A Vancouver Island woman who was badly injured in a horseback riding accident is getting a helping hand after her insurance claim was denied.
Katie Muller fell from a horse in November 2014, breaking her neck and losing the full use of her arms and legs.
Even though the young mother is still trying to learn how to walk again, her insurance company refused a claim she desperately needed.
She had bought an insurance policy from the Horse Council of BC that offered a $30,000 payout for “people with a permanent and catastrophic injury,” but SSQ Financial Group said the injury did not meet the policy’s qualifications because it wasn’t a permanent total disability.
A Facebook post detailing Muller’s accident, recovery and claim denial went viral, being shared more than 2,800 times on the social media site, and CTV News reported on her story on Nov. 27.
Since then, her insurance broker, which contracts out work to SSQ Financial Group, has come to her rescue.
“Although Capri Insruance is a broker, and not the insurance company who denied my claim, they have contributed $30,000 to help cover my ongoing expenses,” she said in a statement.
The donation won’t have any effect on Muller’s appeal to the company who denied her claim, and she may still be awarded the payout.
Muller said experts at Capri Insurance are also helping her with her appeal and asking her for feedback so they can “better service Horse Council of BC members who are dealing with losses like mine.”
