Insurance claims rejected after Muswellbrook earthquake

More than two months after the earthquake struck the New South Wales mining town of Muswellbrook, Jade Richardson still cannot use her bathroom.

There have been more than 50 earthquakes in or near Muswellbrook since August, including a magnitude 4.1 that hit the town yesterday.

The larger quake, with a magnitude of 4.7, saw brick chimneys collapse in Muswellbrook and shops close when roofs and walls collapsed.

Now, homeowners like Richardson say their insurance companies have denied their damage claims, even though their insurance policies cover earthquakes.

Jade Richardson and her husband Michael say their insurance claim has been denied. (Supplied: Jade Richardson)

“Cracks in the tiles [in the shower] “It's so bad that we're worried we'll destroy the waterproofing if we use it,” Ms Richardson said.

Its roof and walls also have large cracks, and the construction report stated that the earthquake was the cause.

However, Richardson's claim to repair the damage was denied by her insurer, Allianz, after an engineer hired by the company said the damage was pre-existing due to general soil movement.

Jade Richardson is concerned about water damage after tiles crack. (Supplied: Jade Richardson)

She has now taken her case to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

“They did [Allianz] “They acknowledged that one of the builders said this was earthquake damage, but they are not paying it because of the previous cracks,” Ms Richardson said.

“This to me seems completely unfair.”

The ordeal made Ms. Richardson question the importance of getting home insurance.

“I've been paying for this policy for about nine years, and the only time I've ever claimed it, for something I witnessed happen, they told me no,” she said.

Allianz declined an interview, but said in a statement to ABC that it “strives to deliver on the policy promises we make to our customers and take their opinions seriously on our initial decisions.”

Allianz said it was seeking additional reports from different engineering firms on some earthquake claims, which had led to different results in some cases.

Community anger

Other homeowners in the area face the same predicament.

When the earthquake struck in August, Troy Museo's world was shaken in a different way.

download…

His six-year-old son, Tom, was in the midst of treatment for leukemia.

“We have a lot of emotional turmoil and constant stress,” Mr. Museo said.

“We are almost a year into the cancer battle and have another 16 to 18 months of treatment ahead of us.”

While facing a battle against his insurance company, Troy Museo's son, Tom, suffers from leukemia. (Supplied: Troy Museo)

Mr Mussio owns an investment property in Muswellbrook.

He filed a claim with his insurance company, Allianz, after visible cracks appeared in the walls of his property.

“We've had some comments that they've denied the claim, that they're not accepting it and it's all pre-existing damage due to soil movement,” Mossio said.

He now faces a long battle with his insurance company as it continues to review his claim.

“It takes away our focus and energy from our son's battle with cancer, and we shouldn't do that,” Musio said.

“We should not have to deal with a large multinational insurance company that abdicates its responsibilities instead of taking care of our son in the best way possible.”

Allianz said it would review Mr. Mossio's claim based on additional evidence provided to it.

Troy Museo is frustrated that fighting with his insurance company is taking the focus away from caring for his son. (Supplied: Troy Museo)

Groundhog Day

In October, a federal investigation into how insurance companies handled the 2022 floods found they “failed too many people.”

Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi said the situation at Muswellbrook felt like a “groundhog day” with insurance companies.

Dan Repaccioli described the insurance companies' behavior as “disgraceful.” (ABC Upper Hunter: Amelia Bernasconi)

“It's absolutely disgusting [behaviour] “By these insurance companies, what are they doing to these poor people who have been exposed to more than 45 earthquakes in the past 60 days.”

Inquire about federal flood insurance

A federal flood insurance investigation found evidence of systemic problems during the 2022 floods.

“It's an absolute disgrace and they should really pull their heads back.”

NSW Premier Chris Means has also expressed his frustration with insurance companies.

“People often pay for lifetime insurance and expect cover to be there when things go wrong,” he said.

“Wherever we see it, we call out and demand that insurance companies be on the scene.”

To assist the community with the clean-up, Muswellbrook Shire Council is seeking to issue a natural disaster declaration for the earthquake swarm.

Jeff Drayton says he shares the frustration of residents struggling with insurance claims. (ABC Upper Hunter: Jake Lapham)

Mayor Jeff Drayton said he is very frustrated with the situation with both the government and insurance companies.

“Some of the damage to the community is very severe,” he said.

“There are certainly a number of people who are concerned about whether their homes are safe to continue living in.”

Find more local news

Browse your site and find more local ABC news and information

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos