Anyone ever had to make a claim on liability insurance?

[Bob Foster]

Just curious what types of claims you needed to put through on your carpet cleaning liability insurance. Any hassle with your insurance company?

Nothing happened to me or my business, just looking to close the loop on any liability issues.

 

[Ron Werner]

I was cleaning furn, ran the hose through the kitchen and the soln line bubbled the lino flooring. I was running Neptune hose and the water was hitting boiling.

My one and only claim.
I just called the insurance company, gave them the information, they took care of everything else.
That happened over 10yrs ago. Been cleaning for those people ever since.
GNK Ins just saved me around a hundred per year on my premiums.

 

[ACE]

Nothing with the carpet cleaning business.

I had a claim with my janitorial business 10 years ago. I had a contract with the cable / local news company. They cleaned out some video form their shelves and filled out trash barrel by the back door full and also two boxes beside the trash barrel that were supposed to go off to storage. My employee throws it all in the trash. They put in a claim with my insurance for 100K based on original production cost. The tapes contained allot of exclusive footage of sports stars like Danny Manning. I’m sure they never got a dime from my insurance.
If you’re doing the work yourself the chances of a claim drop 1000%.

 

[rwcarpet]

I backed into a Custys Chevy Blazer while leaving a job one night. It was dark, and the Blazer was dark, and it pulled right behind me. I couldn't see it, and backed into the side. I thought I could just pay for the damage until I got the estimate back.

I do always check under and around my van before leaving a job, just incase a pet or kid might be under there.

 

[The Great Oz]

The only time we use insurance is if something really expensive occurs, like driving through a building, or a customer demands a complete rebuild of their house because we scratched a cabinet.

Some people think that making a claim will result in an insurance company writing a big check because it's easier than going to court to fight the claim. I usually advise customers that turning a claim over to our insurance company will result in an investigation by the insurance company, an determination of the actual amount of loss, and that the insurance company knows that there is NO SUCH THING as sentimental value in law.

 

[J Scott W]

Twice in about 25 years. Both times on restoration jobs, not on carpet cleaning. Neither time I did feel they had a valid claim. But one time the insurance said it was easier to pay than to fight. The second claim, we were sued for $30,000. The judge said I'm going to give you $1,000. The he told us we could appeal if we wanted to. Never really considered the facts. The person making the claim settled for $700 rather than risk having us appeal and win.

We have broken a few lamps and such and just paid out the cost plus gave a free cleaning.

 

[ACE]

I had a nasty slip and fall incident today. I was cleaning an occupied section 8 because the lady got drunk and pissed all over her carpet. I told her 2 minutes earlier the tile is going to be really slippery. She may have been drunk at the time. I let the landlord know in case there was a claim. He told me by the way,I’m supposed to bill the tenant for that job. So, I might get sued and I defiantly won’t get paid for the job.

I hope to price myself out of the low end rental market soon :x .

 

[Ron Werner]

don't ya just love when they tell you AFTER the job to bill the tenant? !!

Here's hoping she's too drunk to remember how and why she slipped

 

[Darren Styles]

I recently had a claim with my insurance. I was drying out an empty apartment from a flood and my air mover over heated, melted and caught fire. One hell of a way to get a fire job but I got it!

 

[harryhides]

We've had a few, burnt the front of a house, bust a few windows, dented some walls and ruined a priceless antique piece of furniture with a plastic clipboard.

Most riders on you policy do not cost much, be sure to have "care and custody" so that if you have furniture or rugs in you place they are covered.

Insurance Companies were usually pretty good in most cases.

 

[FLYERMAN]

I second the advice about getting "care custody and control" insurance.

I broke a $12K ivory carving, she never even made a claim on my insurance.

I put the iron on too high and melted some carpet right through the towel.

I put some citrus spotter down and didn't extract it completely and it delaminated the carpet.

Oh and a few windows I broke in the window cleaning business I just paid out of pocket.

 

[Ed]

2, both of them equipment related.

I bought a Recoil from Cross American about 12 years ago, and on the 1st job I used it on, some fitting came loose and flooded the living room carpet, sprayed the walls with water. I was so flustered after extracting most of the water, I forgot to tab the sofa. Furniture stains that couldn't be removed. Replaced 58 yds of carpet.

About 6 years ago, I parked one of my Butlers along the curb in front of one of my customer's home to remove a wicked back spot from a cleaning the previous day. 10 minute job. Pulled hoses in, pre-sprayed, cupped off the vac hose to increse RPMs. All of a sudden, the hoses start flying out of the house. I run outside to see my van slam into a car, jump a curb on the opposite side of the street and barely missing an old lady walking down the side walk, then slam into a home on the other side of the street. That one cost about $10,000. The fail safe mechanism that is supposed to keep the machine from engaging if the van isn't in park.....failed I thought I had put the van in park, but it was between park and reverse. When the RPMs kicked up, she took off.

 

[SMRBAP]

Never on anything less than $5000, and never on anything cleaning related. Currently being sued for $750,000 however, on a claim where the owner refused to let us remove unsalvageable wet materials, open a wall, and over 2 months later found "mold".

She never had an air quality test pulled, but had a $7000 abatement performed because of a tape sample diagnosis of "high" on some growth on an entertainment center, that we originally wanted to remove but were not allowed to, and claimed there was standing water in her basement SIXTY DAYS after we dried it, but refuses to agree any chance of a secondary water loss. . . . . yes, after 6 days with 20 air movers and 2 2400's, and another 60 days, there was still standing water on a cement floor . . . but no secondary loss. . .totally believable . . . .

But she is willing to settle for a cool $120k

Court date set for late October - praying she lies on the stand so I have grounds to counter sue. . .

 

[Ed]

Wow. I hope you documented everything well. Anytime a policy holder refuses to allow us to follow IICRC standards, at the very least we ask them to sign a document stating that they were informed of the IICRC standard and reasons why it should be followed, but they are requesting we do not follow this standard and they cannont and will not hold us liable for any damage that results from their decision. Either that or wee pack up and leave. Before, during and after pics including meter readings of affected structural materials.

Good luck with this.