Insurance adjuster/policy question (trailer damage)

[2500_Grunt]

Looking for some suggestions/comments on my TT damage from 3 blow outs. Last month we had 3 china blow outs and all 3 tires exploded with in one week while on vacation causing damage to the right and left side of trailer. Long story short...tire mfgr. received tires and confirmed that tread separation was to blame and they will be paying for trailer damage and there is quite a bit. My insurance company told me that they might have to charge me my ded. of $500 3 times ($1500)b/c they occurred on 3 different dates and 3 different tires. Does this sound like a normal and customary policy for a RV? I'd love to search thru my policy doc's but this is a tough scenario to find. I was also told that b/c this is a TT and not a motorhome normally the customer has to go and get all the quotes/estimates then submit them to Ins. for pmt. I requested to have mine looked at by an ins. adjuster so I wouldn't have to drag this to 3 different repair facilities and do the footwork myself. Any suggestions? I only owe $2k on this TT and was hoping to do the repairs myself to some degree and since I have a lien on it still I would have to get approval from leinholder first?

[2500_Grunt]

It ended up not costing me any money. I was cut a check minus the 3 ded. amounts then the MFG. had to pay my ins. When they did I then received another check that reflected the 3 deductible amounts. Hope I never have to go thru that scenario again? Even though I was compensated for this I'm still pissed at MFG. for their "I don't care that it happened to you" attitude. They are getting away with selling this inferior and unsafe product! Someone could have died as a result of any of the 3 blow outs that I had. I now have a new TH with Lt tires on it 🙂

[2012Coleman]

Tom N wrote:
Your insurance company should pay all except the 3 deductibles. They will then go after the tire manufacturer. When the tire manufacturer reimburses your insurance company, your insurance company will send you a check for your deductibles. Net cost to you is zero.

Agree somewhat. If you are talking with the tire manufacturer, and they agreed that they were responsible, then you need to tell them that you want your deductible paid. No money should come from your possestion or to your possetion. So your plan of paying on your TT note with insurance money may not come to frution. It should be betwen the tire co. and your insurance. That way, your decuctible does not go up, abd if it does, then time to switch insurance. Don't depend on the insuurance co going after anyone but you for the deductable - you agreed to it when buying the policy.

[kakampers]

When this happened to us I called insurance company and told them to hold any claim just incase tire mfg. didn't pay...once repair was done and check received....insurance company just deleted record. No need to make this so complicated....

[CapriRacer]

wa8yxm wrote:
If the damage was caused by defective tires, BILL THE TIRE COMPANY. would be my position.. Your insurance company should, I would think, take care of that for you, And not just for the deductible but for the entire damage.

The problem, of course, is the tires were made overseas and that makes it hard to do less the tire company has a US presence.

You would need a professional to explain it all to you, way above my pay grade.

I can explain it.

If you have a tire failure, the easiest thing to do is to turn the claim into the insurance company. They will "subrogate" the tire manufacturer. Subrogate means submit a claim on your behalf.

Tire failures are covered by your comprehensive part of your insurance, not the collision part. In theory, there would be no change in what you pay as comprehensive cover things beyond your control such as hail damage, flood damage, etc. (and please note that some insurance policies have specific exclusions)

Even if the insurance company does not do a subrogation, they are still obligated to handle your claim.

The other way to handle damage due to a tire failure is to handle the claim yourself. This can be, at times, quite difficult and time consuming, as you will need the tire in question to submit with your claim, and you will need to find the manufacturer or the distributor. This can be problematic for overseas manufacturers.

[wa8yxm]

If the damage was caused by defective tires, BILL THE TIRE COMPANY. would be my position.. Your insurance company should, I would think, take care of that for you, And not just for the deductible but for the entire damage.

The problem, of course, is the tires were made overseas and that makes it hard to do less the tire company has a US presence.

You would need a professional to explain it all to you, way above my pay grade.

