Fingers Crossed..

Yes, we are still here in 'Dodge' as we have now affectionately named it but being looked after really well. The Italian stamp club have descended on the hotel for the annual Expo in Verona so it's busy in the evenings and quiet in the day. When we walk Bradley we often go into the small centre of the town and the locals are getting to know us now waving as they pass in their cars.
As we had two vehicles there were two insurances in force and the grey area was always going to be the Smart car whilst being towed on the trailer, don't ask why but UK & European insurance policies on what they will and will not cover are surprisingly not very straight forward and as Piccolo did not have his wheels on the 'tarmac' at the time and being driven I could see a few issues arising. Apparently this scenario of a car being towed on a trailer behind a motorhome hadn't been tested regarding a claim but what was clear was that the full admission of responsibility for the accident by the offending driver was going to make things so much easier.
After I had explained the circumstances to the insurers of the Smart Car and they had seen my photos and driving video it only took a few hours for them to write the car off, accept the claim (Phew!) and give us a reference number. Within 6 hours they had arranged recovery of the car (Still attached to trailer) back to the UK.
The insurers of the Motorhome seemed to be dragging their heels as the week went on, apparently they had advised their Italian office on the Monday (21st) who were going to get a local examiner to examine the motorhome before a decision could be made as to how we were going to return to the UK. This we have to adhere to to keep things valid with our policy. We found out later this week that the Italian side had given the claim a low priority so after a few choice words things are now moving quicker. A motorhome is made up basically of two units, the chassis and front driving cab and then the actual big habitation area which is then attached to the bit you drive by the motorhome manufacturer. It is the habitation area that is so badly damaged inside but there is a small possibility that after a lot of gaffer tape repairs we may be able to still drive it home which would be great with Bradley and all our equipment and personal effects. If the examiner says this is not possible then the Roadside Assistance (AA) part of the policy will swing into action and organise a hire car for us. Unfortunately this will be an average saloon size so we will cram as much in as we can and the remainder will have to come back in the motorhome with whoever recovers it. Either way the motorhome will end up at the dealer we bought it from in Somerset where it will then be re-examined and the decision made as to whether it can be economically repaired. If it can't then this will be written off like Piccolo and our policy covers a brand new replacement thank goodness.
Another bolt on to the policy we took thankfully was Drivers Legal Protection which basically pick up the pieces and claims for anything that isn't covered under your normal insurance policy. This would have covered the smart car but will now cover the trailer, damaged possessions and any additional hotel expenses etc etc.
So, there we have it still lots of options but hopefully we can be on the road by Tuesday (29th) and then it's the now quicker (Thanks to DEFRA) process of getting Bradley to a VET on the way back to get his treatment & passport stamped before we get to the Channel Tunnel.
Once back in the UK we thankfully have places to stay and depending on how quickly the motorhome side gets sorted will depend on where we go from there.
Ciao!
PS.. The Italian food is fantastic and Serena who runs an award winning patisserie in the town makes the most divine mini pastries and sweets to have with your coffee or beer. Yes, the patisseries all have off licences over here, must have a word with Ben & Lindsey when we get back!.. xx