Took A Tumble Down The Stairs

[Cybyassociation]

I feel so inadequate coming to CF for answers like this, but I've seen them answered before, so I might as well ask away. I posted this in the weather thread the other day, but I just heard back from the apartment complex so I will give a recap:

Tuesday morning I was coming out of my apartment to get into my car to go to work. It was approximately 7:20am when I left my apartment. I had my keys in my right hand and my bag in my left. Inside of my bag I had my Kindle Fire tablet. The steps were not shoveled. I went to step down the first step and went down. As I braced myself for the fall, I slammed my bag on the steps which ended up shattering my Kindle screen. I'm fine, not hurt, just my pride.

I reported the incident to the apartment complex, wrote down exactly what happened, took pictures of the broken screen, gave them my number. They called back today leaving a message saying my renters insurance should cover that.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't my renters insurance cover my property inside of my dwelling and liability of people get injured within my dwelling? Since this happened outside of my dwelling but on the apartment complex's property, shouldn't their liability insurance cover the cost of my broken device? My insurance agent said my renters insurance would not cover that and if it did, it would have a $500 deductible, not worth it.

Thoughts?

 

[keepngoal]

If you really want to pursue this.... It will end up in small claims court.

 

[3TrueFans]

Well that sucks, doesn't seem like renters insurance would cover something like that.

 

[Agclone91]

If you really want to pursue this.... It will end up in small claims court.

Kind of what I was thinking. It sounds like the apartment company and insurance company just want to point fingers over a couple hundered dollars. Probably going to take more of your time and money than what it will be worth.

 

[Cybyassociation]

Kind of what I was thinking. It sounds like the apartment company and insurance company just want to point fingers over a couple hundered dollars. Probably going to take more of your time and money than what it will be worth.

That was my thinking. The Kindle itself is not very expensive, it is more so the fact that I fell down their un-shoveled steps and they're taking no responsibility. Oh well, lost pride and a few hundred dollars.

 

[SoapyCy]

My FIL is an insurance agent I asked him about this situation.

He said most renter's policies cover theft and damage to the inside of your leased space and outside items like locked bikes, etc. He said the complex not shoveling their stairs wouldn't be covered because the way the insurance company sees it (and your policy may be different of course) is that the complex has liability insurance for the exterior of their properties so your policy would not cover anything their policy covered. You can file a claim with your policy (probably not worth the ding on your report) and they could go after the complex but the value of the Kindle is probably less than your deductible anyway.

I asked him what would happen if you would have broken your neck and he said your attorney would get involved because if the complex denied the claim more than likely any judgement would cover legal and medical expenses so they would not fight it. For something as inexpensive as a Kindle it's worth denying because they know you'll just buy a new one instead of pursuing it.

Again, your policies could be different but my guess is all insurance companies operate within the same realm of shadiness and immorality.