Can I sue my car insurance company?

by J » Thu Oct 11, 2007 04:09 am
Posts: 1
Joined: 11 Oct 2007

Alright I have a nightmare for ya...

My name is John and on the late night of August 12, 2007 my 2007 Subaru WRX was stolen from Medford, Oregon. I thought I was covered because I had full coverage due to the loan on the vehicle. It thankfully was recovered in Ellsworth, Kansas exectly one week later. I was extactic because I was un aware of what GAP insurance was and did not have it on my plan (my loan was over 40,000). I found out about GAP when I contacted my insurance company to report the theft the day of the theft. I was in contact with my adjuster shortly after the car was recovered. After a week went by I hadn't heard from my adjuster so I tried to call him and got his voice mail. He called my back and told me he was getting my car out of the sherrifs department's impoud lot and into a "friendly" lot where it was going to be put on a flatebed truck and returned to me. All sounds normall and good but that is where it ends and where my nightmare begins. After another week goes by I again had not heard from my adjuster so I called him, again I got his voice mail so i left a message. A couple more days go by and again I start to call my adjuster and again I get a voice mail and again I leave a message. After no contact from my adjuster I continue to call as the days pyle up. One day I call and my adjuster's name is no longer in the company directory. I leave a message in a general voice mail box referancing my Adjuster and my claim # and wondering where my car is. I decide to call and complain at every person i get put on the phone with. I finally get a manager (that has an attitude) and she tells me that my car has not left Ellsworth, Kansas and that they adjuster that I had was "let go" and that I had a new adjuster. She states her last notes she has on the file is that they are waiting for me to give them a destination to drop off the vehicle (which I thought was already figured out when the iniatal guy said he would get my car on a truck and back to me, like I wanted it in Ellsworth, Kansas)After stating that no one had contacted me and that I felt that I was left in the dark it seems to me that this manager was just trying to get me off the phone. I demanded to speak to her manager so she put me on hold and I got a voice mail and left a message. Later that day this upper manager call be back and apologized for the situation. I told him he was the first person from their company to call me back for over 10 days. This is after a month had gone by since my car was recovered. It took another week and a half for my car to end up back in Medford, Oregon. NOW... the dealership has been waiting for my insurance company to give them the ok to do what they need to do to my car (transmission work due to the thief and what ever else). I have a message on my phone from the guy at the dealership stating that this is the worst communication he has ever had from a insurance company. It is now coming up on three months since I have had my car in my posession and it seems like alot more time is needed due to the damage to my vehicle and the lack of communication. My question is can I sue my insurance company and How do I go about that? I have looked up some laws but I'm not a lawyer.

P.S.
can someone pinch me?

Total Comments: 52

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 02:32 am Post Subject:

Thanks for giving me that DOI information. I was involved in a hit and run accident. the damages to my car was on my front bumper. The whole bummer came off after the impact and damaged my roaders. I filled a police report and only took a picture of my bumper on the road. I could not wait for my insurance company Geico to do the inspection b/c my car mechanic had only one opening left. he fixed it and gave me a hand written invoice. then I gave it to geico. They said that they will not honor the bill b/c it is a hand written invoice, there adjuster did not see the damages. I am going to complain to the manger and if they don't reimburse me I am going to complain to office of insurance regulations.

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 02:32 am Post Subject:

Thanks for giving me that DOI information. I was involved in a hit and run accident. the damages to my car was on my front bumper. The whole bummer came off after the impact and damaged my roaders. I filled a police report and only took a picture of my bumper on the road. I could not wait for my insurance company Geico to do the inspection b/c my car mechanic had only one opening left. he fixed it and gave me a hand written invoice. then I gave it to geico. They said that they will not honor the bill b/c it is a hand written invoice, there adjuster did not see the damages. I am going to complain to the manger and if they don't reimburse me I am going to complain to office of insurance regulations.

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 04:21 am Post Subject:

They said that they will not honor the bill b/c it is a hand written invoice, there adjuster did not see the damages.

First... see my sig.

Why would you not take good pictures of your car and the missing bumper before you had it repaired? If you did, send those to GEICO so that they can confirm the repairs are correct for the damages. They can then simply have an in-house appraiser write up the same damages as on the hand written estimate. Is this adjuster clueless? I'm guess yes... as there are still MANY shops that hand write estimates. Tell him/her that he/she needs to get their head out of their butt and speak to their supervisor about the estimate.

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 02:48 am Post Subject: HELP

Hi, I was in a fender bender 8 weeks ago and have had a nightmare getting my car fixed. They took ages to determine what was wrong, they decided it needed a new engine, so they replaced it.I picked my car up from the dealership and got less than 10 miles before it broke down. They towed it back and 2 weeks later decided they had purchased a bad engine ! They then purchased another engine. I have had the car back twice since then with still the same issues, and back it has gone to them. It has happened again and now I am waiting for them to come and collect it again. I am so stressed, frustrated and over this. I have complained to so many people. Area managers etc, to no avail.Today I threatened to get a lawyer and basically they said go ahead ! I received the money for a rental car for the amount my policy would cover, which was way less than the 8 weeks we are at now. I just don't know what else to do.... please help ! By they way I don't want them to say the car is totaled as we owe more on it than it's worth ! I just want it fixed properly, thanks for any help

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 08:56 am Post Subject: Accident

I was stopped in traffic and was rear ended by three more trucks. Police report states last truck in line was at fault (careless driving). My truck a 1991 Chev with 310,000 miles had no collission insurance as I felt a bent fender would cause it to be totaled. Insurance Co of the at fault driver came and did a survey of my damage. Never heard from them in over three weeks. Called and they said the Companies involved were in arbitration over who was really at fault. I've called their Company several times and get the same answer. I told them I had purchased another truck and would not need any money to get a vehicle while mine was being repaird. Still no answer. This happened 9/02/2011. I feel they are ignoring me and can I sue them in small claims court?

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 01:47 am Post Subject:

Yes, you can sue each of the three drivers who were behind you. That would be the best choice, leaving it up to the court to decide who owed for your damages, not the insurance companies.

Then again, you have a 20-year-old vehicle with 310,000 miles. Do you suppose your vehicle has any value over $500? If it was or was not totaled, that's about all you could expect to be awarded.

You ain't gettin' a new truck outta this, Bubba! It's called ACTUAL CASH VALUE, and unless it was 24-K gold-plated, it ain't worth spit. But the scrap value might be as much as $500.

Obama calls it "Cash For Clunkers".

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:10 pm Post Subject: sdEWZLGNdkZk

I can't believe you're not playing with me--that was so helfpul.

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:37 pm Post Subject:

Id recommend calling the repair center and finding out why its tfaking so long and when the car will be ready....? As far as we know the repair time could be correct. Nothing was mentioned about the damage or repair cost.

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 04:43 pm Post Subject:

Call them again and if they make excuses and try to deny your claim, lodge a complaint with the state department of insurance. That should speed up the process a little.

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 09:13 pm Post Subject: Rental Car Insurance

I was in involved in an accident and the police confirmed I was not at fault.

1. The other party acknowledged fault in the accident.
2. Other party's insurance paid for repair and car rental.
3. I have liability insurance , which does not cover rental vehicles.


However, the insurance company did not pay for the insurance that I had to get on the rental car.

I called the person at fault and politely explained the situation. They promptly said they would not pay for insurance on the rental vehicle.


Would I have a legit case in Small Claims Court?

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