I did an online quote with Progressive and came up with a quote for just over $2K and I'm paying State Farm $2800, both are for a 6 month policy, comparable coverage, 4 vehicles, 4 drivers, 2 of which are males under 25, with one of them with a bad driving record.
Anyone have any recommendations of one company over the other? One concern I have is that the quote from Progressive may be a low ball number and once it goes to the under writer, they come back with a number that is much higher, and I'm stuck after cancelling State Farm. But that's a pretty big chunk of change to save, $1600/year.
Unless you or an attorney or your insurer has signed any document that your property damage was for full and final settlement, you should be able to go back with in a specified time to collect from other losses. It's possible that if your insurer signed such a document understanding you desire to collect the DV loss on your own, they may have harmed your case and may be in breach. It would be best to discuss this with a DV attorney given the knowledge of your specific case. Just google DV attorney and one will pop up. The one I do assessments for works on contingency and will offer you a free consultation. I probably shouldn't use this forum to promote any attorney's practice but if you contact me via email, I could forward you that number or web site.
People collect on property all the time, and later collect on the personal injury as long as three years later. I am working on several DV losses presently that the vehicles have already been repaired for as long as two years.
You should probably send a letter of demand for your losses by certified mail to the vehicle owner and cc the insurer to put them on notice.
I would consult a post repair and diminished value inspector in your area and not sign any release until you are assured the vehicle has been restored to pre loss condition, no remaining flaws and defects are present, and demand you be compensated for the vehicle's loss in value from the party that caused the damages. At the very least, consult an independent shop that you feel is reputatble and ask for them for an impartial inspection of the other shop's work if you allow the party that damaged it or their insurer control the repairs of your car.
Progressive or any new carrier can modify a premium upon discovery of somebody's driving record being more extensive than presumed.
Commit to the quoted Progressive while retaining your State Farm policy. If after 60 days from inception Progressive doesn't increase your premium, you can cancel the State Farm policy back to the inception date of the Progressive policy by proving to State Farm you had other insurance. Photoing the Progressive Dec sheet usually satisfies the old company. "Cake and eat it too."
"...Anyone have any recommendations of one company over the other?..."
My son just got a policy through Progressive and the cost was substantially below any other company. He just received his first renewal after 6 months and it was for a slightly higher rate (about $100 more IIRC). Cost is still way below any of the others he checked out.
I worried about a low ball initial offer too. It seems they bump you a little on renewal but not too much.
See post #3146.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Glad to hear they properly paid in your case. For an example of where they didn't, see my post #2377 in this thread. Although not named therein, Progressive was the insurer in the described lawsuit.
Boy, it sure seems like somebody at Progressive dropped the ball on that one. I think sometimes the adjusters try to roll the dice and hope the injured party won't take it all the way to court.
I think I mentioned before the story about and elderly woman who was told by an adjuster: "We know you have $1000 damage but we're only going to pay you $900 and if you don't like it sue us." I guess they play the percentages.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
A local talk radio car guy has had a series on insurance and their games. He talked about a company that has you drop the damaged vehicle off at their office for the concierge service. They take the car to the repair shop of their choice. Guess now low quality the work is that's done at the "shop of their choice" for your convenience. I thought the company was Progressive.
He had one guy who'd taken his car back for fixup to poor repair 3 times or more. The car guy ended up repairing it at his own shop. He's one of the few who has a mechanical shop and body shop together.
Isn't that how they all do it? In my case it was a ten year old car. The adjuster said they would use used parts and I had no problem with it since their used parts looked better than my used parts.
If I had a brand new or very expensive car I would have demanded new parts. They did offer me the option of using my own shop, however.
You make a valid point though. Is it a bargain if they cheap out on repairs or give you trouble paying the claim at all.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
There were some things that should have been done that the house shop didn't do. I don't recall what it was. But the fact they isolate the customer from contact with the shop means it's harder to effect correction when there's a problem.
