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Conference 35.181::insurance

Title:	Insurance Industry Conference

Moderator:	ICPSRV::DOVE

Created:	Thu Feb 18 1988
Last Modified:	Wed Feb 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	136
Total number of notes:	551

81.0. "Some doubts regarding auto accident/insurance policies" by AIAG::SURESH (Suresh) Mon Sep 11 1989 16:57

 If this notes file  is not appropriate for this kind of note please suggest
 appropriate notes file (cross posted in carbuffs notes file)

 Recently I was in a hit and run accident. I was driving a 83 accord (72K miles).
 The damage to the car is at the front side panel/headlight on the driver's side.
 and a tail light broken(driver's side) with dented bumper. The appraiser
 had recently (9/8/89) appraised it and said that damage is more than the
car's worth. (3500 blue book). The damage doesn't look that severe at all.
 When I asked him to elaborate on the damages. He says that law prohibits him
from disclosing the information to me. 

 1) Is there a law to prohibit such disclosures.
 2) If i have a second opinion, do I have to pay for it.
 3) In case the damage IS more than current worth of the car
     what should I do to minimize my losses.
 4) If the insurance company takes more than a month to settle the claim
    can I ask them to extend the rental car coverage until they settle ?


Thanks In advance 
Suresh

T.R Title User Personal
Name Date Lines

81.1 This is the way it is in England YUPPY::MOSSMAN A lone mongoose in a world of snakes Wed Sep 20 1989 07:31 43

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
81.1	This is the way it is in England	YUPPY::MOSSMAN	A lone mongoose in a world of snakes	`Wed Sep 20 1989 07:31`	43
	Suresh, Whether this is the correct conference for your question, I don't know but you should certainly be reaching all the people in Digital who ought to know something about insurance. I will kick off with an answer that would be valid in the UK. It's up to my colleagues on your side of the pond to put a US perspective on it (will this prod them into action, he asks !). First of all you don't say whether you are claiming from your own insurer or from the third party. However, since this is a hit-and-run, I will assume you are claiming under your own damage policy. For the first point I would say your assessor is being unnecessarily bloody-minded. There is no reason in the world for him to conceal relevant information from you about your own car in respect of a claim under your own policy. Far from paying for a second opinion you should grab your local friendly insurance agent around the neck and threaten to strangle him if you don't get better service. If in fact this is a third party claim, the situation is slightly different as you have to justify everything ti his insurance company and my advice here is go and see a good claims attorney. In any event you must always do everything possible to minimise your losses and that means not being profligate with arranging alternative transport. Always think what is reasonable under the circumstances and how would you view someone else's claim if you were the judge in a law court. As for your last question, I don't believe a month or any other arbitrary length of time is particularly significant. If you need wheels then you must go out and lease another car. If this is covered under your policy, all well and good. If not then your only recourse once again is to sue the third party (if possible). Wheteher you can bring pressure on your own insurer ( if in fact you believe them to be dilatory) is once again a legal issue and you need a good attorney. Hope this helps. Any comments from other experts ? Michael.

    Suresh,
    
    Whether this is the correct conference for your question, I don't
    know but you should certainly be reaching all the people in Digital
    who ought to know something about insurance.
    
    I will kick off with an answer that would be valid in the UK. It's
    up to my colleagues on your side of the pond to put a US perspective
    on it (will this prod them into action, he asks !).
    
    First of all you don't say whether you are claiming from your own
    insurer or from the third party. However, since this is a hit-and-run,
    I will assume you are claiming under your own damage policy.
    
    For the first point I would say your assessor is being unnecessarily
    bloody-minded. There is no reason in the world for him to conceal
    relevant information from you about your own car in respect of a
    claim under your own policy. Far from paying for a second opinion
    you should grab your local friendly insurance agent around the neck
    and threaten to strangle him if you don't get better service. If
    in fact this is a third party claim, the situation is slightly
    different as you have to justify everything ti his insurance company
    and my advice here is go and see a good claims attorney.
    
    In any event you must always do everything possible to minimise
    your losses and that means not being profligate with arranging
    alternative transport. Always think what is reasonable under the
    circumstances and how would you view someone else's claim if you
    were the judge in a law court.
    
    As for your last question, I don't believe a month or any other
    arbitrary length of time is particularly significant. If you need
    wheels then you must go out and lease another car. If this is covered
    under your policy, all well and good. If not then your only recourse
    once again is to sue the third party (if possible). Wheteher you
    can bring pressure on your own insurer ( if in fact you believe
    them to be dilatory) is once again a legal issue and you need a
    good attorney.
    
    Hope this helps. Any comments from other experts ?
    
    Michael.