Question about car insurance claims

[shmokes]

While I was driving across the country, moving from Utah to Florida, last June I was on a busy freeway when an enormous chunk of tire flew over the car in front of me and smashed into my bumper, and then sounded like it disintegrated under my car.  It hit hard enough that I figured it would leave a mark.  I was pretty pissed.

When I stopped next, maybe 100 miles later, I realized that it busted my bumper in half and put an enormous dent in it. 

Ever since then my bumper has been holding up with a bungee cord, cos I couldn't afford to pay the deductible of my insurance ($250).  I want to get it fixed now, but I'm worried that making a claim so long after the incident could be problematic.  I'll take a look at my policy to see if it says anything specifically about it, but does anyone here know whether this is likely to pose a problem?  Should I tell the insurance company when it happened, or claim that the damage occurred more recently?

[ChadTower]

Should I tell the insurance company when it happened, or claim that the damage occurred more recently?

That's a bad law student.  If I had a newspaper I'd roll it up and hit you with it.

Realistically, your insurance company is going to tell you to get stuffed, because you didn't report the incident within a reasonable timeframe.  You're supposed to report it, they inspect the damage, and they cut you a check for the loss of value minus your deductible.  You can choose to not fix the car.  If you do not fix the car they simply subtract that amount from the stated value of your car in your policy.  Waiting so long means you're going to be treated like it is complete fraud.

[whammoed]

I'd go with the truth, insurance fraud could prove embarrassing.

[shardian]

Have you looked into replacing it yourself? What is the car?

[shmokes]

Hmm . . . I see.  I just figured it worked like the deductible on my parent's insurance growing up.  We just paid out of pocket for stuff until the deductible was met, then the insurance would kick in.  If I'd known that they'd just cut a check minus the deductible I'd have reported it right away. 

Oh well, I'll just tell them it happened more recently.  It's no skin off their nose.  They're in no worse position today than they would have been last summer.

It's an '06 Honda Civic.  Replacing it myself would be prohibitively expensive.

[ChadTower]

Oh well, I'll just tell them it happened more recently.  It's no skin off their nose.  They're in no worse position today than they would have been last summer.

If they decided it is fraud, and the intent here isn't fraud but lying about the date makes it such... don't you think getting charged with fraud could be problematic later on in your career?  Gotta think long term on this one.

[shardian]

Wow, an almost brand new car w/ full coverage and instead of turning it in on insurance, you drive around with a bumper held on with a bungee cord for almost a year? Hey, you had that one coming.

Tell them the truth, minus the date. If they ask for a date, then tell them "last week".

[shmokes]

If you have a bumper being held on with a bungee cord that will definitely cost more than $1000 to fix, which you don't have, but you are a good driver who pays for auto insurance, don't you think giving the insurance company the latitude to say, "Oh yeah . . . we're not going to pay for that," is problematic.  I gotta get it fixed.  I am insured.  There is no justifiable reason that my insurance company should not pay for the damage.  I'm not going to give them a reason, however unjustifiable, to refuse to pay the claim.  Seriously, how could I possibly be screwing them in any way?  My insurance has never lapsed. If anything it will cost less to fix today than it would have last summer due to the price of the part coming down (though it's probably exactly the same).  I'm just going to fix my car -- I'm not even going to use the insurance money on something else. 

I would not screw over my insurance company.  Don't you think it's a little bit absurd to give them the opportunity to screw me over if they are likely to take it?

[shmokes]

Wow, an almost brand new car w/ full coverage and instead of turning it in on insurance, you drive around with a bumper held on with a bungee cord for almost a year?

Well . . . like I said, I assumed it worked like medical insurance premiums.  I figured I couldn't make a claim unless I could meet the deductible.  I couldn't, so I didn't.

[hyiu]

hmmm.... I believe when an accident happen, you have 30 days to report to them... that is for physical damage... like if the car is broken, and so on...

you can file for personal damage within like a year... (like you can say you start having headache, and it didn't come up right after the accident)...

since its last June, I think the date for you to claim damage is already expired... (well... check your policy and your state law to confirm...)

but since you have drove for sooo long... when they inspect the car, they might actually see its not a "new wound".... so, be careful....

you don't want to be found lying on a claim....

good luck...

[ChadTower]

There is no justifiable reason that my insurance company should not pay for the damage.  I'm not going to give them a reason, however unjustifiable, to refuse to pay the claim. 

You did give them reason to refuse you.  There is no way to tie the damage to a single incident anymore.  Now the damage has been exposed for nearly a year. 

I would not screw over my insurance company.  Don't you think it's a little bit absurd to give them the opportunity to screw me over if they are likely to take it?

They why did you give them the opportunity?  You walked into this one on your own.  You can try it if you want, but the moment you lie about the incident, you put yourself on the hook for fraud.  That's how it works and you seem to know it.  Are you looking for advice on car insurance or affirmation make yourself feel better about the concept of lying to them?

Personally, I don't care about the morality of it.  I just find it really stupid for an aspiring attorney to risk a fraud rap.

