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The dealer mentioned to me that I did not have to go get the work done myself, that I could turn it into their dealership, they would do the repairs, and bill my insurance company.
I liked this scenario since I was told that to do it the other way, I would need to take it into a shop, pay for it out of pocket, and AAA would send me a check a month later to reimburse me.
Is the dealer situation a good move? Anything I need to watch out for?
Thanks.
I have Traveler's Ins. currently and they were a dream to work with during my accident so I am not badmouthing them. Maybe the cost is just high for an elite? company.
I am single(about to get engaged!), male, 29, live in Houston.
Thanks!
Due to a chargeable accident rate increase + 40%.
You didn't mention the bodily injuries claims, but the rate increase reveals that.
There were no bodily injury claims as the other car was parked w/o anyone inside and the police were not even called. I waited 20+ minutes for the person to come out of the shop and it ended up being a friend of my grandmother's so I know there was no "funny business" about extra claims.
Should I shop other insurance companies or is this about what everyone's rates will be?
Car_man
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The claim was filed and the estimator assessed it at $1250. My ex-wife was later contacted by the adjuster indicating she believed it not to be a "hit-and-run," but damaged by reversing out of the stall and hitting a pillar. This all based on her alleged "years of doing this sort of work." She then said that my ex was free to either have the company remit the check to the body shop ($1250 - 250 deductible), or to withdraw the claim. Sounded like a threat to have the insurance cancelled on the next renewal if they persisted with the claim.
This is the type of attitude which enrages the public in their dealings with the insurers. No proof of any kind and the insinuation that my daughter hit the pillar, then moved the car to a different space, swept up the broken plastic from the light assembly, and planted the plastic debris before making the police report. The kid isn't jaded enough to think of or pull off a stunt like that.
This idiot had no idea of our backgrounds or the kind of resources/connections we have. My ex worked as a claims adjuster back in the mid-70s and I've been in the insurance business for nearly 32 years. One phone call to a connection who probably knows her supervisor was all it took for her to call my daughter back and say that "the accident has been re-classified to a hit-and-run."
It's unfortunate that other insureds have most likely been bullied into withdrawing legitimate claims because they did not have the experience, knowledge, or connections to press on.
In about a month I will be moving to Florida and will be purchasing a new or used car; from what I have read and been told by acquaintances, I can expect to pay incredibly high insurance premiums because the Insurance companies don’t have any records about me.
Please advise as to what I can do to minimize the $$$ that will have to be paid to my insurance company, besides shopping for a good deal.
I have had a Florida License since the age of 18 and have never gotten a ticket, and I also have a good credit rating.
I appreciate any advise you can give me.
I'm at the point now where I understand why people sue. It's no longer about the deductible, it's about the principle of the whole thing. Can anyone give me some advice to see if anything else can be done short of calling a lawyer?
In addition to mitzi's good advice, another thing you can do to reduce that initial hit is keep your car choices modest. A used small car will cost less to insure than the brand new larger car that you may very well be able to afford. Once you have two to three years of insurance history, you can shop for lower cost insurance. Most insurers work on a three year cycle in terms of driving/insurance history, so in three years, South America will mean nothing to them.
kcram
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In addition to the police report, was a ticket issued at the spot for the other driver running the light? If so, that is public record, and you can call the municipal court to see if it was paid or dismissed. Payment of the ticket equates to guilty under the law, and the other driver's insurance company must accept that as proof of fault.
If no ticket was issued, you can press charges yourself. Since you have witnesses, this should be pretty cut-and-dry. Even if they can't appear, your witrnesses can submit notarized affadavits as to what they observed on your behalf. A conviction will also force the insurance company to settle up.
kcram
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Kcram I guess it is better to start modest, I am just glad I found out about insurance costs before I actually bought a car.
Thanks again
jjj, good luck and welcome home
kcram
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You should actually intertwine the shopping. If you have an idea of what kinds of cars you want, you can get insurance rate quotes on that car before you buy it. All the major carriers will quote rates for you, and if you already have an independent agent, they can take your personal info down and do the insurance shopping for you - al you would have to do is tell them the year/make/model/equipment of the cars you're interested in while you shio for them, and the agent can give you a pretty good estimate of what you're facing in terms of rates.
One thing you should be careful of is not shopping rate price only. You need to make sure you have sufficent coverage and that the company is large enough that they can follow through quickly when you have a claim. For example, most people don't carry enough property damage liability. $50,000 is just not enough with the price of vehicles these days - if you accidentally total someone's new luxury car, your insurance may not cover the whole cost, and YOU are responsible for the difference.
kcram
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The choice of carrier is important, too. What good is "cheap" coverage if claims aren't paid promptly, if ever ........
Then again, for some people, the lowest price is all that matters ............ *sigh*
kcram
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About 25% of the drivers on the road have no insurance or driver's licenses. It's scary. You NEED to have good uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, because invariably the person that hits you has no insurance, or just the state mimimum, which is worthless. UM coverage is important, because your insurance company will "step into" the shoes of the drivers company.
as an example, if you are in an accident with someone with no insurance, and you are seriously injured, you will not be able to collect anything unless you have UM.
