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We have 3 vehicles on the policy. a 1992 4Runner, 2010 Corolla S and a 2013 Rav4. Her last accident was a big one. She hydroplaned and rolled her CRV totaling it. The RAV4 replaced it. The insurance did a good job with given us what it was worth but now 2 months later they threw this requirement on us.
As for the class, they told us she can do it online but have put requirements on it that I cannot seem to fill. They said that it has to be approved by the Board of Public Safety and be 6 hours long. All the ones I have found are not approve by this board and none list the time since you can start and stop as you please.
One Monday I will can my agent up again and see if she can help me as I would have to take time off to go with her if we do the regular class.
Lets say you are driving at about 3am down a 3 lane interstate (3 lanes each way). No street lighting. Its misting. The speed limit is 65 or 70 and your doing 55 maybe 60. You are driving with nothing up ahead when you begin to make out taillights from 2 or more vehicles up ahead pulled over on the right shoulder. They are perhaps 1/4 mile ahead. You are in the center lane. You are watching the cars on the shoulder up ahead because you can see they are pulling over or are pulled over. You look in your mirrors to check what cars might be directly behind you in case you need to change lanes. Now you are a couple hundred yards from the cars when suddenly you run up on debris from a wreck scattered all over the road. There is a large plastic bumper cover in the right lane, large chunks of debris in the left lane and you see chunks of headlights and stuff in the center lane. So you stick to the center lane and ease into the brakes and hope nothing punctures your tires. You don't want to slam on the brakes because you have people behind you and its misting so you will most likely lose control if you brake too hard.
Unfortunately for you there is a thin metal bumper that got ripped off one of the cars ahead of you involved in the wreck and its laying flat across the whole center lane. No way you would possibly see it at night. Of course it punctures you tires, radiator, shatters a bunch of plastic front bumper pieces, rips off heat shielding and jerks out wires. Total damage...about 5 grand.
My question is....Is this recorded as an at fault accident?
According to my insurance company...yes.
Accident forgiveness? oops....well you see...about that...you weren't technically in an accident....so.....no.
Rates went up about 150%. Now I am stuck..can't switch insurance companies because of the accident, I called, they all want a dump truck full of money and a left kidney.
1st at fault accident in my driving history. No tickets. No dui. Getting raped by my insurance company.
And Insurance salesmen wonder why people loath them so much.
OP i bet your just like Ned Ryerson on Groundhog day.
I was involved in an accident some weeks back. Details are still being worked out but there is doubt in my mind as to who has complete "fault".
Overview. It was a very dark moonless, starless night, heavy overcast. Time, about 8:45pm. Local eatery, small town. Lot was full, many (12 or so) vehicles parked (illegally?) along the road, in the grass, parallel and angled, I among them.
Location is small, narrow "2-lane" county road, no "dots" no stripes, curb, ditch or shoulder.
Leaving the lot I pulled out, three-point-turn fashion to turn back toward the highway from where we had pulled into the county road, and was struck on my right rear q-panel by another vehicle. I'm in a medium sized 4 door suv and the other driver in a full sized pickup.
Police / Paramedics called. No citations, no injuries either party. But, officer said since I was backing out of a parking spot I was at "fault".
However. I was fully in the middle of the road way, in Neutral about to go into Drive when the other vehicles LEFT FRONT struck my RIGHT REAR. I was still somewhat at an angle but an opposite angle from that when parked. If it had been anther foot it would have been a "rear-end", but not quite.
I was FULLY in the road way when struck, nearly from behind.
The other driver, who, as a side, apparently had "permission" to use the vehicle but is NOT named on their insurance, made the claim at the scene that I "Pulled right in front of him". I do not believe that this is entirely accurate. The other motorists insurance company said to me that the insurance takes no account of who was driving (if given verbal permission from the insured) that the policy goes only with the vehicle. Can this be entirely correct?
I believe that we are a 51% fault state. I believe that the other motorist bears partial fault in this incident and that this should be factored into the processing of the claims.
Are there any resources available to drivers who are looking to see how a particular scenario is viewed in the eyes of the law? Nearly always there is some sort of "grey" area and I feel that my situation is one such case.
USAA .... is it really as good as everybody says it is?
As a lawyer with thirty one years experience, practicing primarily accident and insurance law, I give USAA high marks for trying to resolve cases that ought to be resolved. Is the company perfect? No. However, I have stated based on my experience that a group of companies (USAA, the Hartford, the Travelers, Kemper, Auto Owners, and AMICA Insurance) are a cut above the others. I call them "Tier 1" companies. J.D. Power and Associates shares most of my analysis.
