Tire Blow Outs and Trailer Damage??

[Rob Petrie E395]

Originally Posted by Barb

My Insurance Company is freaking out, of course, and making life miserable. My adjuster knows nothing about trailers and would rather pay the $2,000. tow to PA from NJ on a flat bed, than reimburse me for the fuel to get the trailer to Goldrush…what an idiot!! The funny thing is, as a body shop Manager, this is the first claim I have ever submitted for myself, and I find the shoe on my other foot, is a little tight right now.
Barb Seemann

On july 21 of 06 a bad storm came thru southern IL and my 29 day old 44ft Haulmark Edge and dually were flipped on their side. Original adjuster said I am no expert but we can fix it. After towing to 3 difffernt haulmark dealers and getting told no way will we touch it St farm finally said to tow it to Elkhart IN haulmark factory(about a 6 hr tow) . Man did the adjuster pucker up tight when the Haulmark people came outside took one look and said and I quote "I told you guys you were wasting your money and this guys time bringing this trailer up here (he had already seen pictures of it) yea we can fix it we can fix anything with enoughf time and money or we can go across the road and hook him on to another new one for about 10,000 dollars less that it will cost to fix this one. St Farm guy up there told me to leave the trailer and they would work somthing out with Haulmark. I got about 25 min down the road to come home and my cell phone rings "can you come back and see if they have something here in stock that fits your needs" by the time it was all done I had paid 27 dollars for 29 days of insurance and it cost them over 40,000 to replace a 32,000 dollar trailer when all the towing bills and what not were paid. Not to mention I ended up with a nicer trailer with more options because thats all haulmark had available. Hang in there I feel your pain having gone thru dealing with trailer damage claims. Bottom line hold your ground and dont let them make you take it to some hack that does not know what they are doing.

[Barb]

There is a ton of B.S., I'm just glossing over most. I can't officially place the 6 page claim in with Goodyear, until I have the printed estimate from the Insurance Company. Who outsourced the job to a independent adjusting firm, who at this point can't understand the trailer estimate. The estimate lumps parts and labor operations together with no other explanations or labor rates.
There will be no one to explain it to the adjuster until next week. There is no estimating software for trailer repairs, so they had to hand type it up. I could make 14,000. a 12 page estimate without batting an eye...I forsee many problems coming.

The other thing is storage, I pretty much have to gut the trailer of cars and most of the stock it it. This is not covered according to my personal Insurance Idiot...and the Vega sustained a bit of damage, which is not covered either. We'll see the extent of damage to Tom's car when we unload at Atco. Looking forward to that.
Barb

[Rob Petrie E395]

Originally Posted by Barb

The other thing is storage, I pretty much have to gut the trailer of cars and most of the stock it it. This is not covered according to my personal Insurance Idiot...and the Vega sustained a bit of damage, which is not covered either. We'll see the extent of damage to Tom's car when we unload at Atco. Looking forward to that.
Barb

This is auctually the one place St Farm was good to me. We both knew that if the trailer was fixable it was going to take months to do so. They told me before heading north with it to remove anything and everything in case the trailer did end up being totaled. They only offered 3 hours at their rate of $55 and said they would pay for boxes of rivots to rehang the pitpal and other stuff I had monunted in the trailer. I was auctually shocked that they offered. They wanted to haul mine on a lowboy up there untill they got a price from the trucking company. Then they offered 32 cents per mile and I laughfed, I ended up getting 88 cents per mine going up and back and a night in a motel after tons of haggeling. Hang in there and hold your line as soon as you start to give in and try to work with them is when it really gets bad cause they think they got you. Remember a insurance adjusters job is to settle the claim with the least amount of money possible.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Rob Petrie E395

They wanted to haul mine on a lowboy up there untill they got a price from the trucking company. Then they offered 32 cents per mile and I laughfed, I ended up getting 88 cents per mine going up and back

This was one of my first mistakes, sort of...I argued that the Low-Boy was a complete waste of money and that they could just reimburse me for the expenses and I tow it up there, After all it is only 3 hours away on a safe truck route, about 140 Miles. My Insurance Idiot said I was being Nit picky...I just about exploded, but a measured out the words and asked how I was to know an answer to a question unless I asked it and was there someone else I should be speaking to since he seemed personally offended by my questions and felt he needed to be rude...
He then called again yesterday, asked how things were going with the repairs, had I started them yet, etc.... I said that last I checked, I had not received a written estimate from them and most certainly I would have noticed such large check in the mailbox. He then said to just bring it to Goldrush, they would work with me, knowing the check was coming from the prestigious NJM. Goldrush laughed out load at that one, and unless I sign a direction of payment or an authorization to repair to Goldrush, my Insurance Idiot would be breaking the laws in NJ. I should have the paperwork Monday, so they say.
Insurance Idot!!
Goodyear did receive the tire, but will not examine the tire, until they have the Official Claim paperwork, that is waiting for my Insurance Idiot.
I need this weekend off at Atco, I'd go and sit in the rain, rather than talk to this guy again this week.
Barb