Not for me. I'll stick with my current company.
On the show he lists off the problem companies. He has an insurance agent named "X" who calls in occasionally to keep him and his listerners up-to-date.
When I try and collect from State Farm, or Progressive, neither one is very generous...surprise...:):):)...
BUT, I can tell you that if State Farm is YOUR insurance, they are about the best company out there...they call up and arrange a rental vehicle, they pay off medpay bills within 10 days usually, they are just a great company if they are on YOUR side...the "take care of you" side is super...the "compensate the other guy for the injuries you caused him" side is annoying...I guess it makes the job interesting...:):):)
OLD FARMER: Quote: "I think I mentioned before the story about and elderly woman who was told by an adjuster: "We know you have $1000 damage but we're only going to pay you $900 and if you don't like it sue us."...You would be amazed how many clients I have where their med bills are quite reasonable, say $800-2500, and Progressive's offer is less than their med bills...forget pain and suffering, they don;t even offer to pay your actual medical bills...
So, the next time someone cries about those GREEDY LAWYERS who file suit on a whim, "just to clog up the courts", remember that when insurance companies make ridiculous offers, what else can we do???...civil procedure prevents the revelation of the insurance offer...I wish if the jury knew that we filed suit because of a $3000 offer on $4000 in med bills, maybe they would understand why we are there...
Progressive has a tendency of taking any rental car company employee with a bachelor's degree and a knowledge of where you put the gas, how to turn on the radio and turning them into vehicle repair experts with about two weeks of intensive training. The same training that I have accumulated over thirty years. I can only imagine the new technology that allows that process to occur. There must be some glitches though, because it takes the average Progressive appraiser 3 hours to appraise the damage of what any repair expert could do in twenty minutes.
All these insurers are selling you the illusion that they possess what it is to make you feel good after your car is damaged but have no knowledge or concept of what it takes to restore a car to pre loss condition by a true craftsperson.
After a few years of selling you this feel good concept, the truth is coming to the forefront. Turning your vehicle over to the insurer and trusting them to control the repair of your vehicle may be the second biggest mistake of your life. Insuring with one of these companies was your first.
Think about it, most insurers try to minimize the talent required to repair your vehicle but make it all about the hassle of the claims process. They are the reason for the hassle, If they would stay out of an industry they know nothing about and have no business of venturing into, and only concern themselves with paying for losses which is their business, the process would improve immensely.
BUT, I can tell you that if State Farm is YOUR insurance, they are about the best company out there...they call up and arrange a rental vehicle, they pay off medpay bills within 10 days usually, they are just a great company if they are on YOUR side...the "take care of you" side is super
I can attest to that.
Five weeks after my stepson got his license, he rolled his Chevy Tracker with his sister and a friend in it. Sister went to the hospital on flight for life, the boys by ambulance. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, though my stepdaughter spent 4 nights in the hospital. The Tracker, needless to say, was totalled - even before the firemen cut the roof off to extract my stepdaughter.
I never saw a bill, from anyone. Paid off the Tracker, took care of all the medical bills. I heard that it was around $35-40K total.
I'll never change insurance companies after that experience.
....I'll add just one more comment about my experience with them.
About a week after I got my car back the "check engine" light came on. I took it to my mechanic who diagnosed a cracked evap canister. He said it was possible that it was caused in the original accident.
I called the Progressive adjuster, he came and looked at the damaged part and sent me a check for another $285. I didn't expect that. While I'm pretty sure that the accident caused the damage I had no actual proof. I would think that if they wanted to mess with me this would have been an ideal opportunity.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
of my experience with the insurance company, often what may matter with a "marginal" company is the quality of the adjuster...
