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Priceless - 4/15/2006 4:33:40 PM
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Medulus
Posts: 366
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Lake Ariel, PA
Status: offline
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There are recurring problems in claim handling that never cease to arise, never seem to have a perfect solution, and never go away. One of these is the issue of how to handle personal photos lost in a fire, flood, or hurricane. I have many times received a personal property inventory that includes "Personal Photos ... Priceless" or which includes some exorbitant figure attached to them. The problems are obvious and include:
1. Hardly anyone ever counts their personal photos, so we rarely have a number attached to this item.
2. Personal Photos cannot be replaced, especially photos from a period of time before they were taken by digital camera and routinely backed up on CD.
3. Personal Photos are beyond measure in value to the insured and without value to everyone else.
4. Emotions are attached to these items as they are the record of captured memories, expressions of people and events caught photographically in time and space as they once were. These events and people (at least in that stage of life in which their photo was taken) cannot be retrieved except in fleeting memories.
Some insurance carriers have a standardized way in which claims for personal photos are handled. Others leave the problem to be solved afresh each time it arises. Ultimately, since insurance policies cannot reimburse for sentimental value, what is owed is for the cost of film and developing - less depreciation. This does not sit well with many insureds. When emotions are involved, cold and rational decision-making has many pitfalls.
I would be interested to hear some of the ways that others have dealt with this issue.
< Message edited by Medulus -- 4/15/2006 5:08:27 PM >
_____________________________
Steve Ebner
"With great power comes great responsibility." (Stanley Lieber, Amazing Fantasy # 15 August 1962)
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RE: Priceless - 4/16/2006 1:14:17 PM
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shadow
Posts: 51
Joined: 5/10/2004
Home base: houston texas usa
Status: offline
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Steve,
This is indeed a very touchy subject however you have pretty much covered it. I would however like to add that even with older photos where water damage may have occured or some smoke and heat damage it is possible to digitally recreate the original photo using digital scanners and photo enhancement tools such as Photoshop. While I understand this process can be expensive and in no way covered by the policy it may be of some comfort to the insured that you bothered to research the issue and have at least tried to help them find a solution. There are compnanies out there that specialize in this type of recovery effort. You may want to run a google search and maybe present a list of such companies to the insured. It may soften the fact that their personal memories have no real monetary value.
_____________________________
perfect worlds are hard to find
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RE: Priceless - 4/16/2006 1:49:03 PM
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Catmandale
Posts: 48
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Bakersfield, CA
Status: offline
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The priceless part is the memory.
What can be compensated is the film, developing and the album where they were contained.
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RE: Priceless - 4/16/2006 6:56:36 PM
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ranger
Posts: 186
Joined: 11/20/2004
Home base: Bonham, Texas
Status: offline
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There are photo services in any large city that can restore a photo if there is anything left such as Meisel in Dallas, Texas. If the photo cannot be restored I would allow the cost of the film and developing for the number of rolls it took to produce those photos and the developing costs that any film store in the area would charge. I have not had a claim where digital phots were involved, however I would beleve all that is owed is for the damaged storage device, the ink and the paper it took for the damaged photos.
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RE: Priceless - 4/16/2006 7:46:03 PM
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shadow
Posts: 51
Joined: 5/10/2004
Home base: houston texas usa
Status: offline
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I don't think anyone including myself or Medulus is questioning what is compensable that part is fairly self evident in any policy I believe the question was how would you handle it. I just stated how I would handle it if I were the adjuster. I always try to keep in mind that from either side of the fence there is more involved than the numbers for the insured. The adjusters and contractors involved only stand to gain from the experience while the insured is the ONLY one losing in the long run. Therefore I try and deal with all involved with that fact foremost in my mind.
_____________________________
perfect worlds are hard to find
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RE: Priceless - 4/16/2006 9:25:11 PM
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Medulus
Posts: 366
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Lake Ariel, PA
Status: offline
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I would think that the cost of digitally re-creating the photos might be a covered expense, but the problem would be that the insurance contract generally allows for the cost of repair or replacement - whichever is less. The same issue will often come into play when dealing with antiques. The cost of repair may exceed the cost of replacing the piece with another piece that is functionally the same (e.g. replacing a four hundred year old dining room table with a new dining room table). Antique value has been traditionally considered, but some policies now are specific in their language, excluding consideration of antique value. Try to sell that to the insured, though. Even if the antique is not really an antique (e.g. Dad's original lava lamp from 1974), the sentimental attachment or perceived value may make the claim extremely difficult to settle.