[koolmoecraig]

I'd lie and say it happened last week.  Just clean off any dirt or corrosion that shouldnt be there.

[Ed_McCarron]

I just find it really stupid for an aspiring attorney to risk a fraud rap.

Then again, it could work in his favor.  Aren't lawyers supposed to be good at lying creatively?

[whammoed]

Don't confuse what's reasonable with what's legal.  If you are going to lie about an insurance claim, may I suggest not posting about it?  
I'm sure money is tight, but is committing insurance fraud worth $750?

[koolmoecraig]

F the insurance company!

But yeah, kinda stupid to ask in a public forum.

[ChadTower]

Then again, it could work in his favor.  Aren't lawyers supposed to be good at lying creatively?

Not to the licensing boards.  They take "ethical crimes" very seriously.

[CheffoJeffo]

F the insurance company!

Yeah, 'coz you know that they're the ones taking the cost. It's not like they simply adjust class rates so everybody has to pay.

What you really mean, KMC, is "F the rest of us".

You many know funny and you may know asterisks, but you sure don't know squat about business or risk management.

[ChadTower]

You many know funny

I call fraud.  He doesn't know funny. 

[whammoed]

You many know funny

I call fraud.  He doesn't know funny. 

Read it again...he said "You many know funny"
many is ChefLatin for don't

[shmokes]

Are you looking for advice on car insurance or affirmation make yourself feel better about the concept of lying to them?

I'm seeing if anybody knows whether the claim could be rejected if I am honest about the date.  So melodramatic.

[CheffoJeffo]

I'm seeing if anybody knows whether the claim could be rejected if I am honest about the date.  So melodramatic.

RTFP ... always best place to start.

[CheffoJeffo]

You many know funny

I call fraud.  He doesn't know funny. 

Read it again...he said "You many know funny"
many is ChefLatin for don't

 

[shardian]

Honestly, most insurance companies won't send out an adjustor to inspect a bumper. My in-laws both have Camry's and both cars have had the rear bumper replaced due to fender benders. The insurance company said "get us quotes from x number of repair shops". The insurance then wrote a check based on the lowest accepable quote. There was never an "inspection" by an insurance rep.

[shmokes]

FWIW, a friend of mine in St. Louis got whacked in a parking lot and waited almost 6 months to get it fixed as he didn't have the money for the deductible, either.  He didn't have any hassle getting it repaired.

Do you know/can you find out whether he told them that the accident happened six months earlier?

[whammoed]

Honestly, most insurance companies won't send out an adjustor to inspect a bumper. My in-laws both have Camry's and both cars have had the rear bumper replaced due to fender benders. The insurance company said "get us quotes from x number of repair shops". The insurance then wrote a check based on the lowest accepable quote. There was never an "inspection" by an insurance rep.

Hmmm...when I lived in Florida people loved to roll into my bumper for some reason.  Happened 4 times in 8 years.  3 of the times an adjuster looked at it and determined the amount.

[shardian]

Do you know/can you find out whether he told them that the accident happened six months earlier?

No, you are in a single person boat here my friend. It will be a judgement call on your part. All I can tell you is either take your chances and lie about the date, or be straight up with your agent and tell them you didn't understand the way the claim worked at the time/you were in the process of a cross country move and just got settled. This is when it comes in handy to deal with a local agent instead of Geico. If you are on friendly terms with them, they can and do pull strings to keep you happy.

[shardian]

In the future, at least report the incident even if you don't have the cash at the time. It could be months before you get the damage fixed anyways on a non-critical damage.

[shmokes]

No, you are in a single person boat here my friend. It will be a judgement call on your part.

Yes yes.  I understand all that.  I'm trying to figure out notice requirements.  I can't find any in my policy (though I did find a place that said that if my state laws required that they give me a longer notice timeframe than is stated in my policy that they will abide by state law).  Obviously I have to decide for myself whether to tell them the damage is recent or seven months old.  But my decision will be made a helluva a lot easier if it turns out that they'll pay regardless.

[shardian]

Call an agent at the other end of the state, and in general terms ask them about your situation.

[shmokes]

Finally find the notice section of my policy.  It merely says that I must notify them as soon as possible.  It would be tough to make the case that seven months later was the earliest possible time I could have notified them.

[shardian]

Finally find the notice section of my policy.  It merely says that I must notify them as soon as possible.  It would be tough to make the case that seven months later was the earliest possible time I could have notified them.

Did I mention cross-country move AND law school?

[hyiu]

If you ask me, I would say when you call, do not lie...

(in general... when you're not lying... you would sound more confident... and people who are in these business... police... insurance... they deal with these every day... and some of them instinctively know whether you're BS or not...)
and if they know you're BS-ing them.... they can make you run thru hoops....
and if you're truthful about it, and they give you a hard time... you might as well get another insurance company...

like the others said... tell them this thing happened a few months ago, and you forgot the exact date. you're in the middle of all these... move... school... something comes up in the family... which are all truth... now things settled down, and you would like to see if you can claim it..

and its just a cosmetic thing... so, you put it off until now....

and ask to see what can be done.
for $750 (or even if its a little more...)
its not worth your integrity.

but if we're talking about an amount that is good enough for both you and me to retire for life....  then.... hmmm.....   
give me a call, and I'll be your witness.... haa haa haaa......

