Questions About Auto Insurance and Accidents

dtownfb

Taking a picture of the accident with a cell phone camera is a great way to document the damage esp. if it is minor damage. Personally i like to work with the person for minor dings like this. No reason to get the insurance companies involved for a few hundred dollars and no injuries.

joel0622

That's a great idea but my situation occurred before cellphones so I didn't have that option

Plus it was probably to wet out to get the flash powder to ignite for your camera.

tidester

LoL! And to add insult to injury, the telegraph lines were down.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

tidester

And the Pony Express wasn't running either …

Gosh, Bob, don't tell me you were the guy in the truck? How else would you know? :shades: :shades:

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

marsha7

And the Pony Express wasn't running either, something about the high cost of commodities, like oats and barley... :P

tidester

That is very good advice in view of our increasingly litigious society.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

marsha7

Well, now that I've been exposed, I guess I should do what ANY self-respecting politician would do in my place...VEHEMENTLY DENY EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...:):):):):)

tidester

VEHEMENTLY DENY EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

You have the right to remain silent ..!

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

Kirstie_H

You might want to check your policy - I'm no insurance expert, but in my state (Missouri), insurance follows the car rather than the driver. If your son's friend gave your son permission to use the car, then in my state, the friend's insurance should cover the damage.

vtccmom

My son parked a then-friend's car in my yard one night. The next morning, it had rolled until stopped by the light pole. There was some damage to the grill. The man said that it wasn't a real issue, that he could get someone to fix it without my son's insurance being involved. That was 2 months ago and suddenly there is $2500 worth of damage.
I have two questions.
1. How long does he have to request info after something like this happens?
2. Since my son wasn't driving the car, can his insurance be involved anyway?

lilyowen

Your son should probably learn to set the parking brake and/or ensure a vehicle is in park; however, consider this a lesson for him.

Your son's "then" friend should probably talk to his own insurance company regarding the damages, and any damages that may have occurred to the light pole. The prior poster is correct, again, in my state (and everyone that I know of). Your son's friend's insurance company is on the hook for any damages to the pole and to his car (if he has collision coverage) otherwise, he's out of luck. Now, if your son stole the car, and there is a police report, charges, etc.... your son would be liable for damages -- but your son's carrier would not pay for damages.

It is possible -- in a very odd set of circumstances -- that if the friend has no collision coverage and your son does, that his coverage would cover the borrowed car -- but as your son was not in the car -- only the last one in it, I still don't see how they would provide that coverage -- you see, insurance will follow the person as well in most cases, but on an excess basis.

I'd apologize to the "then" friend, say sorry he didn't park it correctly, maybe he can help you out in some manner to make up for the damages, but we will not give you his carriers information -- as they simply don't owe for the damages and will not pay.

dtownfb

To the experts: Is it possible since no one was driving the car that the father's homeowner policy could cover the damage? Just a thought.

marsha7

altho not inclusive of all possibilities, would be that auto insurance normally pays for auto damages, and I believe that rolling the car into something would constitute an auto accident of some kind...

Differing that from a tree that blows over and crushes your roof, I think that would be a homeowners policy type of damage...

Then again, in some states that may only be covered by your life insurance...no, no, it was just a joke, keep your cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tidester: "You have the right to remain silent "...now, where have I heard that before????...I know, Jack Webb, Sgt Friday, Dragnet 1967...but is it real??????????????????????????

BTW, Tidester, on a serious note, one would think you have to live in a cave not to know "you have the right to remain silent", but many criminal cases are thrown out of court because the officer arrested the perp but failed to read them their rights, so anything they said CANNOT be used against them in court because they were not apprised of their rights...once warned, then "anything you say may be used against you in a court of law" but if not warned, then it is considered evidence from the tainted tree and cannot be used...

One would think that a cop would know to do that before adjusting his gun belt as he approaches the perp, but many simply do not do it...

tidester

one would think you have to live in a cave not to know

Really! The Supreme Court's Miranda ruling is over 40 years old and with so many cases tossed out because the rights weren't read it is truly strange that any respectable police officer would fail to read them. Incidentally, that Dragnet episode played just a few months after the ruling!

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

euphonium

Specifically excluded in H.O. policies for obvious reasons involving a motor vehicle which could be licensed for road use.

If the vehicle had been a riding lawnmower loaned to the son by the then friend, the H.O. policy would come into play under the Section II, Liability Coverages.

marsha7

I believe Miranda was 1966 (don't hold me to that, I don't do criminal defense...or, as lawyers like to joke..."Yeah, I'm a criminal lawyer, I mean, I'm a criminal DEFENSE lawyer")...

