mandpete

My husband broke his ankle at our friends' house on Labor Day weekend.

Last week we got a letter from a subrogation company acting on behalf of our health insurance company. We have to give them our friends' name and address as they are liable for hubby's medical costs. We don't want to sue our friends but because hubby inadvertantly told the hospital it happened at a friends' party we have no choice.

Being British we don't know whether to sue for our out of pocket expenses too, which at the moment are over $1,000.

Our friends have told us not to worry about it as their insurance will cover the costs but we still feel really bad doing it.

Lizzi

Blimey. I'm still getting over the fact that it's your friends fault cos it was done in their house!!!
If it's down to their insurance and they're ok with it all I'd claim the $1000 out of pocket expenses (that's alot of taxis innit? )

mandpete

Hubby slipped playing (drunken) soccer on their wet grass which I cannot believe is our friends' fault but there you go.

I should charge hubby for taxi services as I spent 6 weeks driving him here, there and everywhere.

The $1,000 is only what we have had to pay out in medical costs which weren't covered by insurance.

NC Penguin

Don't consider it your friend's "fault". The accident simply occured on your friend's property.

If that friend has good home insurance, he should have adequate cover for occurances such as what happened to your husband.



NC Penguin

Bob

Sue 'em...it sucks, but it's what they pay home decent home insurance to cover

anotherlimey

Now I realise why American Football players wear all that padding

ironporer

Reminds me of the owner of a small manufacuring company who who injured himself at work, due to some action or situation that he (as owner) was responsible for. He (as an employee) sued the company and the insurance had to pay the claim.

You gotta' love it...only in America.

Manc

Insurance companies don't tend to lose money, I'd hate to see what his workers comp premium was the next year.........

ladylisa

Not that I have a garden or anything but what part of your insurance actually pays this type of claim. I dont have buildings insurance only contents..I have to say this type of thing makes my blood boil, its an utter disgrace! Can someone please tell me at what point do we take responsibility for our own actions, no bloody wonder this country is screwed up.

Angry White Pyjamas

Renters insurance should also include liability insurance.

You dont take responsibility....its always someone elses fault. Any lawyer will tell you that.

Manc

It's one insurance company sueing another insurance company.

happens all the time.

BigDavyG

Endless cycle.
The insurance companies get paid, the lawyers get paid and everyone else gets screwed.

mandpete

Hubby wanted to be responsible for his own actions but the health insurance thought otherwise.

We have to make a claim against our friends' liability insurance.

Hubby was drunk so I assume our friends could be blamed for supplying him with alcohol . The grass was wet because there was about 30 people using our friends' pool, so I guess it's their fault for having a pool in the first place .

Personally I think it was my husband's own stupid fault for drinking far too much and then trying to show off his footballing skills in front of friends and our teenage son .

ScousePete

Won't their premiums increase because of this?

Angry White Pyjamas

And that is one of the big differences between Brit attitudes (in the main) and US attitudes (in the main)...If we are dumb enough to hurt ourselves doing something stupid then we laugh at it and carry on. Americans need someone/something to blame. (not all oh not not at all all of them though).

On an aside I heard on the radio about some welsh bloke that just got 14 days in the slammer for trying to make a fraudulent claim against the council saying he tripped over a paving slab and hurt his knee when infact he did it playing footy. Duh!