Twenty years ago when I was collecting comic books avidly, my best friend presented me with a copy of "Reform School Girl #1 (and only)". This was published in 1953, hardly an antique compared to a Ming Vase. At the time, however, it was believed that only three copies of this comic book had survived. I could hardly have replaced it in the event it was destroyed. I also would not have been happy with being allowed the price of a new Batman comic depreciated for its 30 year age.
While I am asking how people have handled these kind of problems, I'm also interested in hearing any creative methods that people have found to handle these types of contents claims.
< Message edited by Medulus -- 4/17/2006 11:42:00 AM >
_____________________________
Steve Ebner
"With great power comes great responsibility." (Stanley Lieber, Amazing Fantasy # 15 August 1962)
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RE: Priceless - 4/16/2006 9:26:18 PM
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mh0825
Posts: 582
Joined: 8/31/2005
Home base: Gainesville, FL
Status: offline
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The way it's explained to the insured is what will set them off or make them ok with what they will receive... for instance:
"I can't pay you for the sentimental value of the photos. All you're getting is the price to develop....."
Vs.
"Yes Ma'am I understand that these photos hold very close to your heart as I too have photos that hold close to me. Unfortunately I can't compensate for the sentimental value but what we can do is reimburse for the cost to develop....."
I use this term very daringly... but common sense tells you the latter of the two is going to sit better with the insured. A lot of the times, I've found that it's the way you explain it that makes the difference. Of course, not everyone is going to say "Ok, that's fair" but it's the best shot you have at getting that response.
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RE: Priceless - 4/17/2006 6:29:27 PM
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Elliott
Posts: 121
Joined: 12/11/2005
Status: offline
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I was actually watching one of the home improvement shows the other day. The chose a few Katrina victims and asked what they could do to help- all many wanted were photos back. They pulled these photos out of the worst of the worst houses in St. Brenard Parish. HP brought in mobile units and restored the photos for all these people. The before and after results were unreal. How hard would it be to set mobile units up like this in catastrophe areas? This would put a hard dollar figure on the cost to replace, would it not? The home owner would walk away happier that something precious (not priceless) was replaced properly. Fim, developing and albums are not realistic in this day and age, and does not replace the item lost with a LKQ product.
Just my 2 cents
< Message edited by Elliott -- 4/17/2006 6:36:01 PM >
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RE: Priceless - 4/17/2006 11:56:26 PM
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PORTASATGUY
Posts: 316
Joined: 9/15/2005
Home base: Homeless
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Catmandale
The priceless part is the memory.
What can be compensated is the film, developing and the album where they were contained.
TRUE STORY, THIS IS HOW I ALWAYS DID IT. AND THE CARRIERS I HAVE WORKED FOR HAVE AGREED ALWAYS!
_____________________________
R. Estes
Life is short LIVE IT!
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RE: Priceless - 4/18/2006 8:22:38 AM
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mh0825
Posts: 582
Joined: 8/31/2005
Home base: Gainesville, FL
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Elliott
They pulled these photos out of the worst of the worst houses in St. Brenard Parish. HP brought in mobile units and restored the photos for all these people. The before and after results were unreal. How hard would it be to set mobile units up like this in catastrophe areas?
If it is less expensive to have this done, I'm sure no one would argue it. I think the cost to do this would be well beyond the cost of film, developing, etc. and therefore you don't use it as a solution.
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RE: Priceless - 4/18/2006 1:09:12 PM
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Wes
Posts: 616
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Deerfield Beach, FL
Status: offline
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I certainly applaud HP's effort but the website states they restored 350 photo's only for the entire Katrina catastrophe. Any homeowners loss that I have ever handled that involved photos had more than 350 for just one family.
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RE: Priceless - 9/11/2006 1:32:48 AM
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rass3742
Posts: 131
Joined: 7/6/2005
Home base: Spokane, WA
Status: offline
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It's all in the presentation.
Compassionate, yet realistic.
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Things are never so bad they couldn't be worse.
Count your blessings.
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