How does insurance work

[Tractor]

I had a couple cars hit me a few weeks ago. Not serious damage so I have been patient and waited until the investigation got settled. Well now both at fault parties insurance have owned up and will pay 50/50 to get me fixed. Everyone is still wanting me to simply use my insurance to get fixed and they'll "figure it out".

 

Is there any reason not to use my insurance? In the past I've had them consider that a claim and cause me trouble even when I wasn't at fault.

 

I'm suspicious of this as my own insurance company had a claim filed before I got home from the accident and was also pushing me to just use them. I have state farm here. They wouldn't be my first choice but I'm in SC and didn't have much choice on the coast.

[downingracing]

I've never used my own insurance to handle an accident that I was not at fault for. I just worked with the insurance company directly to get my car fixed, medical bills paid, and get reimbursed for any other expenses I had from the accident. Not sure how much of a pain in the ass that would be dealing with 2 different insurance companies, but that could be a factor and a reason to just use your company to get your car fixed and let them deal with recouping the money. (to your point, that could go against you no matter what they tell you when they are helping you with the process)

 

Sounds like a crappy situation - good luck!

[Miller]

I'm not going to type you a book here. I worked in insurance for 6 years and you don't need a geetosummary.

 

You should always start a claim with your insurance provider. This protects you for an insurmountable number of reasons. What your insurance will do is take the police report and the insurance information of the other drivers and subrogate against them for you. Your insurance premiums pay the salary of an adjuster trained to handle this better than you.

 

Good luck.

[Tractor]

Thanks, so if I use my insurance do I end up paying somehow, higher premiums, deductable etc?

[Miller]

Thanks, so if I use my insurance do I end up paying somehow, higher premiums, deductable etc?

 

If the police report reflects you're not at fault they will fix your vehicle with no increase to your premiums and recuperate their costs including your deductible from the other driver(s) insurance.

[Tractor]

Ok cool that's what I love about this forum.

[Mace1647545504]

Why isn't your agent working with the other 2 at faults agents..that what you pay him/her for.

[Tractor]

Because I don't want to pay them? Last time I got my insurance involved in something that wasn't my fault they ended up calling that a claim and penalizing me for it after the fact and I found out later when I questioned things so now I'm paranoid, idk.

 

The car in question isn't important but I'd like it fixed. If it's gonna end up hurting me in any way I'll just not bother and I'll just take cash from the other guys and deal with it myself.

[Mace1647545504]

WOW...I see why you don't want them involved

[Forrest Gump 9]

Call a lawyer

[RC K9]

I was in an accident back in Cbus. Had Nationwide. The other person was at fault. I asked my Nationwide for help with the situation. They basically said if I wasn't filing a claim, go fk myself. They weren't willing to deal with the at-fault party's Ins on my behalf. So I handled that ish on my own with a freelance public adjuster, learned a LOT, and got pizzaid on that and the subsequent accidents over the years in which I was not at fault. Edited February 25, 2021 by RC K9

[Tractor]

I was in an accident back in Cbus. Had Nationwide. The other person was at fault. I asked my Nationwide for help with the situation. They basically said if I wasn't filing a claim, go fk myself. They weren't willing to deal with the at-fault party's Ins on my behalf. So I handled that ish on my own with a freelance public adjuster, learned a LOT, and got pizzaid on that and the subesequent accidents over the years in which I was not at fault.

 

That's more my experience as well. I might just get them to cut me checks and forget it, replace my tail light, bend some metal and call it good. It's a work van and almost at end of life.

[unfunnyryan]

I was in an accident back in Cbus. Had Nationwide. The other person was at fault. I asked my Nationwide for help with the situation. They basically said if I wasn't filing a claim, go fk myself. They weren't willing to deal with the at-fault party's Ins on my behalf. So I handled that ish on my own with a freelance public adjuster, learned a LOT, and got pizzaid on that and the subesequent accidents over the years in which I was not at fault.

 

I had a similar thing happen last year when I got rear ended. USAA (my insurer) handled it for me and even brought up diminished value.

[RC K9]

I had a similar thing happen last year when I got rear ended. USAA (my insurer) handled it for me and even brought up diminished value.

 

I've gotten pretty good after my very first accident at being able to negotiate with insurance companies on total loss claims.

 

I have been in one non-total-loss incident where a UPS truck rear-ended me. Obviously UPS ins covered the repair but the diminished value portion of the claim I filed is kind of a funny story. Lets just say that due to some fk ups on their end, I didn't make out too bad on that one, ha ha. I smile every time I think about it.

[Tractor]

Normally its just some poor guy rear ends me in my pos car and their insurance gets me way more than its worth to replace it. They already made an offer for a lot however its split between both parties so I guess I'll figure it out. Being a work van its much more important that I keep it on the road making money.