No matter what anyone says, altho I do not have GEICO, their TV ads are much more worth watching than most TV shows...not so much the gekko, but the ads with "real people" next to the deep-voiced pro ad announcer, Little Richard, the guy from Police Academy that makes all the sounds (Michael Winslow)...best ads on TV...
well, total 3rd party info here, but a friend had a somewhat similar experience to what another poster stated. He switched to Progressive and at the first renewal 6 months later, they hit him with an increase that pretty much negated what he was saving by switching in the first place.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I heard that sort of thing from others who have switched...not involving either of those companies but two others. Not sure but might have been switch from Am. Fam. (which I have) to AIG.
A few times I've gone through an exercise of finding rates from other companies and never have seen much difference.
My current auto insurance carrier is Geico in California. I had an at- fault accident in last Nov and the claim that I filed to Geico is still open because in the accident there were totally three cars involved and one of the other two persons never spoke to my insurance company and claimed anything. My coverage is enough in case that person comes back.
Due to this accident, my premium is dramatically increased. I got several much lower quotes from other auto insurance companies for my next renewal in mid Feb.
My question is: if I change to another auto insurance company while the claim is still open, will Geico still take care of the claim, i.e., pay the person if he comes back? Thanks very much for any information.
Yes...the company is on the hook to defend you if the policy was in force on the date of the wreck, and you followed all the rules in reporting it to them...
If another party files a lawsuit against you, they must defend you and pay out judgments, up to policy limits...you are covered even if you switch companies...
Thanks a lot. Is this by default, or can I request a copy of their policy regarding this specific issue?
Actually my case is like this:
That was 6pm and I rear-ended a car at 30mph on a high way (lots of traffic), which I thought rear-ended another car in front of his car first (they stopped and waited on the road). But the driver of car that I hit told police that it was my car that pushed his car into the very front one. Although the police report said it was my fault, I didn't think so and the police report was based on statement only. That person did try to file a lawsuit against me in the small claim court because my insurance company represented me and refused to pay him for his car's front damage. In this case, Geico told me to go to the court and they can't do anything but pay the other person if the judge says so. I was tired of being bugged by the person so I admitted at fault to my insurance company.
Now they increased my premium from $600/6mo. to $1300/6mo, and I decided to switch.
It is not by default, if you will, it is by contract...you paid a premium to have coverage for a set amount of time, say 6 months...if the wreck happens on the last day of the policy, you are covered no differently than Day 1 of the policy...they are responsible for any and all legitimate damages that occur while the policy is in force, and it is in force on the last day of the 6 months you paid for...a 6 month paid premium insures you for 6 months, if you fail to make another renewal payment...if you make another payment, you are covered for another 6 months...if the wreck happens one day after you fail to renew, you have no coverage with that company...
Sorry, I meant to ask whether it is by default in auto insurance business that I'll still be covered by Geico for that particular accident (which happend while my insurance was in force with Geico) even if I switch to another company in the future.
Geico told you to go to court by yourself? That's what you pay THEM for. Sounds like the guy was just lazy and didn't want to show up. I would have told them to get his lazy a** there or I wouldn't show up as well. You'd get a default judgment against you, but Geico would then pay, and he'd catch h*ll from his boss for not showing up.
Cases like yours are difficult if not impossible to win. It's always the last car in a chain collision that pays the most. I was a passenger in my buddy's truck during a blinding snow storm. We both testified that we saw the car in front of us bounce off two other vehicles before we hit it. But it didn't matter as he claimed we hit him first and forced him in to the other vehicles. My buddy's ins co ended up paying. Luckily no inuries.
You folks should allow more room between yourself and the next car, then you won't have to worry about being the last one in a line of tailgaters when something unexpected happens.
If you can not stop in time to avoid hitting the car in front of you, when it stops suddenly, then you are too close.
If you can not stop in time to avoid hitting the car in front of you, when it stops suddenly, then you are too close.
