Employer liability for stolen items? (off site) (apartment, home owners insurance)

[jlpicardq]

My wife is an architect with a firm in VA, and she was on a job site when her purse was stolen, total value around $1500 with contents.

Her boss is refusing to do anything about it (claims his company's insurance doesn't cover it) and isn't offering to compensate her for anything. This follows her car being broken into at work with the window smashed in, and he didn't offer to cover our deductible on that either.

Needless to say we are VERY upset about this and his lack of any level of compassion, and I am wondering if there is a law in VA concerning employer liability in situations like this.

Are employers required to carry insurance for situations like this, say under their blanket injury/loss policy? I'm wondering because I think he's lying about his insurance not covering it - I don't think he wants to pay his deductible, and the office manager mentioned to my wife that maybe their insurance policy would cover it.

We are not disgruntled people. We are decent, hardworking, professionals who harm no one, but will not sit idle and be stepped on when we feel mistreated or abused.

Can anyone please help me or shed light on this?

Thanks.

[DC Oldtimer]

If you are a homeowner, this may be covered under your homeowner's insurance. It would be covered under my policy.

[jlpicardq]

It is covered under my home owners insurance, but we have a $500 deductible and they may not even agree to cover the cost of the contents of the purse. It's entirely up to the claims adjuster. We might end up with little or nothing at all.

[VRE332]

what was she doing with $1,500 worth of contents on a job site?

[oleo]

I think he would just be doing you a big favor if he paid the deductible or for value of the purse & contents. He has no obligation and you should hold no grudge against him because he's not forking over money to you.

As for the auto insurance, you might be able to claim that it was stolen out of the car and get reimbursed for some of it. It really depends on your policy. They might not cover it at all, unless it is part of the car and you can see that something was physically tampered with, such as speakers or car stereo being ripped out.

Also, how is ANYONE suppose to be able to appraise the value of a purse and the contents??? How old is the purse? What were the contents of the purse?

Question: Did she call the cops and file a police report?

That is the first thing people look for when paying you money.

FYI: Never a good idea to leave anything in site while your car is unattended. That includes: GPS, guitar amps, Important Documents and purses.

IMHO, you should be upset with your wife for leaving her purse in her car and viewable from outside. Who does that these days???

[barryhussein]

Originally Posted by VRE332

what was she doing with $1,500 worth of contents on a job site?

No kidding! We had an employee slip and bust her arss in the parking lot, and worker's compensation would not cover her because she hadn't officially started work. There are very few places on this Earth, where you could safely keep 1500 worth of stuff locked in your car. I wouldn't do it in Singapore.

I learned the hard way, too. My car window was smashed on Capitol Hill for a Playmate Cooler. DC--home of the lawmakers--the most lawless place on Earth. Another time I had a window smashed in my apartment parking lot in Berkeley--for the two USD in bridge toll change, that I left on the console.

[DC Oldtimer]

Originally Posted by jlpicardq

It is covered under my home owners insurance, but we have a $500 deductible and they may not even agree to cover the cost of the contents of the purse. It's entirely up to the claims adjuster. We might end up with little or nothing at all.

Well you could hire your own insurance adjuster to represent you. This drives your insurance co crazy but these folks know how to squeeze blood from a stone.

The name I know in this area is Goodman Gable Gould. They came around once when there was a fire in an apt building I lived in, looking for people who had renter's insurance. I did, and they got me what I considered a remarkable amount of money ... even after their cut, which is a fairly small percentage.

I dont know if they do theft claims or work in Virginia. At the time I was in D.C. and they are located in Rockville I think.

[car54]

Sheesh, it wouldn't even occur to me to ask my employer to pay for my own negligence....

[Yankeesfan]

Your anger is misdirected. It should be targeted to the perpetrator, who is the one who "mistreated or abused" you. Why is it the employer's fault that your wife did not keep track of her purse? If you're not willing to pay the deductible on your own policy why should he be willing to pay on his, if in fact he does have insurance?

[Flamingo13]

I visit many work locations, I purchased a purse that I could hang cross-wise across my body and keep it on me at all times. I don't trust leaving a purse w/cash/credit cards, whatever somewhere I can't see it.