Make sure it is as high as possible. It usually cannot be higher than your liability, so make sure you have good liablity insurance. Don't go to these goofy storefront places that advertise lowest rates on state minimums. choose a reputable insurance company and get good insurance.
Jeff
I carry 250/500/100 liability and matching amounts for UM - you can get UM property damage in NJ, not all states have that. And I'm with Travelers (dva First Trenton in NJ) through my independent agent, a solid national company with a track record.
Forgot to mention this in my previous post... the other thing to consider is, comp and collision deductibles. Make them as high as you can safely cover out of pocket. I carry $500 on collision, and the only reason I have $250 on comp is because my agent showed me the difference was just a few bucks for the year (I have a 12 month policy and pay it in full at once). Even then, a collision under $1000 damage, I won't bother to file - I can afford that. The deductible you select can be the difference between affordable coverage from a reputable firm and fly-by-night coverage from the storefront.
kcram
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As it happens my grandmother put my name as an additional driver in her car insurance for the few times a year that I came by.
She had a lease that expired about a year ago, and did not renew as she does not want to drive anymore.
I would think this would qualify as record of insurance.
I would greatly appreciate any comments on this matter.
kcram
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Just got various quotes, it actually does not help.
Well, I guess US$3500 for my first year of car insurance is not that bad, I thought it was going to be closer to US$5000.
Thanks again
kcram
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So don't assume how your state insurance 'works' without checking with an insurance agent.
In my state, UM is 'required' to be offered by the company, but you can 'reject' it.
But, the coverage is only for Medical for other people riding in the vehicle, not the insured person/s. No vehicle damage coverage.
So, understand what you are getting. My states UM coverage will not get your car fixed if you are hit by an uninsured motorist.
You can't imagine how often I run into this misconception. Many people think their vehicles will be fixed when the other driver is uninsured or carries a PD limit that's less than the estimate. They don't realize that they have to have their own collision and comprehensive.
Insurance is regulated by the state in which the vehicle is operated. We have partial no-fault here in regard to medical here (no-fault is assessed up to the threshold limit, after which tort liability then takes effect). I suggested that the claimant contact the state insurance department for help. The department will tell Verizon what the facts are regarding insurance law. Any deductible is applicable to the insured (Verizon), not the driver, passenger, or any pedestrian injured.
It may end up costing Verizon more than the $300 in dispute.
The law says three years and seven years. The question is how long does the insurance remain at an elevated level (after a DUI conviction)....ez
As far as how much money you should receive if your vehicle is indeed totaled goes, your insurance company is supposed to provide you with enough for you to purchase a comparable replacement vehicle right now. If you feel as though your insurance company's initial offer is too low, you definitely should try to negotiate with them using current classified ads from your area and even pricing reports from Web sites as ammunition.
Car_man
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They will want to see the accident report, your insurance info, etc, so you might as well get that stuff together.
Jeff
Jeff
The other day, she was driving her 99 Taurus on
icy roads. Since she know the road was bad, she
was driving very carefully. Unfortunately, she slid into a curve at about 5 MPH. The only damage
from the direct impact was a blow tire and damaged steel rim.
However, the airbags deployed (even the responding officer was surprised). That to a incident with maybe $200 dollars worth of damage into a $3000+ Accident (Airbags, plus damage to the interior and windows from the Airbags).
My question is: if the airbags should not have gone off, should Ford fix that part of the damage? My sister can not afford to have her insurance go up.
Also, if you have documentation and receipts for regular oil changes and maintenance, they should help bump the offer if it comes in low.
Regarding finding a good attorney, you will need the ongoing documentation from her injuries to substantiate a claim or settlement. As you look for an attorney be sure she continues treatment.
I reported the accident to both of our insurance companies. My company told me I would need to contact hers and file a claim against them. I asked both companies if I should have gotten a police report and they both said it wasn't necessary at all.
Now everyone I talk to who isn't a professional insists I was an idiot for not calling the police to the scene and getting a report. I still haven't gotten a determination from her insurance if they will fully pay and, as of yet, she has not contacted them and hasn't returned their calls. I have talked to her on the phone since the accident because she thought she might want to pay out of pocket. But her offer was a little late and I had already put the claim through her insurance.
anyway. how does this sound so far? should i go ahead and file a police report now? will it do any good? everyone has me paranoid that she will change her story at this point. but would a police report really make a difference with no witnesses?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I was driveable with the cockeyed steering wheel, and a suspension shop made me whole for a few hundred bucks. Since it was low cost and we both had the same insurance company. Didn't want to take a chance on my rates going up with a claim, so I let it go, but having the police report with the woman's statement that she was at fault was the detail I needed to make that decision.
ALWAYS call the police immediately and get a report when on a public road, even if it's your fault. That document means the officer has investigated the situation, and you may not know if someone else has received a summons for their actions until you get the report.
kcram
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