There was just a huge 70 car pile up on I-4 between Orlando and Tampa caused by fog and smoke from a brush fire. It happened at 4:00 in the morning as well. Several died and many vehicles burned to a crisp. I-4 was down for 2 days. That should be a fun one to figure out.
i couldn't stop marveling at that report. That was a few weeks ago, I believe. Anyway, what really befuddles me is how in the world so many people could go barreling into an area with such low visibility. Stupidity continually amazes me.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Coming down the mountain after skiing all day, low level clouds will prohibit safe visibility in several locations, but that doesn't slow down the hot doggers. They plow right through the sheet of fog, blizzard, & packed snow.
When I traveled I-83 from York to Baltimore, I was always stunned at how close people followed esp. at speeds over 70 mph. Absolutely lucky that a pile up like that did not happen.
We learned in our defensive driving course a couple of weeks ago that you should follow 3 seconds behind the car in front of you. I normally do 2 seconds.
assume that you have 100% of your attention looking forward...now, add in the few seconds just to glance at your right side mirror, change the radio station, reach behind you to get a sandwich, iron your shirt, tailor your cuffs, tie your tie, cook a steak dinner...sorry, maybe some of those things can't be done in your car...
But there ARE momentary distractions that can remove that 1-2 second extra space you leave, simply because at 70 mph you really do cover hundreds of feet every 5 seconds...
Then, add to that the fact that everyone's reaction time may not be split second, so, just applying the brake may take the few extra seconds you already lost tuning your radio...
Remembering some of my old data... 60 MPH = 88 feet per SECOND. I converted that to 70 MPH and it is a little over 102 fps. Reaction time could be 1/2 second more or less depending on the situation and driver. So, maybe 50 feet just to react then stopping distance for average car from 70 MPH would proabably be 150 feet, maybe more depending on conditions. I came across a discussion that indicates stopping distance would probably be longer: http://www.csgnetwork.com/stopdistinfo.html
If traffic is traveling at 70 mph, 2 seconds is roughly 206 feet following distance; 3 seconds is 308 feet. There is your football field. Typical stopping distances from 70 mph is closer to 200 feet. The stopping distances the magazines claim are normally from 60 mph.
The problem you have is if you leave that much room between you and the car in front, someone will come into that space. Then you have to slow up a bit to get back to a safe following distance; then someone else moves in front of you. :sick:
You sure hit the nail on the head there! If you leave some space, someone will soon grab it. My single biggest peeve is tailgaters flying down the road at 80 mph separated only by about one car length. It's no wonder stuff like that I-4 crash (or was it I-10, or both?) happens.
It was I-4 in Polk county between Orlando and Tampa. The fires were so hot, they actually melted the road and about 600 feet had to be removed and repaved.
If you leave some space, someone will soon grab it.
The way I look at it, when you are in heavy traffic like that you are basically in a long line of cars moving at a certain speed, say, 60 mph. If some cut in front of you they are not gaining much, they are just a little further up in the line and still moving at the same speed of 60 mph. Suppose all their cutting in and out gets them 50 cars further up in line, and since we are talking about tailgaters lets say there is 50 feet of space per car. This means they have gained 2500 feet, which is about 1/2 mile...this amounts to saving 30 seconds.
Looking at it from the other perspective, if 50 cars squeeze in front of you, this would mean you end up about 1/2 mile further back in line...costing you about 30 seconds.
My single biggest peeve is tailgaters flying down the road at 80 mph separated only by about one car length.
Me too, I don't understand how people can feel safe driving like that. I wish some of the excessive enforcement effort on speed limits would instead be directed at busting the tailgaters. Especially those who do this in giant SUVs or semis.
The real problem with hitting low visibility areas like fog or smoke... All of a sudden you can not see much. If you continue fast enough to outdrive your visibility and someone stops in front of you, the wreck starts or continues. If you stop and the vehicles behind don't then you get run over from behind. Pulling over on the shoulder would not be much safer if the BIG wreck starts. IF there were a wide, dry ditch I guess you could try to get as far away from the road as possible and hope to not get hit or stuck, assuming you were able to do that before getting hit or trapped.
