A grandmother battling incurable cancer remains trapped in a hotel room six months after a vehicle plowed into her home. Jill Robson, 84, has spent 182 nights at the Premier Inn in Medway Valley Park, Kent, following a crash on October 19 when a silver Vauxhall Astra smashed through her bedroom wall.
A Life Disrupted
At the time of the incident, Jill was in her kitchen in Strood when she heard a loud bang and crash, initially believing a picture had fallen. She soon discovered part of the car's bumper inside her bedroom. Since then, she has been living out of a suitcase with only a kettle and TV for company.
Jill, a retired lab technician and mother of three, suffers from multiple health conditions, including a hernia, lymphoedema in both legs, osteoarthrosis in both knees, and leukaemia. She criticizes her home insurer, Nationwide, and its claims administrator, Sedgwick, for the prolonged delay in repairing her bungalow.
Repair Delays
Repair work, which involved fixing a large hole in her bedroom and a damaged porch and front door, only began on February 4. Initially, Jill hoped to return home by March 1, but that date passed. Although brick-and-mortar repairs are now complete, she was recently informed that her furniture, stored during the rebuilding, would not arrive until May 1, extending her stay into a seventh month.
A Nationwide spokesperson apologized for the delays, stating they are working with suppliers to return the items as quickly as possible. Jill has since been told the furniture will arrive earlier, but the indefinite hotel stay is taking a toll on her wellbeing.
Emotional Strain
Jill expressed her frustration, saying, 'I just can't take anymore.' She described the limitations of hotel life, such as being unable to make a sandwich or move freely between rooms. She misses her recliner chair, which helps ease her leg pain, and looks forward to her first meal at home: pancakes.
While she praises the Premier Inn staff, she notes that Nationwide provides only a £10 daily voucher for evening meals from the hotel menu, which she finds repetitive. Alternative accommodation options offered by Nationwide were not accessible due to lack of handrails in showers, and others were outside her preferred area.
Legal and Insurance Response
Nationwide stated that repairs are completed and Jill can move back in. They apologized for delays and noted that £600 compensation has been provided, with further resolution to be discussed once the claim concludes. Sedgwick has been contacted for comment. Meanwhile, Tamara Bowen, 44, from Strood, has been charged with dangerous driving and is due in court on June 19.
Jill remains optimistic, saying, 'You can't brood on what is not being done... you've just got to laugh.' She plans to return to the hotel after moving back home to visit the staff who supported her.
