Storm leaves dangerous asbestos fence strewn across yard in insurance battle
Storm damage has created an asbestos nightmare for one Queensland woman, with her insurer treating the health hazard like any ordinary fence repair. See the damage here.
A Warwick woman has been left to deal with an asbestos ridden fence destroyed in storms, claiming her insurance company isn’t taking the issue seriously.
Angela Dashiell is among a number of residents whose yards were battered by fallen trees and destructive winds, with her damaged fence now strewn across her neighbour’s driveway.
Both Ms Dashiell and her neighbours have dogs, which now have to be kept from approaching the front yard.
Ms Dashiell’s attempts to arrange an inspection and quote through a building company recommended by her insurer, AAMI, were less than fruitful.
She claims the company told her they couldn’t provide an estimated time of when they would be available to visit the property, as they considered Warwick a “remote area”.
Now tasked with finding a company to remove the fence on her own, Ms Dashiell was told she would have to wait at least 10 business days from when a quote is submitted just to find out if it was successful.
“It’s a health risk to leave it lying there, I would think it would be a priority (for AAMI),” Ms Dashiell said.
“If it was just any old fence I wouldn’t be worried about it, but it’s not something I can get rid of on my own, I can’t go near it.”
Ms Dashiell said she’s been left bewildered by the lack of urgency from AAMI to have the fence removed.
An AAMI spokesperson said the insurer had resceived thousands of claims related to the hail event in Queensland and NSW from November 21 to November 23.
“We work closely with our customers to process their claim as quickly as possible, including arranging to make their home safe, assessing the damage, and working with the customer on organising for repairs to be made,” the spokesperson said.
“For asbestos-related claims, AAMI works with the customer as quickly as possible to make their home safe, and ensure safety measures are put in place while the repairs are being organised.”