If you end up in one of these situations it is more of a lose-lose and just hope to survive.
That was 6pm and I rear-ended a car at 30mph on a high way (lots of traffic), which I thought rear-ended another car in front of his car first (they stopped and waited on the road). But the driver of car that I hit told police that it was my car that pushed his car into the very front one.
Sounds like a Rookie Cop could look at that scene and tell right away who hit who.
I was in involved in an accident last night where a lady ran the red light and hit my car on the passenger side while I was traveling through the intersection. My car is still drivable but the passenger side mirror is inoperable, which I deem as hazardous.
My have rental car coverage from my own insurance, but they told me that I am ineligible since my car is still drivable. At this point I am waiting for my adjuster to take a look at the car to estimate the damage.
I need a car to drive to work. Should I rent a car on my own now and charge the cost to the adversary insurance later? Mine is a luxury car, can I get a rental at the same level? TIA.
The adverse, at fault driver's Liability Insurance covers your renting a replacement of like kind and quality. You can get a rental at the same level. If the rental cost pushes the loss, your claim could be a total, be aware.
IMHO don't bother getting a rental car just because the RH mirror is inoperable. More than likely that mirror isn't required to pass state inspection and the insurance won't cover you because legally and mechanically, your vehicle is driveable.
Whats the worse that can happen in this situation?
Well since no police reports were filed with statements taken I guess in todays world the worst thing that can happen is that she goes and gets a shady lawyer and a neck brace and try to sue you.
But I would guess that the cost to fix the car will be less then the deductible and you may have to shell out a few hundred dollars because in the long run that would be cheaper then filing a claim on the insurance and having your rates go up.
That's a great idea but my situation occurred before cellphones so I didn't have that option. I don't think it hurts to inform your own insurance company of what happened. You can still work with the other person and have no claims filed.
Hi Everyone....I have a question....I live in New York State....
Today while waiting in the drive thru to get my morning coffee, I accidently hit someone from the back. I lifted my foot off the break while sitting in line while getting my money from my purse....There was little to no damage at all, possibly just a scratch, but the lady took my information my name, number and address, and I did advise her I have Allstate, but no insurance numbers were exchanged. Is there anything that can happen to me? Can she file a claim for a scratch? Whats the worse that can happen in this situation? I appreciate all the help I can get at this time. Thank you!
I was only going 2 mph...wouldnt it cost more to get a lawyer and go through all that crap? Should I have called the police to prevent this? It really is that minor that we didnt see anything when we were looking at it....im just worried that she would make it worse, but i was in the car with my boyfriend and she was alone, so wouldnt my boyfriend be a witness?
"...I have a question...I live in New York State..."
The answer is simple, move out of New York, anywhere is better....oh wait, that's not your question is it. :sick:
It would have been better to have a police report. Even in little parking lot bumps I have seen million dollar lawsuits appear. It's good you had a witness at least with your boyfriend there.
Now the unpleasant part. You should inform your insurance company what happened and file an accident report. You then have the option of paying for the damage (if any) out of your own pocket or letting the insurance company pay it for you.
The other choice is to not report anything and contact the other party and ask her to get a couple of estimates. You can then pay cash and hope that your insurance company doesn't find out and raise your rates anyway and that the lady you bumped doesn't see the "heavy hitter" lawyer ads and come down with a broken neck.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
She certainly can! I had something very similar happen when I lived in Rochester. I turned at an intersection with extremely iced roads and slid into a pickup truck at no more than 1 mph. This left a scuff mark on the guy's fender. We exchanged insurance info and I thought that would be the last of it.
A few weeks later I got an angry call from MY insurance company asking why I hadn't notified them. The other driver had filed a claim and had his fender replaced (very expensive!). I think most people would not have bothered filing a claim over such a trivial cosmetic issue but I suppose that was his prerogative.
