My parked car was hit while I was at work, and it happened right outside my client’s house. The damage was bad to both cars. The driver seemed okay, gave me his insurance info, and we even got a police report. But now I’m stuck because his insurance won’t process my claim unless he contacts them first. It’s been a week already, and their appraiser told me my car is a total loss. I’m devastated to lose my car and now have no transportation, plus the insurance is dragging this out.
I made a big mistake by not getting the guy’s phone number since I thought having his insurance info and the police report would be enough. I don’t want to file a claim with my own insurance because I’m afraid it might increase my premiums even though I’m not at fault. What would you guys do in this situation? Should I just wait, or is it better to involve my own insurance? I’m so confused and could really use some help.
When you file a claim with someone else’s insurance, they usually need to confirm the details with their customer before they’ll pay anything. It’s frustrating, but it’s the same process your own insurance would follow. If you don’t want to file with your policy, you’ll need to keep following up with them to see if they’ve reached the other driver. If you’re in a hurry, filing with your own insurance might be the only way to move forward quickly.
Insurance companies almost never pay out to a third party without first speaking to their customer. They’re essentially working for him, not you. Until a court forces them to pay, they technically owe you nothing.
One week is not a long time in these situations. Insurers often try for 30 days or more to contact their customer before making a decision, and if they can’t, they’ll likely deny the claim. If you have collision coverage, this is the time to use it to speed things up.
You have everything you need; call your insurance company and let them handle it. Insurance companies often play hardball, and they’re used to dealing with this kind of thing. Your insurance can fight the battle for you, and if your car was parked, it should be a straightforward claim. It’s unlikely this will raise your rates if you’re not at fault.
Let the experts you pay for deal with this mess so you can focus on getting back on the road.
@Cary
Thanks for the response. When you say to contact my insurance, do you mean I should file a claim through them? I’ve already told my insurance what happened, and they said I can file a claim if I want. But I’m stuck because I don’t know if my premiums will go up, even though I’m not at fault. Also, the other guy’s insurance keeps telling me to go through my own insurance too. What’s up with that?
@Zander
Yes, file the claim with your insurance. Don’t stress about your rates; they’ll go up anyway, with or without a claim; it’s just how it works. You have coverage, so use it. Your insurance will pay to fix your car (minus your deductible) and then go after the other driver’s insurance to recover the costs, including your deductible. This will help you move forward instead of waiting forever.
@Zander
Yep, file with your insurance. Here’s the reality: we live in a world where some people don’t act responsibly. Insurance exists to deal with those situations. While it’s frustrating to think your rates might go up, the system is designed for your company to step in and fight this battle for you.
Even if you don’t file a claim, your rates can still increase because of inflation or other reasons. File the claim, let your insurance deal with the other company, and get your car fixed. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best way to move forward.
@Zander
In some states, a not-at-fault accident won’t cause your rates to go up. Check your state’s rules, but filing through your insurance is probably your best option to get this resolved quickly.
Do you know if the person driving the car that hit you is the owner or if they were just borrowing it? The insurance company might be trying to confirm that the driver was covered under the policy. It’s part of their process, and they can’t pay until they’ve sorted that out.
You can either wait for them to finish or file with your insurance to move things along faster.
You usually don’t need to deal with the other person’s insurance directly. Just call your own insurance and let them handle everything. That’s one of the main reasons we pay for insurance; to have them deal with situations like this.
If you file with your insurance, there’s a chance your rates could go up, even though you’re not at fault. You should keep pushing the other insurance company to respond. If they don’t, escalate it to a supervisor and let them know you’ll file a complaint with the state insurance commissioner if nothing happens soon.