In her 91 years, Aleksandra Kozhevnikova survived Stalinist Russia, served the allied war effort as a teenager in the 1940s, suffered the death of a child, taught special needs children and eventually came to Canada 12 years ago, where she has lived an independent and healthy life.At least she did until last April 23, when a van plowed into pedestrians on Yonge St., taking the elderly widow and grandmother down in one of the most devastating and deadly attacks Canada has ever witnessed.When the rented van finally stopped, 10 people were dead and 16 others were seriously injured. Alek Minassian, 26, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder.The attack left Kozhevnikova in a wheelchair and requiring physical and psychological care that AIG Insurance — the insurer of Ryder Truck Rental Canada Ltd., the company that rented the van to Minassian — has largely declined to pay.The insurer had an in-house investigator dig into Kozhevnikova’s benefit claims and hired a law firm to question her about her injuries under oath, according to documents obtained by the Star.“I think they don’t want to spend money on me,” the Russian-speaking Kozhevnikova said through a translator in an interview at her spartan Yonge St. apartment. “I think they believe that they’ve helped me enough.”Read more:Yonge St. van attack lawsuits face hurdles with insurance claimsThe day Yonge St. became a war zone: How the van rampage unfolded moment by momentBeverly Smith lost both her legs in the van attack. ‘I just want to be as normal as I can,’ she saysAIG officials declined interview requests. In a written statement, spokesperson Matthew Gallagher said, “AIG is deeply concerned for all the victims of this tragedy and we take our responsibilities very seriously. Working with an independent adjuster, we adhere to processes mandated by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. This includes ensuring that injured ...
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