[Tractor]

If the police report reflects you're not at fault they will fix your vehicle with no increase to your premiums and recuperate their costs including your deductible from the other driver(s) insurance.

 

I've been busy as hell and have talked to everyone. State Farm is being total shit heads, wreck was not my fault, they want me to pay deductible and pay for rental and all will get fixed. I talked extensively with them and even had it escalated to the "chairmans office" LOL and they assure me that they will not subrogate to get my deductible or rental costs and that I'll have to make separate claims to each to get that back. They also assure me that its not their job to handle this beyond just me making a claim, paying them, and they fix my car and they are not going to work in my interest to get me what I need from the at fault companies.

 

OMG I'm not good at this shit, totally not a Karen and things always go south LOL.

[Mace1647545504]

I "chairmans office" LOL

.

.

 

Was that Sid Chairmans office...lol

 

Also nationwide ins SUCKS

Edited July 23, 2021 by Mace

[gillbot]

Get new insurance.

[unfunnyryan]

I've been busy as hell and have talked to everyone. State Farm is being total shit heads, wreck was not my fault, they want me to pay deductible and pay for rental and all will get fixed. I talked extensively with them and even had it escalated to the "chairmans office" LOL and they assure me that they will not subrogate to get my deductible or rental costs and that I'll have to make separate claims to each to get that back. They also assure me that its not their job to handle this beyond just me making a claim, paying them, and they fix my car and they are not going to work in my interest to get me what I need from the at fault companies.

 

OMG I'm not good at this shit, totally not a Karen and things always go south LOL.

 

You're being too polite on the phone it sounds like.

 

Sometimes you have to be a major dick to get escalated to the point of achieving results. I have to do this sometimes at work not because I want to, but because I know what companies its the only way to yield results.

[Tractor]

You're being too polite on the phone it sounds like.

 

Sometimes you have to be a major dick to get escalated to the point of achieving results. I have to do this sometimes at work not because I want to, but because I know what companies its the only way to yield results.

 

I don't disagree, I'm nice it's my training it's my nature. I had the escalation person on the phone for 45 minutes and they wouldn't see my point of view and wouldn't budge in their position. If you got any suggestions how I be a big enough dick to get my way I'd appreciate it. I don't see how though.

 

I'll get another insurance company as soon as this is over. I never had this trouble with Grange, but they aren't in South Carolina.

[gillbot]

Call the other insurance companies and try to get them to take care of everything. Your agent should be doing this for you but since they’ve weaseled out of it thus far, they are just gonna sit back and collect the premiums without doing anything.

[Otis Nice]

[BIGGU]

State Farm... enough said. Left them ass holes years ago.

[Jelloman4571647545499]

There is a lot of information here and this post will be long so message me with questions. This comes from years of working in all three categories of Insurance, Collision Center, and Law Enforcement so I've gone through this a few times.

 

First, if you are not at fault, and there was a police report stating, you need to go through the insurance company that started this mess. For example, if Car A hits Car B and Car B is the one that hits you, Car A is at fault. Now, police officers have terrible training, and most of the time they want to go the easy route so they will list it as Car A is at fault. Now, if both Car A and Car B were shooting a stupid TikTok and being typical hood rats and both hit you, the LEO can place blame on both parties, resulting in the crappy 50/50 agreement. Or, this is the most common, the LEO doesn't know what happen but knows you're the claimant or victim, he can place blame on both parties.

 

Scenario #1:

 

This is what should happen. Don't tell State Farm shit. You will talk to some mouth breather who is terrible at their job and are the first rung of the ladder. They are told to make a claim and transfer to a field or DRP/Open Shop assignment to, a local to you, collision center. Then you will do all the wonderful leg work (that won't stop by the way) and then pay your deductible when it's completed and you pick the car up from the shop.

 

Scenario #2:

You use the police report and make two phone calls. Both of the calls will be to the other parties' insurance. They will then provide an estimate, which you will provide to the other company so they can take care of the remainder. This is by far the worst choice but releases you from dealing with SF and paying your deductible. Subrogation is a long process and especially now that there are two companies taking care of the claim. Also,

subrogation is nice and all but does take time. Now, insurance companies, once they are paid, will reimburse your deductible but I've seen that process take weeks up to a year.

 

The easiest path would be to get the two insurance companies to agree with each other, which it sounds like they are both agreeing that their policyholders are at fault. Then choose one company to get the vehicle repaired through and then those two companies will split the bill AFTER you are back in your vehicle. None of that crap matters to you so they can do it on their own time.

 

Good luck.

[Tractor]

Thanks for the great info, scenario 2 is how I've always handled things with a single insurance company involved and it's always very simple.

 

I'll give that a try as I get time to deal with it. My insurance told me I'd have to file with both anyway to get my deductible and they SF aren't going to help with that. I'll get another insurer ASAP.