I recommend that you contact your insurance company at once and let them work it out!
Comments
Anyone have any recommendations of one company over the other? One concern I have is that the quote from Progressive may be a low ball number and once it goes to the under writer, they come back with a number that is much higher, and I'm stuck after cancelling State Farm. But that's a pretty big chunk of change to save, $1600/year.
People collect on property all the time, and later collect on the personal injury as long as three years later. I am working on several DV losses presently that the vehicles have already been repaired for as long as two years.
You should probably send a letter of demand for your losses by certified mail to the vehicle owner and cc the insurer to put them on notice.
Commit to the quoted Progressive while retaining your State Farm policy. If after 60 days from inception Progressive doesn't increase your premium, you can cancel the State Farm policy back to the inception date of the Progressive policy by proving to State Farm you had other insurance. Photoing the Progressive Dec sheet usually satisfies the old company. "Cake and eat it too."
If the other way around, reverse the process.
My son just got a policy through Progressive and the cost was substantially below any other company. He just received his first renewal after 6 months and it was for a slightly higher rate (about $100 more IIRC). Cost is still way below any of the others he checked out.
I worried about a low ball initial offer too. It seems they bump you a little on renewal but not too much.
See post #3146.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Last year I was bumped by a car insured by Progressive. About $2000 in damage. No hassles, free loaner, fixed better than before. I was happy.
Of course, I got a police report and they gave the other guy a ticket. That might have helped.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Boy, it sure seems like somebody at Progressive dropped the ball on that one. I think sometimes the adjusters try to roll the dice and hope the injured party won't take it all the way to court.
I think I mentioned before the story about and elderly woman who was told by an adjuster: "We know you have $1000 damage but we're only going to pay you $900 and if you don't like it sue us." I guess they play the percentages.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
He had one guy who'd taken his car back for fixup to poor repair 3 times or more. The car guy ended up repairing it at his own shop. He's one of the few who has a mechanical shop and body shop together.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Isn't that how they all do it? In my case it was a ten year old car. The adjuster said they would use used parts and I had no problem with it since their used parts looked better than my used parts.
If I had a brand new or very expensive car I would have demanded new parts. They did offer me the option of using my own shop, however.
You make a valid point though. Is it a bargain if they cheap out on repairs or give you trouble paying the claim at all.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Not for me. I'll stick with my current company.
On the show he lists off the problem companies. He has an insurance agent named "X" who calls in occasionally to keep him and his listerners up-to-date.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
BUT, I can tell you that if State Farm is YOUR insurance, they are about the best company out there...they call up and arrange a rental vehicle, they pay off medpay bills within 10 days usually, they are just a great company if they are on YOUR side...the "take care of you" side is super...the "compensate the other guy for the injuries you caused him" side is annoying...I guess it makes the job interesting...:):):)
OLD FARMER: Quote: "I think I mentioned before the story about and elderly woman who was told by an adjuster: "We know you have $1000 damage but we're only going to pay you $900 and if you don't like it sue us."...You would be amazed how many clients I have where their med bills are quite reasonable, say $800-2500, and Progressive's offer is less than their med bills...forget pain and suffering, they don;t even offer to pay your actual medical bills...
So, the next time someone cries about those GREEDY LAWYERS who file suit on a whim, "just to clog up the courts", remember that when insurance companies make ridiculous offers, what else can we do???...civil procedure prevents the revelation of the insurance offer...I wish if the jury knew that we filed suit because of a $3000 offer on $4000 in med bills, maybe they would understand why we are there...
All these insurers are selling you the illusion that they possess what it is to make you feel good after your car is damaged but have no knowledge or concept of what it takes to restore a car to pre loss condition by a true craftsperson.
After a few years of selling you this feel good concept, the truth is coming to the forefront. Turning your vehicle over to the insurer and trusting them to control the repair of your vehicle may be the second biggest mistake of your life. Insuring with one of these companies was your first.