But more than anything else, one would have to credit Dragnet for making it known to the public...I would bet if they had run Public Service announcements on radio and TV for 30 years, that phrase (you have the right to remain silent, anything you say...) would NOT be as well known as it is thanks to Sgt Friday...just the facts, ma'am, just the facts...

tidester

just the facts, ma'am, just the facts

Thanks a bunch! Now I'll have the Dragnet theme music running through my head for the next two days - like I needed that! :mad:

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

marsha7

Dum Da Dum Dum.............................................................................-

aterry

My car was involved in an hit and run accident on Februray 2, 2008 my daughter was driving my car but she is not listed on my insurance because she attends school and lives in another city and hardly ever drives my car. The adjuster contacted me and authorized the dealership where I took it to be repaired to proceed with the repairs to my car. This week (February 25, 2008) we were contac ted by an investigator for Hanover who is my insurance carrier, stating they need to do a person to person recorded interview with my daughter or my claim may not be paid. I contacted the dealership to see if they were told anything about this and they advised that they were told by Hanover that they would be paying for the repairs and even approved supplemental damages to be added to the claim. My questions are:
1) Why are they just deciding to question the driver after almost a month?
2) What kind of questions will she be asked?
3) Since they already authorized the repairs and agreed to pay for them can they decide after giving authorization to not paid the repair shop?

marsha7

want to know if they are on the hook for any bodily injuries, which you never said if there were any...a recorded interview is quite usual, where they just want to know what happened outside of the police report...

Even tho your daughter is not on your policy, and for logical reasons, they may still want to verify if she was using the car with your permission (permissive user theory)

They will probably ask her how the wreck happened, weather conditions, what she did, how she reacted, did she claim any injuries, was she speeding, etc....I find that since this is a UM or collision claim (you did say hit and run) there are very few trick questions...if this was a liability claim, however, there are trick questions to be aware of, but this does not apply to you...

imidazol97

>.if this was a liability claim, however, there are trick questions to be aware of,

What are some examples of trick questions?

euphonium

Underinsured Motorist Coverages:
1. Bodily Injury Liability
2. Property Damage Liability

Because the UMPD deductible is usually considerably less than the Collision deductible, the Claims Manager is making sure the damage was caused by a hit and run driver and not by the daughter. Questions asked will help determine who was responsible for the damage.

In cases where the "hit & run" driver is later identified the deductible is $100 or NONE at all.

cccompson

Example of trick question:

Many years ago I was rear-ended on a heavily traveled two lane road at rush hour. The at-fault driver swerved to her right just before impact with the right rear of my car. The impact propelled me into the opposite lane where I side-swiped a car.

During over phone interview the adjustor said, "Now, when you lost control of your car and hit the northbound vehicle..."

Whoa, I never lost control - I was propelled into the other lane. And so I explained it to him (and pointed out how much money I had saved his company because of my reaction in jerking the wheel back, thereby avoiding a head-on).

aterry

Thanks. I thought they may have been trying to determine whether they should pay the claim since she is my daughter and was not listed as a driver.

aterry

Thanks. I thought they may have been trying to determine whether they should pay the claim since she is my daughter and was not listed as a driver.

euphonium

Daughter, being a non resident member of the household and your having not signed a "Driver Exclusion" endorsement agreeing she is excluded, therefore coverage is afforded. The company is just trying to determine under which coverage will pay. Verifying "hit & run" is also part of the process.

Hopefully, there were witnesses & they will be interviewed.

aterry

Whew, thanks again this really sets my mind at ease. There was a witness. She and my daughter were stopped at a red light when this van hit my daughter and pushed her into this drivers car. That driver did provide me with her name and telephone number even though she was responsible for her own damage since the responsible party fled the scene. I provided her information to Hanover. I guess they have contacted her. I just did not understand why they want to interview my daughter in person almost a month after the accident. They even told the dealership they would cover the repairs. Now they are saying they will not release the check until the investigation is completed. Your explanation has really helped me to understand.

marsha7

anguish we get from insurance companies, they are still the ones writing a check, often for massive amounts of money...and while we all say that a $50,000 check is pennies/petty cash to State Farm, it really is big money, and they are stewards of their policyholders money...

