Insurance experiences

I've just read the recent post about AAMI insurance where it was suggested that people recount their insurance experiences for the possible future benefit of others.

I have comprehensive cover with AAMI, and recently made a claim which resulted from off road use. I was on a State Forest trail and I got bogged in a mud hole which was almost waist deep in water. I extricated the vehicle backwards using logs and rocks to gain traction. To cut a long story short, the vehicle had panel damage to the left side sill and doors, a damaged tailgate and rear bumper as well as internal water damage. The damage was caused by logs etc which were thrown up or jammed against the vehicle during extrication.

When I made my claim AAMI wanted to classify the damage as 2 claims ( with 2 lots of excess ) because the damage was in separate areas of the vehicle and therefore must have happened at different times. After considerable debate before and during the assessment process, to my relief they agreed to make it one claim. In the end it came down to accepting my version of events as being the truth, the fact that my vehicle is in top condition for it's age and to my persistence.

I was apprehensive when I made the claim, expecting to be questioned about the place and circumstances of the incident. What I did'nt expect was to be potentially slugged with a second excess payment.

The lesson that I have learned is not to lodge a claim by phone where the incident requires a complex explanation, but instead to put it in writing.