A heart-felt, gear-grinding situation

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by Cobb

Something has changed in the past few years. It seems now insurance companies can simply say they deny liability and refuse to cover.

In the past it use to be the insurance company did what the law said, ie who is at fault for an accident. Then after that, your rates went up or they simply refused to insure you any more.

No insurance company can simply "deny" liability. If they do it ends up in court (which it sometimes does, if they think they can drag some other party's insurance into paying for some of the claim). Minimum liability insurance is mandatory in virtually all 50 states. It may not be enough to cover your damages if you have a catastrophic injury, however. Usually your own insurance coverage provides for uninsured and under-insured drivers that cause an accident with damages to you.

[Cobb]

BULLCRAP!!!!!!!! I had a lady t bone me in the passenger side rear. Took them 2 weeks to decide to accept responsibility.

Originally Posted by XYZ

No insurance company can simply "deny" liability.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by Cobb

BULLCRAP!!!!!!!! I had a lady t bone me in the passenger side rear. Took them 2 weeks to decide to accept responsibility.

But from what you just said, they apparently DID, didn't they? They wanted to hear you state your claim, as if you meant it, to verify that your claim was real.

AKA in legal jargon, "voir dire".

That's not "Bullcrap". That's the way in which insurance operates, how courts operate, and how claims are settled. Welcome to the land of litigation.

Do you know the true purpose of liability insurance? It usually provides for easy settlement of monetary claim damages rather than dragging it through court. That is what liability insurance is all about.

[Cobb]

Who me? I doubt anyone really understands insurance and their rights.

Thnigs Ive heard about insurance:

1. If a guy hits you and has no insurance, your insurance is suppose to cover you anyway.

2. If you sue and win against your insurance company they are required to pay court and attorney fees.

3. They must pay you for diminished value of your vehicle if its fixable.

4. Renters or home owners insurance covers possessions inside your vehicle. IE ipad, iphone, laptop, etc.

5 Even if you arent at fault, you can use your insurance to fix your car and they will deal with the other guy and his insurance company.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by Cobb

Who me? I doubt anyone really understands insurance and their rights.

Thnigs Ive heard about insurance:

1. If a guy hits you and has no insurance, your insurance is suppose to cover you anyway.

2. If you sue and win against your insurance company they are required to pay court and attorney fees.

3. They must pay you for diminished value of your vehicle if its fixable.

4. Renters or home owners insurance covers possessions inside your vehicle. IE ipad, iphone, laptop, etc.

5 Even if you arent at fault, you can use your insurance to fix your car and they will deal with the other guy and his insurance company.

This is not about what anyone might have "heard". It's about the real world of how insurance works, and settling a claim.

Here's my suggestion, FWIW. First read your insurance policy to find out what is covered, and what isn't. If you or anyone here can't comprehend the 50 or more pages comprising their POLICY that the insurance company sent to you, (although it IS in now written in plain English, just more pages than ever, and enough to make your eyes blur), ask your insurance agent to explain it to you, also in plain English.

"Comprehensive" insurance means you are paying through the nose in being insured for everything imaginable, including your own mishaps. "Basic liability" means you are covered only for your own misdeeds, nothing more than that.

If an accident is not mostly your fault (or not your fault at all), you can file a claim with the insurance company of the party that is at fault, as they are liable for damages done to you, and everyone must carry auto liability insurance, as mandated by law.

That's just the basics, and an understanding of this usually suffices to get paid for a claim to cover your damages. As I said earlier, if the damage done is catastrophic and your damages are also, it might be time to consult a lawyer.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Cobb

BULLCRAP!!!!!!!! I had a lady t bone me in the passenger side rear. Took them 2 weeks to decide to accept responsibility.

Only two weeks? That's pretty darn quick.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Only two weeks? That's pretty darn quick.

What's the hurry? If you act like you want an immediate settlement you might get one but it will be less compensation than you deserve, or could receive if you are more patient. Take your time and document everything. Persistence pays.

If you act like you don't need the money and will play it to the hilt, no matter how long it takes, your claim will reap maximum benefit.

