We are not in good hands

[Carlos LeBaron]

I have a very rare case, where an accident whereabouts has been handled with such contradictory paths, that I think I need some advice from someone who can decipher what is going on here.

The accident happened in Washington DC. This is a street which can hold two vehicles running the same direction. In an intersection, the car on the left decided to turn right without using the right turn signal lights.

The consequence was the car on the right side going straight hit the middle part of the turning car and lost its bumper plus additional damages.

The driver from the turning car apparently didn't speak English, or he just played he didn't know English. Point is that he evaded showing a valid driver license, and also he didn't show a valid registration. He showed his car insurance card with all his description, which included name, insurance company and policy number.

Unfortunately, in this area, police won't show up if there are not injuries, and they won't even help to find who was guilty of what. Then, with that in hand, our driver just returned home with the bumper inside the car. Our company was called as well, in case they are needed.

After contacting the other company, an appraiser was sent and made the estimate of the damage. But, on the same day in the afternoon, we received a message that this company will refuse to pay for the damage because their driver cl;aims it was not his fault, that he has the right to make the right turn from his space in the street, and that no witness can corroborate our claim.

Then, our company took the arbitrary step.

Here is what happened next.

1) We received letters from two insurance companies saying they won't pay for the damage.
2) We received a letter from our company saying it has been found the other driver was not insured and a special department will take care of the collection of the money from that driver.

We responded that such is fine, and that we also need the records of the "investigation" because we need to be sure the other driver had a valid driver license at the time of the accident.

Then, we received a message from our insurance company to disregard what they said, because it was found the other driver was insured after all.

Then, we asked to our company to honor the estimate made buy the other company less the deductible, and we can send the car for the correspondent repairs.

Our company was so slow doing the process that I sent a message to the person in charge asking why they are doing that, what is going on, it was more than a month already and the car is sitting in our driveway.

Then, we received a message from another person, who told us will be the new one in charge to deal with. So with new sheriff in town, the situation has not changed a little bit, next week will be two months, a promise that our insurance will send their own appraiser and make a new estimate of the damage, even when we sent the previews estimate from the other company.

The whole thing is very confused, and we have the feeling that something fishy is going on. Our company is not doing any effort to go to court as it is supposed to do and fight, because the whole fault was the other driver turned right without using with enough anticipation the right turn signals.

Our questions still is pending, because we asked our company how was possible the other car insurance company insured the other driver without having a valid driver license, and after this message our company changed their attitude and practically subjected itself to the command of the other company, because it has not a single intention to fight for recovering the money from the other side.

What do you think?

What can be happening here?

And why our company prefers to "punish us" rather than fight against the other company/driver even when our company says they know there is no fault from our part.

And we still are waiting for the money in order to make the repairs. Definitively, "we are not in good hands".

 

[fed up]

So, let's break down what has occurred. The car in front of you made a turn from the center lane across the front of your vehicle. The police were not called and there was no police report filed. It does not matter whether the other driver was driving with a valid license of not, that is a police matter, not an insurance matter.
The other driver has told his insurance carrier that he is not at fault, that you were not paying attention. His insurance company has an obligation to believe him, therefore they are not accepting fault for the accident.
Turn your claim over to your own carrier and have your car repaired under your collision coverage and pay your deductible. Have your company subrogate against the other carrier and let the 2 companies work it out. In some cases, where the at fault insurer does not accept fault, your carrier may excuse the at fault from your file and you would not have an increase

 

[Carlos LeBaron]

The appraiser from our company came today.

The estimate given is way lower than the estimate given by the other company, something that was obvious.

We must contribute with our deductible and our deductible is a huge amount of money, so it's painful.

The appraiser was supposed to give me the check right away. He didn't. After talking by phone with the insurance agent, in a three way call, the appraiser asked me for my bank information for a direct deposit, and I just check my account a few minutes ago and..., nothing.

They fake with good manners that they care about you but their actions reveal their lack of interest even when you pay your premium on time and you try not to bother them or bother other drivers, so the records are clean.

They might think we, the customers are "idiots" and that they can play with us at their will.

They have no idea that we also laugh of them, because we know their tricks, and with patience we will recover the total amount of the money it is owed to us because that accident.

Today, the agent contradicted herself one more time.

After hee hee hee here and hee hee hee there, I told her that I will try to go against the other driver for recovering my deductible money. Here the agent "assured me" that such part in under their watch. First she said (again) the other driver is "uninsured" but immediately she retracted saying they will go against the other company, and the first recovered money will be to cover our deductible. Sure... right...