So, since a hit-and-run often has no witnesses except the driver who states they were struck, an investigation is quite proper, since if the daughter was at fault she should be charged and premiums should increase...if it WAS hit and run, then she is not at fault so a whole different series of payments could flow from it, also altering deductibles...plus, a hit and run, with injuries, could be paid by UM insurance (assuming no medpay) whereas if daughter was at fault, without medpay there would be no BI coverage for her injuries and no payment from your auto insurance...

aterry

My daughter was not ticketed and the police reports states they had invested in an attempt to find the driver who fled the scene. The other driver who was hit by my car did provide a statement to the police officer verifying the fact that the driver struck my car and caused it to hit her car then proceeded to flee as soon as traffic was clear for him to take off. This happened in New Orleans on Maudi Gras my guess is that the driver was drunk or didn't have insurance or both.

marsha7

Or neither, just simply a bad, irresponsible driver...:):):):):)...

robr2

Daughter, being a non resident member of the household and your having not signed a "Driver Exclusion" endorsement agreeing she is excluded, therefore coverage is afforded.

The OP says that she lives away at college but what is her permanent address? Not all students change their permanent address while away at school. Would it make a difference if her address is the same as her parents even though she doesn't live there?

euphonium

No. Away at school implies she is not a regular resident of the household, but what is also important is that she is not specifically excluded from the policy coverage.

When during the policy period another member resident of the household takes an insured and scheduled vehicle there is coverage regardless of the driver's being licensed or of age. The Family Liability Policy is rather broad in coverage respects.

If the Named Insured doesn't voluntarily declare underage drivers, they are still insured and covered, but when the company asks - do tell.

marsha7

between residence and domicile, which are often the same but can be different...

Domicile is usually where your driver's license is issued and the address you use to vote (this does not apply in Chicago, where it is one's duty to vote early and vote often)...so, a student who goes to Univ of Maryland may have a Georgia domicile...so, even tho they RESIDE in Maryland for 4 years, they never give up their GA license and still vote by absentee ballot in GA...

Or, a Georgia welder is transferred to the Alaska pipeline to perform repairs for 2 years...they reside in Fairbanks, have an apartment there, along with utility bills, phone bills, but they still maintain a domicile in GA...

Now, for me, I reside and my domicile are the same thing, as it is with most people...does that help???

aterry

Guys this is such comforting information. The fact is she does live on campus in another city her license is from our home address, however she got her license when she was still in High School.

cccompson

My son, who is taking a two year program at a state college in Oklahoma, was recently stopped there for a traffic violation. The cop, evidently surprised to see an Ohio plated vehicle deep in a rural part of the state, questioned him as to his situation. Although he told her that he's in school only until May '09, she told (or suggested) that he register the vehicle in Oklahoma.

It baffles me why she would do so unless she had the thought that his doing so would entitle him to the (far) lower in-state tuition rate.

imidazol97

>that he register the vehicle in Oklahoma

Do they have a tax on cars beside the plate cost? I suspect it means money for the state. I know when a nephew moved to Missouri others who had been transferred earlier warned them about changing their car registration soon after they moved to avoid being ticketed.

cccompson

Good point - will check to see what the OK website says about it.

imidazol97

I know here in Ohio we have thousands of out-of-state cars that never register in Ohio nor buy plates to pay the local bridge/road tax, etc. They live here. Buy houses. They are in the military for the most part (WPAFB), bless their hearts.

But they use the region's roads without paying anything other than gasoline tax to the state.

gogiboy

CC--

I teach at a state university in Oklahoma and have lived here for close to 20 years. Oklahoma has a number of state regulations that have always baffled me having moved from the upper midwest.

We have a tag/plate fee that is based on the purchase price of the car. It used to be based on the original MSRP for the vehicle, but was changed a few years ago. It's a sliding scale and by the 16th year it bottoms out at around $40/year. We used to have an annual inspection sticker, but the good folks of OK said that the $5/year was too much. Of course, being the clean heartland, we have no need for any sort of emissions testing.

I believe OK is like many states in that you have to live and work for at least a year to achieve residency. This is to prevent out-of-state students from getting in-state tuition, which is incredibly cheap in OK, especially when compared to elsewhere in the US. We do have in-state tuition reciprocity with Texas and possibly some of the other surrounding states. A sizable number of Texas kids cross the Red River for college despite the exceptionally broad range of universities and colleges in TX.

I can't think of a good reason, financial or otherwise, to register a car here unless your son was going to establish residency post-college. There may be some legal statute I'm unaware of, however. When I was in graduate school I never established residency (not for lack of trying) and never got an in-state tag until I received my first job and paycheck.

Gogiboy

cccompson

Thanks for the info. He's at Murray State and has no interest in establishing residency. You're right about the tuition - it's amazingly cheap (the total for tution, room, and board combined is less than in-state tuition alone at Ohio State) because they only charge the in-state rate so long as a student maintains a 2.0 GPA. Unfortunately, he just missed hitting that magic number fall semester and we're now paying the out of state rate.