Its interesting to read the different discussions on the Car Insurance forum. I note when we talk about car insurance that there are essentially two groups of people who talk, but don't really communicate with each other. The first group is interested in getting "good value" when they purchase car insurance. This group wants and demands good claim service, fair play, and honesty from the insurance industry. The second group only purchases insurance because there is a law that says they have to have it. This group is only interested in buying insurance at the cheapest price possible. Hence, they will sing the praises of Tier III insurance companies like GEICO or Progressive because they can buy it at a cheap price.
Not all insurance companies are created equal. The old adage "you get what you pay for in life" is applicable.
Anyway to lower premiums for new drivers? In NY, bought 03 Honda civic for son to try to lower premium. Nationwide says they have to rate him against ALL are cars even though he is the only driver for his car. Paying almost 5K per year for 3 cars: Honda as a above, 2011 mazda 6 and 2012 mazda 3. No accidents. Even have bundledone homeowners and umbrella policy with Nationwide.
Anyway to lower premiums for new drivers? In NY, bought 03 Honda civic for son to try to lower premium. Nationwide says they have to rate him against ALL are cars even though he is the only driver for his car. Paying almost 5K per year for 3 cars: Honda as a above, 2011 mazda 6 and 2012 mazda 3. No accidents. Even have bundledone homeowners and umbrella policy with Nationwide.
Don't know if it is just my insurance company,(State Farm) or state,(TX) but my agent told me the exact opposite. We insured my teens on my 87 Mustang without collision coverage that they never drive to get the best rates, ($55-65 a month) and they are still covered on all of our vehicles. They drive an 06 Vibe and 14 Rogue with full coverage. Might be worth it to shop around and see.
My question is....Is this recorded as an at fault accident?
According to my insurance company...yes
Unfortunately they are correct. You hit a stationary object that was in the road. Their justification is you were not maintaining proper look out. It doesn't matter that the object was not suppose to be there.
I was involved in an accident some weeks back. Details are still being worked out but there is doubt in my mind as to who has complete "fault".
Overview. It was a very dark moonless, starless night, heavy overcast. Time, about 8:45pm. Local eatery, small town. Lot was full, many (12 or so) vehicles parked (illegally?) along the road, in the grass, parallel and angled, I among them.
Location is small, narrow "2-lane" county road, no "dots" no stripes, curb, ditch or shoulder.
Leaving the lot I pulled out, three-point-turn fashion to turn back toward the highway from where we had pulled into the county road, and was struck on my right rear q-panel by another vehicle. I'm in a medium sized 4 door suv and the other driver in a full sized pickup.
Police / Paramedics called. No citations, no injuries either party. But, officer said since I was backing out of a parking spot I was at "fault".
However. I was fully in the middle of the road way, in Neutral about to go into Drive when the other vehicles LEFT FRONT struck my RIGHT REAR. I was still somewhat at an angle but an opposite angle from that when parked. If it had been anther foot it would have been a "rear-end", but not quite.
I was FULLY in the road way when struck, nearly from behind.
The other driver, who, as a side, apparently had "permission" to use the vehicle but is NOT named on their insurance, made the claim at the scene that I "Pulled right in front of him". I do not believe that this is entirely accurate. The other motorists insurance company said to me that the insurance takes no account of who was driving (if given verbal permission from the insured) that the policy goes only with the vehicle. Can this be entirely correct?
I believe that we are a 51% fault state. I believe that the other motorist bears partial fault in this incident and that this should be factored into the processing of the claims.
Are there any resources available to drivers who are looking to see how a particular scenario is viewed in the eyes of the law? Nearly always there is some sort of "grey" area and I feel that my situation is one such case.
Sir, what is your view?
Thanks!
Great question and thanks for commenting.. To make this "grey" area as black and white as possible there are a few things to consider:
1. I understand that the police arrived on scene and determined you to be at fault, but was a police report issued? If so, insurance companies generally determine liability based on them. If so, and the officer determines you to be at fault, you may in fact be deemed liable, unless there is a preponderence of evidence suggesting otherwise. Ie) pictures, eye witness accounts, etc.. If no report was taken, the insurance claims dept will have to independently determine liability based on the interview with yourself and the other party involved.
2. Yes the other party's car is covered if the person driving it was given permission to do so. (Please note that I am in TX and state laws may vary slightly)
3. The only way to look into this scenario is to speak with a claims specialist / adjuster / or maybe even an underwriter in order to get their opinion but again, the best way to answer this is simply to say that whatever the police decide generally goes unless you can prove otherwise.
I hope this helps!
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