Electrical equipment damages property, claims process unsatisfactory for homeowner
BATON ROUGE - Last November, Cassandra Chaney was away for the holiday when her neighbor called to tell her they had experienced a power surge. A piece of electrical equipment feeding power to Chaney's home and her neighbor's house blew and, in the process, damaged several appliances and electronics.
The damage to the house next to Chaney's property included a damaged computer and a fried surge protector. The total cost to replace items was about $3,200 and they were fully reimbursed. Chaney's story goes a little differently.
"I lost my refrigerator, my oven, garage door opener, as well as the zone board that controls the temperature in my house," she said.
Chaney also had to replace a computer, internet router, and lights around her house. She filed a claim through Entergy's adjuster, Legion Claims. The total cost to replace the damaged items in her house is $12,684.33 but Legion Claims sent her an offer of $7,890.87 and asked her to sign a release prior to releasing the funds.
"They told me they were factoring in depreciation; I did not upgrade," said Chaney.
It's a response Chaney isn't happy with, and is requesting the adjuster and utility company take another look. She has been advised to file a claim with her homeowner's insurance to make up the difference.
"I do not want to do that because it would cause my homeowner's insurance to go up," she said.
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Chaney maintains what happened at her home was not her fault. She's asking the utility company to make her whole.
The piece of electrical equipment that caused the damage to the two homes was repaired by Entergy on the same day.