Plus, I was "advised" that the transaction for recovering the money will take "months".

Hey! besides of two months having my car on the driveway paying insurance for nothing, after receiving a short compensation for the repairs of my car, now she says I must wait months for a money which maybe never will be recovered.

We are using a weight scale, because we were told we can go ourselves against the other driver. This step is faster and if we lose, it will be just the cost of the court. But the adventure is worthy.

We are going to research more about it, like I said before, no rush but to make a good plan, the appropriate legal strategy, or perhaps... just to forget about it.

We are going to see how things develop on the next days. I won't take my car to repairs until the money is deposited in my account. I truly don't trust my car insurance company anymore, they sound malicious and behind their smiles and courteous voice one can feel they lie like crazy.

 

[fed up]

Carlos,
What has occurred is that the other driver's insurance has either accepted or denied the coverage based on their insured's statements and you have now filed with your own carrier. Your carrier (Allstate I guess because of the Good Hands reference) will repair your vehicle under the collision portion of your vehicle and you will have a deductible, just as you would have if you were at fault when the accident happened. Your insurance will then subrogate a claim against the other insurance company for the total damages, including your deductible. How long it takes then to replay is anyone's guess but it usually happens within 30 days of the accident, repair, and final payment by your company. There is nothing sneaky going on here and you will have much better luck doing everything your company asks you to do instead of trying to find fault with the way they are handling things

 

[Carlos LeBaron]

Well, you really don't know if something sneaky is going on with this situation where the other driver might was without a driver license at the time of the accident. The only thing I can say is that the letters from our company contradict themselves, saying that he wasn't insured and saying he was insured. This is a situation that calls for a sure answer.

You say that such is police business, but in this case, our car was damaged and it is also our business to know exactly what was the driver license status of that person at the time of the accident, and if has was not, then how he obtained his car insurance?

On the other hand, you say 30 days as average time to recover "or not" the money from the other company or the other driver.

Hope you are correct.

The car has been repaired, fixed the bent frame, and brand new parts for the whole front.

We are happy the car is running great, but not satisfied at all with the way our company took to solve our case. Believe me, they did their best to cause a delay for everything, they surely did it in purpose, we know the game and hold their attitude with calm.

Now, it is time to prepare for our action in this game. We are going to review all the letters and call messages and call numbers, and see what really happened.

 

[fed up]

Obtaining insurance has not much to do with having a valid license and is a police matter for the license and an insurance company issue for the policy but not your business.

 

[TwoCents]

I'm starting to think Carlos LeBaron is a bot/artificial intelligence that someone is testing out.

 

[fed up]

I'm starting to think Carlos LeBaron is a bot/artificial intelligence that someone is testing out.

Either that or he is a fool. This person is always sure that there is something going on behind the scenes to do something outside of the policy language. Yet he is convinced that he should continue to place his vehicle where it will be hit so he can go around the insurance companies and collect money on the side.

 

[Carlos LeBaron]

Obtaining insurance has not much to do with having a valid license and is a police matter for the license and an insurance company issue for the policy but not your business.

It might not be my business when is about his driving paperwork and status, but it is when without having a valid driver license he caused and accident and now he wants to go free of guilt.

His accident so far is costing my $1000 (the deductible) and I want my money back to recover the repairs made.

How hard for you is to understand this situation?

And more, a friend of mine, she was driven and suddenly a car hit her on the back, the other driver put reverse and run away. The dude forgot to pick up his front bumper with the tag plate in it.

She has been in the hospital and is recovering well, but like hers and mine, there are lots of accidents caused by negligent people and in many cases, because having the idiotic philosophy of yours "it's not my business", those people get away with their bad doings.

Look, nobody is perfect. And because nobody is perfect we commit lots of mistakes all the time. In many cases the mistakes cause no harm to no one, but when our faults cause harm to somebody, then we must pay for the consequences.

Your position of saying "let it go" is not that simple. If the guy have escaped somewhere else and he is hard to find, then let it go. But if there are possibilities that the dude is around, then it is possible to make him pay for the damage he has caused.

You said 30 days. Days are being counted having in consideration our insurance company is working to recover the money.

Just take note that we lost one month fighting against the other company, and we lost another month fighting against our own company to receive the money and fix the car.

Tell me about it.

 

[Carlos LeBaron]

I'm starting to think Carlos LeBaron is a bot/artificial intelligence that someone is testing out.

Just stop watching stupid science fiction movies and do something productive.