Think about it, most insurers try to minimize the talent required to repair your vehicle but make it all about the hassle of the claims process. They are the reason for the hassle, If they would stay out of an industry they know nothing about and have no business of venturing into, and only concern themselves with paying for losses which is their business, the process would improve immensely.
I can attest to that.
Five weeks after my stepson got his license, he rolled his Chevy Tracker with his sister and a friend in it. Sister went to the hospital on flight for life, the boys by ambulance. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, though my stepdaughter spent 4 nights in the hospital. The Tracker, needless to say, was totalled - even before the firemen cut the roof off to extract my stepdaughter.
I never saw a bill, from anyone. Paid off the Tracker, took care of all the medical bills. I heard that it was around $35-40K total.
I'll never change insurance companies after that experience.
About a week after I got my car back the "check engine" light came on. I took it to my mechanic who diagnosed a cracked evap canister. He said it was possible that it was caused in the original accident.
I called the Progressive adjuster, he came and looked at the damaged part and sent me a check for another $285. I didn't expect that. While I'm pretty sure that the accident caused the damage I had no actual proof. I would think that if they wanted to mess with me this would have been an ideal opportunity.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
No matter what anyone says, altho I do not have GEICO, their TV ads are much more worth watching than most TV shows...not so much the gekko, but the ads with "real people" next to the deep-voiced pro ad announcer, Little Richard, the guy from Police Academy that makes all the sounds (Michael Winslow)...best ads on TV...
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
A few times I've gone through an exercise of finding rates from other companies and never have seen much difference.
fault accident in last Nov and the claim that I filed to Geico is
still open because in the accident there were totally three cars
involved and one of the other two persons never spoke to my insurance
company and claimed anything. My coverage is enough in case that
person comes back.
Due to this accident, my premium is dramatically increased. I got
several much lower quotes from other auto insurance companies for my
next renewal in mid Feb.
My question is: if I change to another auto insurance company while
the claim is still open, will Geico still take care of the claim,
i.e., pay the person if he comes back?
Thanks very much for any information.
If another party files a lawsuit against you, they must defend you and pay out judgments, up to policy limits...you are covered even if you switch companies...
Actually my case is like this:
That was 6pm and I rear-ended a car at 30mph on a high way (lots of traffic), which I thought rear-ended another car in front of his car first (they stopped and waited on the road). But the driver of car that I hit told police that it was my car that pushed his car into the very front one. Although the police report said it was my fault, I didn't think so and the police report was based on statement only. That person did try to file a lawsuit against me in the small claim court because my insurance company represented me and refused to pay him for his car's front damage. In this case, Geico told me to go to the court and they can't do anything but pay the other person if the judge says so. I was tired of being bugged by the person so I admitted at fault to my insurance company.
Now they increased my premium from $600/6mo. to $1300/6mo, and I decided to switch.
Cases like yours are difficult if not impossible to win. It's always the last car in a chain collision that pays the most. I was a passenger in my buddy's truck during a blinding snow storm. We both testified that we saw the car in front of us bounce off two other vehicles before we hit it. But it didn't matter as he claimed we hit him first and forced him in to the other vehicles. My buddy's ins co ended up paying. Luckily no inuries.
If you can not stop in time to avoid hitting the car in front of you, when it stops suddenly, then you are too close.
There was just a huge 70 car pile up on I-4 between Orlando and Tampa caused by fog and smoke from a brush fire. It happened at 4:00 in the morning as well. Several died and many vehicles burned to a crisp. I-4 was down for 2 days. That should be a fun one to figure out.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
We learned in our defensive driving course a couple of weeks ago that you should follow 3 seconds behind the car in front of you. I normally do 2 seconds.
But there ARE momentary distractions that can remove that 1-2 second extra space you leave, simply because at 70 mph you really do cover hundreds of feet every 5 seconds...
