Senator backs Jan Juc family in AAMI battle

A JAN JUC family forced from their home due to mould and locked in a six-year battle with insurer AAMI has received the backing of Senator Sarah Henderson, herself a critic of the insurance giant.

Travis and Leza Ashford are taking AAMI, and its parent company Suncorp, to the County Court claiming it failed to adequately remove mould in the home they and their two children lived, and used a substance it knew was harmful to Ms Ashford during the attempted remediation.

“Based on my understanding of this dispute, AAMI has not only failed to honour the insurance contract but also acted negligently in knowingly allowing the house to be treated with a chemical to which Mrs Ashford was highly and dangerously allergic,” Senator Henderson said.

“After battling AAMI and Suncorp over their appalling treatment of Wye River bushfire victims in 2016, it is most disappointing that this mega insurance company continues to treat its customers so poorly.”

The insurer has shifted ground on the family several times, it initially found “no evidence” its contractors used a chemical mould treatment which Ms Ashford is highly allergic to, a claim it later walked back.

After it cut funding for their emergency accommodation, the family appealed to the insurer’s Internal Dispute Resolution department and eventually received an apology “for the handling of your claims”.

Despite its “regret” for the way the family had been treated, AAMI claimed its specialists had arrived at the decision that “no unremediated mould arising from the claimed events was identified” at the Ashford’s Jan Juc home and closed the claims.

The Ashfords have expert reports stating that ongoing mould levels in their home remain lethal to Leza’s health and are being submitted to the County Court, reports they say AAMI is ignoring.

Leza Ashford also claimed the insurer’s position was further undercut when an AAMI contractor recently attended their home wearing a respirator.

“It is unacceptable that the Ashfords have been forced to go to court to seek justice,” Senator Henderson said.

An AAMI spokesperson said “it’s been closely engaged” on the claim and will allow the court to consider and determine the matter.