by Guest » Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:29 am
I have a 2007 Hyundai Tuscon with 20,000 miles on it. On Sat we were rear ended and pushed into the car in front of us. We were at a complete stop and the girl who hit us was going about 40 mph. The estimates (before it has gone on a lift or a frame machine) are around $6,000 to repair with our mechanic telling us the repairs could be double that once they get inside and see the extent of frame damage (apparantly he has already determined there is frame damage). I want the insurance company to declare it a total since I don't see that the car will ever be the same after this much damage, not to mention the diminished value when/if we try to sell it now that its been in an accident. The accident was 100% (per the state police) the other drivers fault and I'm frustrated that I'm going to be left with a not so new, not so great, structurally compromised car all because a 17 yr old was texting behind the wheel.
Any thoughts about anything I could say/do to plead my case with the insurance company?
Any thoughts about anything I could say/do to plead my case with the insurance company?
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:50 pm Post Subject:
Mike, I've been in this biz since 1987, NEVER EVER heard of either of these...I checked 60minutes for archieves nothing there...or on the pigs either ."Well documented" should show up somewhere on the net..your link appears to be (mainly) an allstate slam site...
Link to the entire story http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/7011681/detail.html
I doubt that the abc affiliate qualifies as a blog site or insurance slam site
American Family Insurance refused to pay Peressini's insurance claim. He was forced to sue -- opening the door to a series of surprising discoveries.
A former American Family Insurance employee described the company culture promoted by a supervisor.
"It was pink pig ... She said it was meant to be that she would approve something when pink pigs fly," said the former employee.
That testimony helped convince the jury about the impact and influence the toy pig had on decision-making inside American Family Insurance.
Peressini's attorney, Sam Livingston, told jurors the pig symbolized an insurance company ignoring state law and indiscriminately denying claims.
"They were happy about and would celebrate, in effect, when they would deny claims," said Livingston. "They'd push the button and make it flap its wings."
As far as the yellow sheeting, I spoke with a former Allstate regional claims supervisor and expert defense witness employed by them in the s/w region of the country in the 60's and 70's and he splained it to me in this manner. He too did not remember the term yellow sheeting, that was the term or name of the news story that ran at the time.
It worked like this. Pre-computer and when appraisers hand wrote estimates at that time, it was done on four part ncr paper. One copy was white, and another was yellow, other colors may have been blue and pink or green. It was understood and implied in what he referred to as the Allstate thick ring binder bible to handle claims in this manner. All claims in which the party might also have injury claims along with property claims, the inside adjuster recieved the estimates by certain colors.
Just to cover my own keyster, I will state that this is the testimony of a former employee and these are his allegations to the best of his recollection on the subject. The inside bodily injury adjuster referred to by company employees as the blood adjuster, would receive the yellow copy if they were a minority, single woman, senior citizen, obviously poor by virtue of the car they drove and the location of their residence, and possibly uninsured or non represented claimants. This meant that the blood adjuster had a coded permission to lean heavily and lowballed the claim for a quick packaged settlement. If the sheet were white the blood adjuster had to handle the claim more delicately as they were likely to have representation or the ability to hire an attorney.
I doubt that this type of activity happens today but it did alledgedly happen and was reported on at that time by a tv news investigation team. Does this type of activity still occur from time to time in various claims department, I would have to guess yes. Take for example the well documented case of certain insurance employees stalking an insured in his own church to dig up dirt on him to deny a claim. Another top ten insurer to boot. Need that link?
This is not to imply that this is the general practice or claims handling practices of all insurance companies or their adjusters. But it was and is the practice of a few still to this day apparently. There is always a rotten apple in every bunch that takes the low road in all industries including mine.
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:19 am Post Subject:
I doubt that the abc affiliate qualifies as a blog site or insurance slam site
Well of course not Mike! And that was a GREAT link and story, thanks Mike, (really)..and American Family should have got their corp. butt handed to them...I wonder (simple curiousity) why they guys claim was denied to begin with, because it doesn't seem from the story that Am Fam was wrong in their denial of the claim..but most certainly wrong in this other aspect of the claim (s) handling. I also wonder if that judgement got paid or if it's still under appeal? Do you know Mike?Bet that one judgement IS the reason that so many big company's have made the decision that NO employee can have anything on their desk that isn't ''company'' approved :roll:
Pre-computer and when appraisers hand wrote estimates at that time, it was done on four part ncr paper. One copy was white, and another was yellow, other colors may have been blue and pink or green.
Oh man do I remember those! Think ours were three part though, and I don't really remember the colors, think, white, yellow and pink, (one for the shop, one for the owner, one for the hard file)..what a pain in the butt that was... :roll: I fortunately only had to hand write sheets about a year, before they accepted the computer age :wink: However, I will say, I ''can'' do it, most adjusters today wouldn't have a clue how to read a crash book.. :lol:"If" this type of thing happened (yellow sheeting)...it would've been unforgiveable...however, (again) I've never heard of this, (nor the 'blood' adjuster nickname)..and most certainly would've been a company specific thing... I could see allowing it as 'code' a different colored sheet for an accident with injuries maybe, but it should stop there...
Does this type of activity still occur from time to time in various claims department, I would have to guess yes. Take for example the well documented case of certain insurance employees stalking an insured in his own church to dig up dirt on him to deny a claim. Another top ten insurer to boot. Need that link?
No, I don't think anybody would NOT remember that mess :roll: but that's not the same as writing estimates for vehicle repair based on an address etc...nor is the yellow sheet deal either, as I understand it from your 'legend' it pertained to the handling of the B.I. claim...not the damage estimate, which is what you said (unless I read something wrong).But it was and is the practice of a few still to this day apparently. There is always a rotten apple in every bunch that takes the low road in all industries including mine.
Agreed, there are morons, and idiots in every industry...and those are the ones that get the press..NOT the ones that (like us :wink: ) handle every claim or repair like it was their own car, or keep our head down and work thru every day the best we can...(feel like a mail man half the time, thru HEAT, snow, sleet, and dark of night the claim must be handled! speaking of which this damn heat is about to do me in! :x :( )...Add your comment