LA MARQUE, Texas – Nearly a week after a school bus crashed into her house, a La Marque woman is still left without many answers as to how or when her property will be repaired.
The school bus, which was privately owned and not transporting students, wrecked hitting a telephone pole, stop sign and Dianne Murphy’s van and home.
That was last Friday. Fast forward nearly a week and she still doesn’t have much help from the school bus owner’s insurance company.
That’s why she’s turning to KPRC 2 for help.
“It’s some runaround getting nowhere. I’ve got two steps forward and I get ten steps back,” Dianne Murphy said.
The school bus, owned by a Texas City woman, does have insurance with Progressive. However, they have not sent a claims representative to see the damage or offered Murphy any help, according to the homeowner.
Her van is sitting at a local repair shop waiting for someone to take a look. The same goes with her front porch. It’s still sitting in splintered pieces.
“It’s getting kind of dangerous out here,” she said. “I don’t want to be here and kaboom myself later.”
She’s tried calling Progressive to get answers. Most of the time, Murphy says it goes to the answering machine.
KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding tried calling with Murphy on Wednesday. Both times, our call was not answered.
Gage: “That’s what you have been getting this whole time?”
Dianne: “Yes, exactly.”
Gage: “So, you’re just left high and dry?”
Dianne: “Yeah. I get frustrated and tired of it, you know?”
Up until Wednesday, she didn’t even have a car. Murphy called on her own insurance company, who hooked her up with a rental immediately.
Gage: “Do you think it’s fair that they [Progressive] didn’t try to help you out?”
Dianne: “Yeah, I think [it’s] not right.”
The few times she’s been able to speak with someone at Progressive, it’s been bad news.
“She said that there’s not enough money and they’re worried about the telephone pole and the stop sign. And the heck with my car, my porch,” Murphy said.
Texas state law mandates that all drivers carry minimum insurance of $30,000 for injuries per person, with a maximum of $60,000 as well as $25,000 for personal property damages.
Murphy says repairing her porch could cost more than $7,500. That means if damage to her porch, van, the utility pole and the street sign total more than the coverage the bus owner’s insurance provides, Murphy wouldn’t get fully compensated.
There are ways to get the remaining amount of damages paid. These include suing the owner of the bus, an expensive and lengthy process that only has a chance of being successful.
“If that insurance don’t pay, then they need to fork over some money, the lady that hit me,” Murphy said.
In the meantime, she has a car but the days her insurance company is willing to pay for the rental are numbered.
KPRC 2 called and emailed Progressive for comment on this story. As of this report, we have not received a response to our message.