Often as a lawyer, we cannot tell the stories that our clients have gone through. This story happened to our Partner Erika Hachey and is a real-life example of how an insurance claim is processed in New Brunswick.
It was Friday March 6, 2020. Erika was getting ready for her daughter’s birthday party, which was taking place the next day. In her usual frenzy of cleaning, she threw a load of clothes in the wash. Normally she would only run the washer while she was home, however she was in a rush and left for work.
Around 2:30pm, Erika gets a frantic call from her father-in-law, who had gone over to the house to prepare for the party. The washer had overflowed and the water was EVERYWHERE.
Erika immediately called her insurance provider, who said an adjuster would call her shortly. In the meantime, she took photographs of the water as her husband and father-in-law cleaned it up.
The adjuster called within 40 minutes and said he was on his way. It was the start of March break, and many people were on vacation. The adjuster called the property restoration company of Erika’s choice, and they were also there within the hour.
The emergency clean up was done quickly. All the carpet was torn out of the basement, which was dripping wet. Any items which were water logged were put in a pile.
The adjuster found a rental house nearby for them and their two young children to move into. He hoped it would be for only a month or two, which was shocking. He told them to be ready to move within a few days.
The washer had been serviced only a few months earlier, which Erika told to the adjuster. He had an engineer come into the house and take the washer apart to see if the service company could be held responsible for the water leak.
In the meantime, a moving company was called to move all the items in the home into storage. The moving company alone took a week, as everything in the main part of the house had to be boxed up.
Unfortunately the move had to take place on her daughter’s birthday, with a small celebration at the new rental house. Two days later, the COVID lockdown hit. Everything came to a halt in the world, including with the restoration process.
Erika picked out new kitchen cabinets through email and being 6 feet away at all times.
Trevor and his company also created a proof of loss list of all the items that had been destroyed in the flood. This was difficult to review as most of the items were still in storage, and everyone was on lockdown.
The restoration crew were only allowed to work one person at a time inside, so this also delayed construction, through no fault of their own. Everyone was lovely to deal with, however the added stress and frustration was difficult, and at times emotional.
Finally, almost exactly two months after the washer malfunctioned, Erika and her family could move back into the house. The saga was not over however, as the insurance company refused to pay for the kitchen cabinets to be replaced. They stated that the upper cabinets could remain, even though the bottom cabinets had been ruined by the water and had to be removed.
Of course, Erika sued the insurance company. But that’s another story.
If you’re dealing with property damage and struggling with insurance companies, you don’t have to do it alone. Let Moss Hachey Law help you get the compensation you deserve. Based in New Brunswick, we’re here to fight for you. Call us today.