Having looked around the OK website, it's possible that what the cop was focusing on was the state's mandatory insurance coverage. He has it but couldn't find his insurance card when stopped. Being on an Ohio tag, there was nothing the cop could do.

marsha7

laws that mandate that you must change your driver's license and auto tag within 30 days of moving to the state, I can almost understand the cop's confusion...

It is my belief that an out-of-state student who maintains their domicile in their home state cannot be forced to change their license and registration, simply because they RESIDE in that state...now, if the reco was for the benefit of in-state tuition, that is an independent issue...

While I have never seen the issue come up in court, I would surmise that a student, or a worker transferred on temporary assignment, cannot be forced to change their domicile, just because they rent an apartment or a dorm room...you might stretch it to include buying a house, as long as you prove that you actually live and vote in your home state, and have a reasonable explanation, like temporary worker or student, even if 8 years reaching for a graduate degree...

While state colleges have tuition rate differentials, most privatre schools do not...so, while Ga Tech and UGA have different rates as state schools, Emory does not as a private school, so being a state resident gains you no benefit...

Altho, if you look at auto insurance rates for, say, Mich or NY, GA rates can save you thousands of $$$, and if you add that up over 4 or 8 years, you could save substantial $$$ by changing your domicile for that reason alone...

Plus, you may want to feel like your vote matters...in NY or Mich, a Republican may feel their vote is wasted as most officeholders are Communists Democrats, whereas in GA or TX, most officeholders are Americans Republican...sorry, I think a little of my weak opinions accidentally slipped out...:):):):):)

cccompson

Hmmm...it always seemed to me that communist governments conducted pretextual invasions, don't care about individual liberties, and wiretapped like crazy....

marsha7

Hmmm..................................................................

kyfdx

Murray State is in Oklahoma?

I guess the one in Kentucky is The Murray State University...

oldfarmer50

"...In NY or Mich, a Republican may feel their vote is wasted as most office holders are.."

LOL That is tooooo funny.

gogiboy

Kyfdx--

As CC knows, we do have a Murray State in OK. It's in Tishamingo, OK. I was a visiting artist there more than 10 years ago. It's a very small school although I'm not sure of the exact enrollment. They have one college devoted to making firearms, which I found interesting--and potentially hazardous given the current state of affairs at most universities. As a faculty member would you really want to flunk someone who's semester project was a fully functional rifle?

When I moved to teach at OSU (one of the other OSUs) in the late 80s the undergraduate tuition was less than I paid at the University of Michigan more than a decade earlier. Plus the cost of living, particularly housing, is much less than in many more "desirable" locations.

CC--if you live in Ohio, your son has a long commute home. I know that it takes me 15 hours to get to southeast MI from Stillwater, OK, but I can share the driving chores with my wife.

Gogiboy

cccompson

It's confusing - Murray State University is in KY while Murray State College is in OK. And, yes, he is in the gunsmithing program (one of very few in the U.S.). Evidently there have been some safety concerns raised by parents since Virginia Tech and he was worried about continuation of the program after the college president (a big supporter) was killed in a crash last October. In fact, they have pretty good safety precautions in place (for instance, ammunition is barred from class and dorm rooms).

I tend to think that, given the current state of affairs, this is about the last school any nut would try a shooting spree precisely because it is known there are many folks with firearms handy.

Yup it's a haul - about 975 miles from Columbus, a leisurely 15.5 hours at legal speeds.

Kirstie_H

A reporter from a large online Web site is looking to connect with consumers who have monthly car payments that are less than their monthly insurance payment. This may be the result of an accident or if you live in a high-cost region. If you’re interested in speaking to the reporter, please contact Chintan Talati at ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information no later than March 6, 2008

pankaj1

Hi,
I have (sorry used to have ) 2001 Honda Civic EX Coupe. It has around 87000 miles and was in excellent conditions, but was in an accident in 2006 (by me, 4 car collision). Now, 3 days back my wife met with an accident (at fault) and body shop said the car would be totalled. Though, I am waiting on my insurance company (nationwide) to confirm this.
My question is:
1. What is the true value of my car, that I should expect insurance company to pay me. As per Edmunds it is: Trade in - $5,548, Private Party - $6,748 and Dealer Retail - $7,882. As per KBB, it is - Excellent $6,575, Good $6,040, Fair $5,105
2. I am still paying for this car to Honda Finance and owe about $4,500. Would I get the final check or Honda Finance? How this will work out?

Please suggest.

Thanx

marsha7

will be paid off to Honda finance...if anything is left over, you will receive the balance...if they don't pay enough, you will owe a balance unless you have Gap insurance...