Then, add to that the fact that everyone's reaction time may not be split second, so, just applying the brake may take the few extra seconds you already lost tuning your radio...
Voila...crash.....................
The problem you have is if you leave that much room between you and the car in front, someone will come into that space. Then you have to slow up a bit to get back to a safe following distance; then someone else moves in front of you. :sick:
I really don't miss that commute.
The way I look at it, when you are in heavy traffic like that you are basically in a long line of cars moving at a certain speed, say, 60 mph. If some cut in front of you they are not gaining much, they are just a little further up in the line and still moving at the same speed of 60 mph. Suppose all their cutting in and out gets them 50 cars further up in line, and since we are talking about tailgaters lets say there is 50 feet of space per car. This means they have gained 2500 feet, which is about 1/2 mile...this amounts to saving 30 seconds.
Looking at it from the other perspective, if 50 cars squeeze in front of you, this would mean you end up about 1/2 mile further back in line...costing you about 30 seconds.
My single biggest peeve is tailgaters flying down the road at 80 mph separated only by about one car length.
Me too, I don't understand how people can feel safe driving like that. I wish some of the excessive enforcement effort on speed limits would instead be directed at busting the tailgaters. Especially those who do this in giant SUVs or semis.
If you end up in one of these situations it is more of a lose-lose and just hope to survive.
"That's the way we drive up here and if you don't follow close, somebody will sneak in front of you."
"That's O K Son, our rear wheels are still going forward."
Sounds like a Rookie Cop could look at that scene and tell right away who hit who.
My have rental car coverage from my own insurance, but they told me that I am ineligible since my car is still drivable. At this point I am waiting for my adjuster to take a look at the car to estimate the damage.
I need a car to drive to work. Should I rent a car on my own now and charge the cost to the adversary insurance later? Mine is a luxury car, can I get a rental at the same level? TIA.
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Well since no police reports were filed with statements taken I guess in todays world the worst thing that can happen is that she goes and gets a shady lawyer and a neck brace and try to sue you.
But I would guess that the cost to fix the car will be less then the deductible and you may have to shell out a few hundred dollars because in the long run that would be cheaper then filing a claim on the insurance and having your rates go up.
tidester, host
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Today while waiting in the drive thru to get my morning coffee, I accidently hit someone from the back. I lifted my foot off the break while sitting in line while getting my money from my purse....There was little to no damage at all, possibly just a scratch, but the lady took my information my name, number and address, and I did advise her I have Allstate, but no insurance numbers were exchanged. Is there anything that can happen to me? Can she file a claim for a scratch? Whats the worse that can happen in this situation? I appreciate all the help I can get at this time. Thank you!
E. :confuse:
Thx!
E. :confuse:
The answer is simple, move out of New York, anywhere is better....oh wait, that's not your question is it. :sick:
It would have been better to have a police report. Even in little parking lot bumps I have seen million dollar lawsuits appear. It's good you had a witness at least with your boyfriend there.
Now the unpleasant part. You should inform your insurance company what happened and file an accident report. You then have the option of paying for the damage (if any) out of your own pocket or letting the insurance company pay it for you.
The other choice is to not report anything and contact the other party and ask her to get a couple of estimates. You can then pay cash and hope that your insurance company doesn't find out and raise your rates anyway and that the lady you bumped doesn't see the "heavy hitter" lawyer ads and come down with a broken neck.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
She certainly can! I had something very similar happen when I lived in Rochester. I turned at an intersection with extremely iced roads and slid into a pickup truck at no more than 1 mph. This left a scuff mark on the guy's fender. We exchanged insurance info and I thought that would be the last of it.
A few weeks later I got an angry call from MY insurance company asking why I hadn't notified them. The other driver had filed a claim and had his fender replaced (very expensive!). I think most people would not have bothered filing a claim over such a trivial cosmetic issue but I suppose that was his prerogative.
I recommend that you contact your insurance company at once and let them work it out!
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