[koolmoecraig]

F the insurance company!

Yeah, 'coz you know that they're the ones taking the cost. It's not like they simply adjust class rates so everybody has to pay.

What you really mean, KMC, is "F the rest of us".

You many know funny and you may know asterisks, but you sure don't know squat about business or risk management.

How is that "F'ing the rest of us"?  He HAS insurance, he HAD insurance, he just couldn't afford the deductible AT THE TIME.  Is the insurance company going to pay for something that they wouldn't have otherwise?  He didn't stage a fake accident or anything. He couldn't afford it.

What you are saying is screw him since he didn't have the deductible money at the time of the accident. How compassionate of you!

He didn't have $250(which is a relatively low deductible). Things must have really been tough for him. He should basically be punished for that?

Nice side you've chosen.

[ChadTower]

There is another option.  Find an independent body shop and ask their advice.  A lot of them have working the insurance companies down to an art form.  Get the right one and you'll never pay a deductible - it's built into their damage estimate.  Ever have an auto body shop file a supplemental charge because of "damage that was initially hidden"?  That's how that happens most of the time.  Your $2000 of body damage "was hiding another $1200 of frame damage".

If you really want to know what an adjustor is going to say about your damage ask the body shop guy.

[saint]

1. An inspector will likely look at the car, and possibly be able to tell from weathering that it is an old accident.

2. You've posted this in a public forum that is probably archived by now in one or another places.

3. Insurance fraud is a bad thing.

==

Lying about this would be a stupid move. Tell them the truth and hope for the best.

[shmokes]

Well, I'm not especially concerned about posting in this public forum.  I just don't think it especially likely that they're going to get an investigator to figure out what internet personas I have, and see if I've talked about my car on any public forums, considering we're talking about a small claim against my own insurance.  However, I already called the insurance company earlier today.  I just told them it happened last summer and they didn't act like that was strange at all.  Just gave me a claim number and one of their approved body shops are going to give me a call to schedule an appointment. 

So hopefully it's a non-issue.  She said that, while an adjuster won't have to come out, since I'll be going to one of their "guaranteed" body shops, I'll still get a call from an adjuster to get more info about it, so unless something ---smurfy--- happens there I should be in good shape.

[koolmoecraig]

Right on man!

[shardian]

...You're gonna suck as a defense lawyer. Better go with prosecution.

 

[CheffoJeffo]

F the insurance company!

Yeah, 'coz you know that they're the ones taking the cost. It's not like they simply adjust class rates so everybody has to pay.

What you really mean, KMC, is "F the rest of us".

You many know funny and you may know asterisks, but you sure don't know squat about business or risk management.

How is that "F'ing the rest of us"?  He HAS insurance, he HAD insurance, he just couldn't afford the deductible AT THE TIME.  Is the insurance company going to pay for something that they wouldn't have otherwise?  He didn't stage a fake accident or anything. He couldn't afford it.

YOU said F' the insurance company ... I merely point out that F'ing the insurance company is actually F'ing everybody.

If he is not F'ing the insurance company (you seem to have conveniently taken both sides on this issue -- is that due to a lack of comprehension or merely so that you can argue with more people), then he is not F'ing anybody.

I never said that he was F'ing anybody -- you said that.

 

[Alibenn]

hey guys
my brother built his own MAME cabinet, saw this thread and asked me to respond, bc i have been an insurance adjuster for last 9 years.

the answer is: report it, its covered.  as long as your policy was in force at time of impact.
if it happened 2 years ago, and now you have the money for deductable its fine, no problem.

when you call in the claim have an exact date of loss.
say that you "did not think it was that bad until i got an estimate from a bodyshop."
"i hung it up to keep from dragging."  (this proves that you tried to mitigate your dmgs)

believe me, the adjusters have 50-75 other claims to work, and an one car crash with a tire with no injuries is an easy claim.   besides the dmg is probally around $1k(small amout)
(think of 2 car accident, both cars are 2008 BMW's, both are totaled, ($100k claim)

the real trick is saying what happened.
its the difference of your rates going up(at fault accident) or stay the same(not at fault accident)
the way you described the axx(accident), "you ran over a piece of tire, and tried to avoid but hit it"
this is an AT FAULT axx.....covered under COLLISION coverage..........rates go up.

if you say: "driving down highway, saw a semi trailer rear tire come apart in front of me, the re-tread flew off, bounced off ground and then struck my car in the front.  i could not see the dirty trailer license plate.  i really did not think it was that bad and kept on driving."
this is a NOT AT FAULT axx....covered  under COMPREHENSIVE coverage.......rates do not go up

keep it simple, say the above, and answer adjuster's questions. if you don't know the answer, say i don't know or i did not think about that at the time.


hope this helps
feel free to email me if you have other questions
pretty straight forward
good luck
steven