[2500_Grunt]

Update to an old thread. Traded in this TT months ago and disclosed the damage and repaired it myself cosmetically. To date my ins. has not increased and I'm not sure if Mfg has actually paid my ins. their part for damages but am assuming so? Bought new TH and drove across the street and purchased 5 new Lt tires for the new rig.

[PAThwacker]

I had two claims in less than 3 years and got dropped because of it. First was $1100 damage to rear of popup, next was $12,000 totaled vehicle/bikes. Insurance was then dropped, and having a hard time finding replacement insurance. Fn unreal, drive for 20 plus years no claims, poke a hole in pup: chargeable at fault accident, slam into a stalled car on a 50 mile per hour state road during the rain: chargeable at fault accident (even though PD knew no way in hell could I have been able to stop or avoid the stalled car). Insurance don't give a $hit, and are out to maximize profits.

[Bonefish]

A different type of incident but we had to pay 2 deductables on a single incident.

A drunk idiot without insurance hit my truck sitting in the drive way tearing it up and shoved it into the house tearing up the garage door and bricking. Same insurance carrier and same incident but had to pay the deductable on the homeowners and one for the auto uninsured motorist repair.

[2500_Grunt]

Update: Bank will allow me to fix myself b/c damage amount is less than $2,500 ($1700 actual). I will get check from ins. without paying any ded. and can cash check with Bank's name on it and mine and use for repair costs. The bank also does not require me to take it to a facility for a post inspection because the estimate is less than $10k. Now I just want to make sure that the tire mfg. is going to come thru on paying Ins. on the estimate. Don't want to get a call from ins. stating the tire mfg won't pay?? Hope someone reading this learned something?

[ddschuman]

So are they requiring you to take to repair shop to fix or will they release check to you? If to you, you will never have to actually pay the deductible. Just wait until tire manufacturer reimburses insurance and you get the other $1000 and begin work. If you are allowed to fix yourself, you may actually be able to fix prior to receiving deductible reimbursement from tire company because you will have no labor expense compared to repair shop. With that said, if it works out that way (you are able to fix with the first check) and if it were me, i'd take the 1000 deductible reimbursement once received and apply it to the note. If the check is made out to you and the lien holder, just ask them (lien holder) if they will release funds to you for repairs. If so, deposit money in your account and use for repairs. My bank would do that for me, especially if I only owed $2000. Again, good luck. It sucks dealing with insurance but after working in it for so long, I am definitely not insurance poor. We have a policy for everything.

[2500_Grunt]

Just spoke with adjuster. They have decided to require me to use/pay 2 of the $500 ded. for the 3 blow outs. Not negotiable! The whole lien issue is "an AZ state law" per the adjuster.

[beemerphile1]

2500 Grunt wrote:
Lien holder still owns rv and owns all rights on repairs till it is payed off.

You own the RV, the lien holder owns the lien. It is yours to do with as you wish as long as you make your payments.

doxiemom11 wrote:
3 "not at fault" comprehensive claims should not affect the insurance. Also, the claims rules also include a dollar amount of claims paid. If recovery is made from the tire company, then amount paid is -0- and would not count.

If you simply make a phone call inquiring about making a claim the insurance companies make note of it and it goes in your file. Everything counts. Multiple comprehensive claims very well may result in cancellation or premium increase. A lot of people don't realize that insurance carriers also share this info with other insurance carriers and it is all available to the underwriters when a policy is written or reviewed.

[dodge_guy]

Gale Hawkins wrote:
Yes you had three separate losses per your post. It is good the tire company is going to reimburse. The wording of your policy rules the day.

Yes, but only 1 claim! unless the OP called in each tire blowout (3) separately. but either way the tire manuf. agreed to repair so the OP`s insurance should not be involved.

[doxiemom11]

3 "not at fault" comprehensive claims should not affect the insurance. Also, the claims rules also include a dollar amount of claims paid. If recovery is made from the tire company, then amount paid is -0- and would not count.