How to expedite a hit and run accident ?

[dyang]

My car was hit by a drunk driver and the driver was caught. I am now having to wait 10 days for a police report to identify his insurance company and make a claim.

Anyone know of a way to expedite my claim ?

What must I do if the insurance claim is stalled due to getting a "low ball" settlement price ?

Can my claim include the cost of a car rental ?

Structural damage to a car wheel is visible.
Can I get reimbursement in a claim to have a mechanic evaluate ?

thanks, D Yang

 

[Allen Trent]

My car was hit by a drunk driver and the driver was caught. I am now having to wait 10 days for a police report to identify his insurance company and make a claim.

Anyone know of a way to expedite my claim ?

What must I do if the insurance claim is stalled due to getting a "low ball" settlement price ?

Can my claim include the cost of a car rental ?

Structural damage to a car wheel is visible.
Can I get reimbursement in a claim to have a mechanic evaluate ?

thanks, D Yang

What did your agent say?

 

[fed up]

What is the coverage for your vehicle on your policy? Do you have comprehensive, collision, rental reimbursement? If so, get your vehicle fixed and let the carriers work it out. If you do not have the coverage, not much you can do to speed things up but to get a copy of the police report while waiting.

 

[adjusterjack]

Anyone know of a way to expedite my claim ?

Use your collision coverage if you have it.

What must I do if the insurance claim is stalled due to getting a "low ball" settlement price ?

Sue the other driver and prove, in court, with evidence, that he is liable for a greater amount of money.

Can my claim include the cost of a car rental ?

Yes, for the reasonable amount of time that your car is disabled until it's repaired. However, you are required by law to mitigate your loss. If the claim against the other driver takes months, you aren't going to be paid for all that time if you didn't mitigate.

Structural damage to a car wheel is visible. Can I get reimbursement in a claim to have a mechanic evaluate ?

Evaluation is part of the repair process. Get your car to a repair shop. If it can be made safely driveable by replacing the damaged wheel then get pictures, get the wheel (and suspension parts, if necessary) fixed, pay for it and keep your receipt. Then you can drive your car while the claim is being handled. That's called mitigation. And you will avoid a lot of aggravation with the other insurance company if you do it.

 

[Al3x Lee]

Sue the other driver and prove, in court, with evidence, that he is liable for a greater amount of money.

Don't you lose the right to do that when you let your insurer handle the claim?

 

[adjusterjack]

Don't you lose the right to do that when you let your insurer handle the claim?

Yes.

By using his own coverage, the insured assigns the right of subrogation (seek reimbursement) to his insurance company. It's a policy condition.

OUR RIGHT TO RECOVER PAYMENT
A. If we make a payment under this Policy and the person to or for whom payment was made has a right to recover damages from another, we shall be subrogated to that right. That person shall do:
1. Whatever is necessary to enable us to exercise our rights; and
2. Nothing after loss to prejudice them.
However, our rights in this paragraph (A.) do not apply under Part D, against any person using "your covered auto" with a reasonable belief that that person is entitled to do so.
B. If we make a payment under this Policy and the person to or for whom payment is made recovers damages from another, that person shall:
1. Hold in trust for us the proceeds of the recovery; and
2. Reimburse us to the extent of our payment

The above, or words to that effect, is in every auto policy.

But if the insured decides not to use his own insurance (which is his right) and deal directly with the other driver's insurance, then he has no such obligation to his own insurance company.

 

[Markthebroker]

How to expedite a hit and run accident ?

By driving even faster, I would expect