Location: Kentucky(US)
My bathtub faucet had a major drip and I decided to call a plumber to fix. About an hour into the work he cut a hole into the wall began to Solder. All the insulation behind it caught on fire and went up into the attic and over into the next unit. Plumber admitted guilt.
A restoration service has already came out and clean out items like clothes, bed, furniture etc.
They said main bathroom needs everything fixed, floors, walls, bathtub/shower, toilet, sink/vanity
New carpet and floors in bedroom, new walls ceiling in 2nd bathroom, floors and already buckling in hallway and living room and kitchen.
Restoration company estimated fix for everything is 45k-50
Adjuster from Plumbers side came out and waiting on official word on what they are gonna cover, my insurance is persistent on me not filling at all and make it up to them since they are liable.
Today my insurance called me today and talked to the Plumbers insurance. While it’s not the final word, he told me they will cover the restoration service which is about 25K but only about 18k for damages. So in total about 46-48K
I feel like 18K is just enough for materials imo. The bathroom alone will be about half that, 8-9k
Floors are expensive and I want back the kinda floors I had, not cheaper. Also I was told they will cover hotel cost since my place is non livable. BUT I have to pay everything up front then they will pay me back. That’s about 1k a week on top of my mortgage I have to keep paying. I can’t do that!
So my question to you guys is and it’s probably obvious, Do I need to get in contact with a Lawyer? I’m stressed asf! Even my insurance told me he thought it was a good deal. Nobody seems to be on my side. I feel like I’m being low balled. Im not expecting a huge payout and get rich. I just want everything fixed without me spending a penny. I’m out of my home for at least 5 months!
Comments
>Do I need to get in contact with a Lawyer?
No. You need to make your insurance company process the claim.
>I just want everything fixed without me spending a penny.
There are two ways in which that may not be realistic:
Their expectation that you pay for housing and they’ll reimburse you is just how this works. If you can’t or don’t want to swing that (I agree) then your insurance company is the solution.
There may to some extent be some depreciation to account for here. Your insurance (generally) covers replacement cost. But liability doesn’t exactly work that way and there may be some gaps.
We we at the end of the day fighting over a $1,000 – $4,000 gap? That actually seems to suggest you’re remarkably close, not getting lowballed.
The difference is 1k in the low end or 2k in the high end. That sucks I know, but with insurance that’s actually a really good offer. Tell your insurance to keep pushing, but I wouldn’t be mad if this is the final settlement.