A Tale of a Few Claims

     There was an 18-month period between 2017 and 2018 where I was involved in three car accidents. Two cars were totaled, and none of them were my fault. I learned that there is a vast difference in how auto insurance companies pay for the damages their clients inflict. 

The first accident was in 2017, driving home from an International Women's Day event with my two daughters. We were on a main road near a park and a few retail establishments. As we passed the entrance to the park, there was the screech of tires, and, an instant later, the sickening sound of metal scratching as we were T-boned by a brand-new Mercedes convertible. We didn't sustain any injuries, and the airbags were never deployed, but we were pretty shaken up. A good Samaritan said that he'd vouch for the fact that the other driver was at fault. The young man who hit me was probably in shock and didn't say much. We exchanged insurance information, and much to my relief, he was insured by a large carrier. My husband picked us up since we were just a few miles from home. He acted as a calming presence as we tried to get things out of the car before it got towed, but my stomach was in knots. I'd never been in an accident with this much damage to my car. 

I called the other driver's insurance company the next day about what happened. They quickly set up a meeting with an actual agent. The assumption might have been that we'd sue because of how expensive the car that hit us was, and where there's a swanky car, there must be a money tree. Since three passengers were in the car, they offered $1,500 for medical expenses for each of us, and they would send out a claim adjuster to look over the car. I put the agent at ease and explained that I was also an insurance agent and was not out to sue but simply wanted a fair settlement for the car. The car was totaled but over twelve years old. They offered $4,200 to replace it, which, combined with the $4,500 for medical coverage, helped us find a nicer pre-owned car that we paid for in full. Three weeks from the time of the accident, the claim was paid. Many people would say that we settled too quickly, but there were no injuries, and we managed to get a newer vehicle with no financing. 

    Almost eleven months later, I was sitting at a traffic light waiting to make a right turn in my replacement car. An impatient driver honked at the car in front of it to get the other person to make a left turn. The inexperienced driver

panicked, hitting an oncoming car at full speed, which turned into a tailspin and hit my car. The whole thing felt as if it was happening in slow motion. The car popped over the curb as it hit mine. This accident was early in the morning and on a main drag. Ironically, the driver responsible was on their way to driving school and needed to have a licensed driver in the car, so she was freaking out because her boyfriend told her to go alone. Again, my husband was called and offered his reassuring presence. However, he could tell that our nicer, newer car that replaced the 2005 SUV was totaled even without a claim adjuster to confirm it. 

Since three vehicles were involved, it took longer to settle things, even with a pretty extensive police report and witness accounts. My car was totaled, and the other driver did have injuries in addition to a car that was demolished, which increased the overall claim. The driver responsible for the accident had a basic policy, so I had to have my insurance agent go to bat to help facilitate a settlement, and short of that, we were prepared to bring in a lawyer. The company finally settled with us since our claim was smaller than the other person's, and we did not incur any bodily harm. Unlike the first accident, this one took months and not weeks to settle. 

    After we got the claim check, we headed to our mechanic, who also sold preowned cars, and purchased a 2015 silver compact, which was only three years old at the time, from my mechanic. Four months later, on my way to an appointment, a car cut me off, and I managed to keep from hitting the other driver, but the car behind me was not that lucky. I heard that familiar, sickening sound of screeching tires and the thud of metal as it hit my rear bumper. I immediately knew to pull to the side lane of the highway along with the man who hit me. The car that caused the accident also pulled over. I fumbled for my cell phone to take photos. 

    The woman got out, looked at her car, and exclaimed, "I didn't get hit!"  

She returned to her car and drove away. She might have thought she was in the clear, but in reality, leaving the scene of the accident she'd caused made her the phantom driver. We both hoped some traffic cameras might have caught it on film, but they didn't. 

    I looked at my car; the bumper had been hit and bent. Luckily for me, it was still drivable. The other driver apologized and said it was a work vehicle. We waited for the police and informed them of the driver who had disappeared. This time,  the car was not totaled but needed a new bumper, which you would assume would be a pretty easy claim. Again, there was haggling before it was paid.  

The accident with the SUV and the fast settlement heightened my expectations that most insurance companies would pay their claims quickly and efficiently. While the insurance company I work for is supplemental, they have a solid reputation for paying claims quickly, but as I learned, not all insurance companies share that philosophy. 

Here are a few takeaways in case you find yourself in an accident:

• Never leave the scene, even if your car didn't get hit, but you might have caused the accident. Leaving opens you up to all sorts of legal peril, so when in doubt, stick around until a police officer tells you that you're free to go. 
• Call 911 to get an officer out to make a report. 
• Don't argue with the other driver, as tensions can escalate quickly.
• Take photos of the insurance card of the other driver if you can. 
• Take photos of the accident and street conditions to show hazards. 
• Contact your insurance agent to let them know what's happened and if anyone will be calling them. If you are at fault, let your insurance company know what happened and send the police report. 
• Even if it was not your fault, contact your insurance agent first to let them know what happened so that if you need to get their help, they are appraised of the situation. 

I was blessed that each of my accidents did not result in anything more than muscle soreness the next day, but many people are not that fortunate. Ask for help from your agent, and if needed, get legal advice, but keep your cool. To paraphrase Rudyard Kipling, if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then you'll truly have a claim to make that involves staying above the fray to settle your claim.