Brand new car Rear Ended in Richardson (Howe: for rent, insurance)

[frenzyrider]

Originally Posted by Libra20

Thanks for the responses. The other party's insurance will provide rental next week when I drop it off for repair. It was just the time and effort involved yesterday to physically go to the dealership for the initial assessment. Also a heads up by the other insurance about this "standard" policy would have been nice. Instead they booked a rental initially when I had called/before I left home and only after going there, they told me about this "policy".

I went to this dealership because I had liked their service in the past and this is where we regularly go anyways. I did not expect them not even bringing up the valet option to me. The person there seemed to work more on behalf of the insurance company than the customer. Everyone is trying to dollar and pound.

They might have figured it is driveable. I am with Progressive and I like them even if I may need to pay a little more than other insurance. DW got into a rear-end accident (not her fault). You take appointment next day at Progressive service center in Carrolton. You swap your car for a rental right there whether it is driverable or not. No questions asked. You do not even deal with the other party's insurance. They work with them and I don't even talk to the other party's insurance and let Progressive pull its weight. Has been a great experience. They even try hard to get you OEM even if your car is 5 years old. And I have had insurance earlier with Farmer's, State Farm, Geico, all the others you can think of.

[Libra20]

Must switch to Progressive!! Thanks frenzyrider.

[dallas_cowboy]

Originally Posted by frenzyrider

They might have figured it is driveable. I am with Progressive and I like them even if I may need to pay a little more than other insurance. DW got into a rear-end accident (not her fault). You take appointment next day at Progressive service center in Carrolton. You swap your car for a rental right there whether it is driverable or not. No questions asked. You do not even deal with the other party's insurance. They work with them and I don't even talk to the other party's insurance and let Progressive pull its weight. Has been a great experience. They even try hard to get you OEM even if your car is 5 years old. And I have had insurance earlier with Farmer's, State Farm, Geico, all the others you can think of.

From my personal experience thru various insurance companies over the years....... they jack up your insurance price or will give you a trouble only when they find you at a fault or need to take out money from their pocket (example of a bodily injury in hit-n-run accident. you ask your insurance company to pay medical bills).

My insurance was with Progressive before switching to AAA few years ago. I did not have complain with Progressive service, but had an issue with their price increase after they covered my damages in hit-n-run case. They were asking 30% more on a renewal with an excuse of price increase in the area where AAA was offering a lower rate from my last year's progressive rate. I guess individual experience for each provider may vary as well and I won't be surprised if some may had an issue with AAA insurance

[Libra20]

@dallas_cowboy

Is it advisable to engage cops regardless of the other person accepting fault? Any other advice for situations when you get into an accident (besides not getting into one )?

[frenzyrider]

Originally Posted by Libra20

@dallas_cowboy

Is it advisable to engage cops regardless of the other person accepting fault? Any other advice for situations when you get into an accident (besides not getting into one )?

If you engage cops for not a big accident, it will most likely go in your car history report whereas minor damages through an insurance company may not. That is my hypothesis and observation.

That is one thing you never get compensated for even if you are not at fault. The depreciation of your car's value just because it is on Carfax or AutoCheck. No insurance company will compensate you for loss of value even if it was not your fault. It sucks. Even if you go to a small claims court, you will spend more time and money getting that resolved than actual $ you will get back...

[dallas_cowboy]

Originally Posted by Libra20

@dallas_cowboy

Is it advisable to engage cops regardless of the other person accepting fault? Any other advice for situations when you get into an accident (besides not getting into one )?

IMO I always recommend to engage cops if you know that you are not at fault and the accident happened on a public street / highway. States like Florida, Michigan etc. which provides no-fault car insurance, it does not matter who's at fault in the accident. But in Texas it does matter, so always make sure Police is also on your side if insurance company comes back at you and say you were at the fault.

Sometimes when you call 911, they may or may not dispatch local police based on the type of an accident and will give you an instruction how to file a police report by yourself if you still want to file one. (for example, if someone hit your parked car in a parking lot, then they won't send a cop. But you may still file an accident report at the local police).

[stan4]

The answer is YES. When some nincompoop hits you, you get inconvenienced and annoyed for some period of time and your car is never the same.

[Rakin]

Originally Posted by Libra20

Is it advisable to engage cops regardless of the other person accepting fault? Any other advice for situations when you get into an accident (besides not getting into one )?

Cops don't normally come out to small fender benders unless you are in one of the smaller cities.

I would just take some pics of the accident with my phone, exchange info and move on.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by stan4

The answer is YES. When some nincompoop hits you, you get inconvenienced and annoyed for some period of time and your car is never the same.

Yup, this.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

If you have any bumps and bruises, you can always claim for medical. When a Progressive customer hit me (totally his fault), the agent came to my house the next day to offer me $500 to sign a medical waiver. By then I knew I was not in any pain, so I took the $$ and signed.

OTOH, when a drunk minor totaled my car, I ended up suing her family b/c I had significant bruises and a chest wall clot. I got $9K but of course the atty took $3K. Still, I felt better. I also sued her for the cost of my rental car as I had to pay out of pocket for a larger vehicle as I felt too bruised to climb into a smaller one. Got that, too.