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QUESTION: A very unpleasant situation happened to me recently. I had to fill an insurance claim for the damaged that was caused when a sewer backed up into my basement. My coverage is good enough to cover the costs of the replacement, but I wonder who is in charge to decide what has to be totally replaced and what simply can be cleaned and given back to me? My favorite coffee-table was a bit destroyed by water. I insist for it to be replaced but the adjuster wants to fix it for me. The refinished table will be devalued, I know for sure. What should I do? Should I take the refinished table back or can I expect to receive the amount the table was valued at before the water disaster happened?

ANSWER: It is not unusual for the insurance company to try to fix the table for you, so it looks exactly like it did before the incident. This is how the insurance company is obliged to perform after something this unfortunate happens to their costumers.

Yes, it is likely for the value to be reduced but this loss is an indirect one that is not a part of the insurance.

It is your right to want to talk about your concerns with your insurance representative or the claim supervisor, but it would seem that by refinishing the table, the insurer would be meeting its obligations under the terms of the deal.