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Thread: My insurer says won't pay for some of Roo damage

  1. #1
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    My insurer says won't pay for some of Roo damage

    I hit a full grown male roo head on at, around 100kph, in my Puma. The bull bar got a small bend, and the spotlights pushed back through the grill, so not much damage really, despite the big hit.

    However, some other damage also occurred, which my insurer tells me they don't see as being related and won't cover...

    1. The radio ejected out of the dash, and was hanging by the wires, as an immediate consequence of the hit...never happened before in the Puma's 240,000 km life. The insurer says it couldn't have been installed correctly!!! Never-the-less it happened before my eyes, and I can only assume it must have been some sort of recoil effect.

    2. The air conditioning stopped working. It had been working before the impact, but not after. The insurer doesn't accept this, but says it still is gassed up.

    3. The radiator moved up about 10-15mm on the RH side, making it difficult to remove the fan cover. The insurer can see no damage that could have made this move & doesn't accept it as part of the claim. I regularly remove it for maintenance checks, and it's quite obvious that it has moved.

    I think the insurer is either trying to weasel out on their cover, or he does not understand what can happen in a vehicle with no crumple zone to absorb the impact, which, in a Defender, carries right through to anything attached to the chassis.

    Any comments or experience from others that could help by argument with the insurer would be most welcome please.

    Cheers
    Brid

  2. #2
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    Get a 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinion and show insurance

  3. #3
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    Which insurance company?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sprint View Post
    Which insurance company?
    Careful !

    Best not to publicly name them here, at this stage... Do it via PM for those who really need to know...

    Incisor has already been bitten this year by legal threats....

    But I've never had a radio fall out of its mountings, not even in the Passat driving fast over the unsealed Nullabor... Rest of the car fell apart...but my stereo stayed put.

    'Roo? - or hippo standing on its hind legs ?

  5. #5
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    At this stage, I won't mention their name, as to be fair, I'll give the assessor the benefit of the doubt that he is not as competent as he should be. If they don't do the right thing, I'd be prepared to mention them, so long as it doesn't contravene forum rules.

    Also, the Puma is with their repairer. I need it fixed ASAP, so I'm just after any experience of seemingly unrelated damage due to the impact energy being transmitted along the chassis to parts remote from the point of impact.

    Any engineers out there who could comment with authority (even in general terms)?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brid View Post
    I need it fixed ASAP
    they got you by the balls.

  7. #7
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    Have you spoken to the repairer - what do they think? Have they removed the grill and inspected the front panel closely?

    It is certainly possible for the force of impact to damage other items. Either the insurance are being bastards or they think are trying to get a bunch of other faults fixed for free (which many people probably do unfortunately).

    They may have a point on the radio, however it was still damaged as a direct result of the accident.

    If the spotlights were pushed back through the grill, it could easily have moved the rad support back.

    AC - piping damage or dislodged AC connector?


    Repairers usually have to wait 3-6 months to get their cash from the insurer, the easiest path may just be to see how much $$$ they want to fix the other items while they are on the job.

    It is unfortunately possible that LR may not have tightened some fixings properly...

  8. #8
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    I have spoken to an engineer, who calculates that hitting a 65kg roo at 100kph in a vehicle with no energy absorbing crumple zone will certainly release enough energy through the chassis, body, etc to cause damage to items remote from the point of impact.

    The bulk of the energy is absorbed in the crumple zone (where fitted), causing significant damage there, and lowering the chances of damage remote from the point of impact. I'm looking forward to a written statement. And hopefully the assessor can then appreciate the facts. If not, I'll know they are just trying to weasel their way out of their obligations.

  9. #9
    jplambs Guest
    I had a side impact from a roo in the puma, took out the airflow sensor I've a foot from any damaged components. No referred damage from frontal impact as yet.

  10. #10
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    Good luck with it Brid, sound like a battle you don't need.
    What type or brand of bull bar did you have. Sounds like it didn't crush back onto the grill.
    Jason

    2010 130 TDCi

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