I'm very tempted to be an SC. Need Advice...

[Jester]

Quick story (I will save you most of the headaches I had to go through):

The only time I have been in an accident, I got rear-ended at a stop sign in New Orleans. I'll repeat that, as it sounds vaguely important. I got rear-ended at a stop sign. Meaning the nitwit hitting me didn't think he had to stop for either a stop sign or a stopped vehicle.

Two amusing moments from this incident...well, amusing after the fact.

Right afterwards, as we were checking out the damage (the old Jestermobile suffered a destroyed tailgate and rear window), I was obviously shaking with anger and shock.

Nitwit: "What? You act like you've never been in an accident before."
Jester: "No. I've been driving for ten years and I have managed NOT to get in an accident in that time."

Shockingly, Nitwit was headed to a court date at the time.

Amusing moment #2 was later that same day, dealing with his insurance company, none other than State Farm, on the phone. They were asking the usual questions, and doing their job I must say, but they managed to set me off nonetheless with this one.

SF Agent: "Did you happen to notice if Nitwit was injured or his vehicle was damaged?"
Jester: "No, I was too busy dealing with my truck's destroyed rear end and cleaning shattered glass out of my truck to really notice if he or his truck suffered any damage. And frankly, I really didn't care!"

I kind of felt bad for the agent on the other end, as I was still seething, and they were just doing their job....

....and yes, I still remember Nitwit's name. The bastard.

[Rapscallion]

Nitwit: "What? You act like you've never been in an accident before."

"You, sir, appear to have been involved in many!"

Rapscallion

[protege]

A few years back, a guy knocked me off my moped. Despite the fact that he took all the blame from the accident and didn't oppose a claim, it still took about a year to process it. The reason?

My parents had an incident like that. Some idiot backed his delivery truck into the nose of my mother's (now gone) '97 Saturn SL awhile back. The car didn't get too messed up--just the hood was creased. The driver of the truck admitted it was his fault--he didn't look before backing up and hit the car. However, his insurance company (Progressive) along with his *employer* actually refused to pay for the damages. We had to lean on Progressive through our insurance company to get them to fix the car. However, the amount they gave us wasn't quite enough--the rest was supposed to be paid by the delivery company, who refused to pay for it. It took the threat of a lawsuit for the guy to back down and pay to fix the damn car.

[MadMike]

"You, sir, appear to have been involved in many!"

That reminds me of my very first accident. It wasn't major by any stretch of the imagination, but since it was my first, I was a bit shaken.

I was driving thru the city, on a one-way street with three lanes. This particular street has a lot of restaurants and other businesses along it, so it's quite common during the day to see a delivery truck parked in either of the outside lanes. So I tend to stay in the middle lane.

The other guy had been driving in the right lane, and found himself stuck behind a parked delivery truck, and didn't look before trying to go around him, and clipped my passenger door. It didn't look that bad, but it later turned out to be over a grand in damage.

The other guy seemed nice enough, but he seemed to be trying to discourage me from filing a claim, using the tired old "I got a buddy who could fix this." I stood my ground and insisted in his info, and even called the cops for good measure. Actually, I thought that was required, but apparently it's only required if someone's injured or one of the vehicles is undriveable.

I had mentioned to the other guy that it was my first accident, and he said it was his first as well. Funny thing about that, when I called my insurance agent and gave him the other guy's policy, he recognized it as a "high-risk" policy number. According to him, there was no way that was his first accident, or even his second unless his first accident had caused some insane dollar amount in damages.

I was with State Farm at the time, as was the other guy, and I didn't have any trouble with them. Quite the opposite in fact -- they had sent me one check too many. First, they sent me one minus the deductible, and then another one for the deductible. No problem so far. But then they sent me a third one for the full amount. It was quite tempting, but I did the right thing and called them to let them know they had sent me an extra check. They thanked me repeatedly for my honesty, and asked me to write VOID over it and send it back to them.

[skeptic53]

I think I've posted this before but not sure. Last year a woman was nearly killed in a car accident. A guy was chasing his ex-girlfriend and bashing her car with his truck. GF's car hit victim head-on. BF had no insurance, victim had Farmer's including uninsured-motorist. They refused to pay, saying their policy covered accidents, and this was a deliberate act on the part of the BF, therefore not an accident.

Huge hue and cry eventually ensued, lots of businesses switched insurance companies in protest. In the end the Washington State Insurance Commissioner threatened Farmer's, and they caved in.

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsourc...dent%22+Aurora

[Jester]

Almost forgot about this amusing incident.

I was a passenger in my friend's car (let's call her "Cat"), and we were on an on-ramp to a highway in New Jersey.

