn’t enough that you got rear ended. Jeeze!!! My thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope it gets resolved easily and in your favor.
Thanks, Martha. We’re practically in the same neck of the woods, by the way! 😀
Debbie, I’m just starting to feel the time crunch here. I have to be back in Canada on May 15th and it’s a three-day drive in the motorhome. I know it’s all going to work out, but it’s just so stressful waiting to know if the axle issue is going to be covered… Thank you so much for your purchase of the seminar. I hope you enjoy it. The comment I keep getting about is, “I’ve read some of this before, but it’s so cool to hear your story in your voice!
Thanks, Tammy. I just hope I didn’t shoot myself in the foot driving here. But I keep telling myself that if I had stayed in West Virginia, I would not have seen my friend. I can still salvage some of our plans even if it ends up costing me a lot.
Rae,
This statement botheres me:
“I drove without having the rig properly inspected ”
My answer to them would be: “You did not tell me to” Game over!
Gary, that is brilliant. They never once said, “we recommend that you have the motorhome inspected before driving it”, only that I had six months to finalise my claim. Thank you!
Also… You are blameless in this situation! You were run into through no fault of your own. You inspected the damage and reported what you saw on the Blog. You saw no indication that the drive train was involved and the unit drove fine (until it failed). It is easy for them to say these things after the fact but like Gary says, they never told you to have it inspected. You followed all the instructions they gave you.
I wonder what they would have said if you had in fact hired an inspector to check all the running gear for damage? Would they pay for the inspection?
They seem to be forgetting their job as YOUR insurance company is to advocate for you. It is the other guy’s insurance company that will be paying for everything in the end.
(end of rant)
Croft,
Well said!
ANOTHER thing,
What IF?
You were only driving a couple hundred miles a month like me right now. If this was caused by the accident (I believe so) what would happen after a year or so that it took to accumulate that 4000 kilometers and then you had a failure?
Lots of what if’s? I know, but don’t take it on the chin from the insurance company without a battle. Ask for supervisors or arbitration or whatever you have to. You deserve a fair break!
Hopefully none of that will be necessary, but if so, go all in and give them hell. When I have to, I go right to the top with plenty of documentation and I am very successful. Since you like to write like I do, I know you can beat them if needed!
Not trying to tell you what to do, just giving you food for thought about your next move.
Thanks, guys. I have two aces in the hole. The first is that bearing and brake work was done 10K km ago and is nowhere near due for maintenance. The mechanic says that because of this, no one has a leg to stand on claiming that the axle broke because I was overdue for maintenance. My second ace is all the free advertising I’ve done for Aviva over the years and just how many people are reading this blog. I don’t want to pull that card, but if it gets down to it, it’s there.
And, yes, I was rear ended so none of this is my fault. The mechanic says that for a tiny car to have made so much damage to the tow mechanism means there could have been sufficient torque to the chassis to weaken the axle some heat from the breaks could have softened it and then that last bump could have broken it. I need a lot of theories because I know the adjuster is going to have a lot of buts for me.
Rae,
I have sent you a PM to your e-mail rae@uskeba.ca. Some of the info is not presentable for your blog. If you do not get it let me know.
I was just coming back to comment that they -the insurance- said you could ‘carry on’. But l see others have beaten me to it. They are the professionals and should know what is required after a rear end accident.
Unfortunately service only happens it seems with big companies once you push back. It happens with cable, cellphone and insurance companies….and many more, but those are the top three in my opinion.
Just roll up your sleeves and get ready to duke it out with them, they will back down, you just have to sweat a bit first. Pretend it’s a game, it will make it easier on you.
Tammy, that was the other insurance company. I know, it’s getting confusing. 🙂
The appraiser is coming shortly. I have proof that my motorhome was in perfect shape with the maintenance up to date, so since I was rear ended, the onus is on the other guy’s insurance company to prove that the accident did not cause this damage, not the other way around.