[user removed]

Example 1.
Youngest stepdaughter is backing out of a parking spot at the apartment complex where she lived. A Ford truck with a camper shell is blocking her view and the parking lot was 54 feet wide, not including the part where cars were parked. A woman with no insurance hits her so hard she totals my daughters $10k Sentra, with 5 of her realtives children in the car. The impact smashes my stepdaughters face into the driver door glass and it leaves an imprint of her face makup in the glass and bends out the door frame. Stepdaughters uninsured motorist coverage pays her $9300 for the car which she keeps. I took a weeks vacation, bought a rear clip for $1200 and welded it on her car. She pocketed the difference, $8100. She also won $2000 in a wet t-shirt contest at Hooters, where she worked at the time. While everyone is supposed to carry insurance by law a significant number here in Va do not, and the last time I was stopped at a roadside license and registration check, the cop refused to even look at my proof of insurance.

Example 2.
Comprehensive insurance, here in Va again pays for "acts of nature". My brother's Cadillac got caught in a hail storm, which did $3000 in damage to the car which he owned free and clear. He kept the car and later sold it with the damage, but basically he got the car for free and the claim they paid was equal to 30 years of comprehensive premiums. He lives in a flood zone and during a hurricane his $34 k truck was in salt water the never got in the passengers floor. No water in the tranny or diff. They totalled the truck which he kept (for $7k) and he did nothing more than pressure wash the undercarriage and bought his wife an Eldorado with the money he recieved, comprehensive again. 340 years of comprehensive premiums in that single claim.

Example 3.
The day I am supposed to sell My 98 230 SLK a rock flies up on the Interstate and breaks the windshield. State Farm informs me that since my car is less than 10 years old they will pay to have an original MB replacement glass installed in the car, which the glass shop picks up 55 miles from my home and installs in the car in my front yard less than 6 hours after the time when it was broken. Cost to replace over $600, or 6 years of comprehensive premiums.

For much less than $100 a year considering what can happen here, I consider comprehensive insurance a bargain.

I don't carry collision. The wife carries $1000 deductible, which we saved in the only collision claim she has made in 25 years by not replacing the ac condenser and repairing instead or replacing the hood. She later traded in the car and got $14.3k for it. We paid $18.1 kfor the car new, 3 years and 31k miles earlier. Half of what a lease would have cost.

But the bottom line is if you think of these two things you might truly understand defensive driving. One of my freinds father was still driving when he was so blind he could not see the traffic lights. The only way he knew to slow down was IF the brake lights on the car in front of him worked! I bought a truck from an individual who had lost his license and been driving for 11 years without insurance or a drivers license.

Just think about those two things the next time you believe any driver around you is even remotely responsible. I would guess 33% of them around here think they are entitled to drive, without a license, or insurance and even with a car that is so rusted out the engine crossmember which also holds the steering rack in place, is hanging two inches below its orignal mounting point, completely detached from the unibody. One car I refused to test drive.

regards
mech

[user removed]

Also, 75% of my bike insurance is uninsured motorists, because the person who just hit you on your bike is more likely to run away than stop, regardless of your injuries.

regards
mech

[Cobb]

I think that was the problem with my first accident that was a non fault. I spent too much time on the phone in the middle and since my other car was not that reliable then I was depended on the rental car the guys insurance was paying for and they constantly threatened to take it away.

The second time around I had prepared a compliant to send to the guys insurance and to the BBB. I had given them 2 weeks before I would post it to the BBB and email it to the insurance company.

Originally Posted by XYZ

What's the hurry? If you act like you want an immediate settlement you might get one but it will be less compensation than you deserve, or could receive if you are more patient. Take your time and document everything. Persistence pays.

Old Mechanic, sounds like the insurance company may of paid yours family out more than you paid them in premiums? My first accident in the end I think came to 6 grand and the rental car for 3 months was like 2 grand. The state police estimated the damaged to 250 bucks from the looks of the bumper and lam being broken.

My second accident was 2500, 500 more than a non insurance sponsored shop quotes too. Rental car was for a week.

Yes, it seems the idea behind insurance is that you "can" avoid an accident. To some extent that is true and you can make the out come of many situations in your favor.

If you act like you don't need the money and will play it to the hilt, no matter how long it takes, your claim will reap maximum benefit.