Well, somehow Cat didn't quite see the lady in front of her, or misjudged the distance, or whatever, and clipped the lady's rear end. (Her car's rear end, you perverts, not the lady's butt!) Both cars pulled over.

Now Cat is an absolutely brilliant girl, and did her undergrad and grad work at schools that would not have even looked at a mortla like myself. But outside of school, in real-life situations...sometimes she gets a little spacey.

Anyway, the older lady in the other car starts haranguing Cat, blah blah blah, and Cat is shaking from the accident (more from nerves than anything else...as I said, she just clipped the other car), and is obviously distraught, but fully admits blame in the accident. Cat suggests that they exchange insurance information, and that is when the other lady starts getting, shall we say, shifty.

Without letting up on her harange of my poor friend, she "suggests" that Cat just give her some money and they "don't have to involve the insurance companies in this." Cat is flustered, and appears ready to agree to this.

That is where I had enough. I jump in, and basically tell the lady, no, you WILL give Cat your information, she WILL give you hers, and there will be no money exchanging hands today. If you don't like it, feel free to tell the police that you tried to avoid taking care of an accident situation legally.

Other lady doesn't like this, and is trying to get all huffy, but I am not at all intimidated, and don't back down. We go back and forth a few times, and I am getting fed up with this attempted extortion of my dear friend.

About this time a police car pulls up. The cop gets out and asks how everything is going, what happened, etc., etc. We give him our stories, he calms Cat down, and for some reason, all the bluster goes out of the other lady, as she starts writing down her insurance information for Cat, just as she should have in the first place. Cat gives other lady HER information, too.

End result: Cat never heard from the lady. Neither did her insurance company. What a shock. And of course Cat thanked me for my intervention. Jester to the rescue!

[Bella_Vixen]

I think you're wrong. God, I hope you're wrong.

But in reality, I'll bet there are many many drivers out there who don't carry liability insurance, the law be damned.

Please keep in mind that some of us can't afford even this.

And yes, if I could afford it, I would have it. Unfortunately, since I am being sued by the asshat's insurance company for the accident I was involved in, I cannot afford ANY type of insurance. Some genius decided that since I can't afford insurance, they'll sue me for not having insurance, which of course means that since I am paying that off, I will not be able to afford it for quite some time.

Yes I am bitter about it. If I could afford it, I would have had it, and this is preventing me from being able to afford it even more.;

[One-Fang]

I guess to me it's like a driver's licence. If you can't afford something you're legally required to have before driving a vehicle, then don't drive. Take buses, walk, get a ride with friends/colleagues, whatever. But if you're required to have it, don't, and drive anyway, there are consequences to be had.

[Binky]

hmm I've only had one accident myself, the other person was at fault..but the damage to my car was sooooo minor that I let it go...I wasn't interested in going through insurance or machanics and so on for just a small scratch....so I rang the girl (who was really nice and gave me all her details) and said not to worry...she said she would pay for the paint that I would need to buy to fix the scratch ...I just said I would only need one of the small free samples to get rid of the scratch..and thanked her for being so nice...that was that...my first and only (touch wood) accident (in my car!)

[erik316wttn]

UPDATE: We finally turned it over to our insurance company to handle. The first time the claims adjuster called, State Farm attempted the same runaround with her that we got. However, the very next day, my wife was called by a State Farm rep and told that EVERYTHING would be paid for, including a rental car while the repairs are being done.

I don't know what our claims adjuster said to them, but you go girl!!

[One-Fang]

And THAT is what your premiums have been paying for.

[Mr. Rager!]

Right now, I'm in the process of getting my car fixed from an accident. It should be done tomorrow morning.

I had to file a claim through my insurance company, and they had me pay the $500 deductible, which they are going to fight for and reimburse me on it. The person who hit me, admitted fault at least 3 times. Just go through your insurance company, you'll be reimbursed.

State Farm is my insurance company and they've been great to me. The person who hit me has insurance through American Family Mutual, and I talked to the that insurance agent and he was a dick to me. But of course, they are just trying to save money just like State Farm is trying to do in your case. Just go through your insurance company and let the two insurance companies figure it out. I'm sure you'll get your $500 back.

[Bella_Vixen]

I guess to me it's like a driver's licence. If you can't afford something you're legally required to have before driving a vehicle, then don't drive. Take buses, walk, get a ride with friends/colleagues, whatever. But if you're required to have it, don't, and drive anyway, there are consequences to be had.

We aren't required to have it in Wisconsin.

[One-Fang]

Then how can you get sued for not having it?

[Bella_Vixen]

That's what I'm trying to figure out. But I have to pay it or I lose my license altogether, according to the fine people at my city's courthouse.