I recently had some bad luck. I parked my car on the street and when I came back after work the side was all scraped up with something white and the side mirror was hanging by the cables. My insurance company thinks I drove my car into something concrete because the white stuff on the car doesn’t look paint, instead it’s powdery (like concrete). Also they say the damage extends almost 2 ft in height which is inconsistent with a drive-by side-swipe. I’m getting screwed over here because the damage is so unusual, but it wasn’t my fault. I know something hit my car but I don’t know how to prove it. Any thoughts on what could have happened to cause that kind of damage?
What Kind Of Mickey Mouse Insurance Do You Have ? My Insurance Company Represented By My Local Agent Would Take Me At My Word. Your Company Finds You Guilty Until Proven Innocent. That’s B.S. !
Maybe a concrete truck side-swiped you car or it was abducted by aliens. You shouldn’t even have to speculate.
CSA
I agree with CSA, as I usually do.
When folks shop for car insurance strictly on the basis of cost, they sometimes wind up with insurance that is not really insurance. Could that be the case with your company?
Do you have an actual agent or a human being to whom you can talk on the phone, or is this an internet-only entity?
Anyway, since your insurance company appears to be run by former gangsters, all I can suggest is that you canvass the neighborhood to try to find an eye-witness to the hit and run. If you can get a sworn affidavit from someone who witnessed the collision, then these racketeers would have a much harder time denying your claim.
We have AAA insurance in California, from an actual agent who is very nice. Unfortunately they have a separate claims organization which has been a nightmare.
There were no witnesses, no note left, etc. They give me the impression that they would take me at my word if it was car paint on the door (transferred from another vehicle) but since it looks like concrete, they aren’t buying my story. I also suggested maybe it was a concrete truck because construction is going on in the area, but that idea didn’t make them budge either.
Probably a Mexican drug cartel making a late night delivery.
Twotone
Tell them to get the white stuff analyzed. A chemical analysis will tell whether it is concrete or paint or something else. Or you could get a chemical analysis and bill them for it. It’s unprofessional of them to say that it might could maybe be concrete I suppose without backing it up with a test.
If you have collision insurance and they won’t cover this change companies. It doesn’t matter if it was your fault. That’s what collision insurance is for. If you only have liability insurance you’re screwed.
Are You Working Directly With Your “Actual Agent Who Is Very Nice” ? That’s The Person Who Can Make Things Happen. Don’t Deal With The Adjusters, Don’t Even Talk To Them, Anymore.
Some of the larger companies cut costs by having adjusters “minimize” claims payouts. Some adjusters just aren’t any good.
Do you have a Police Report ? If not, why not ? Call the police and meet them where the loss occurred and get a report. From the police, understand what the report says, get a copy, and then ask the insuance agent where on the police report it shows that you were at fault.
CSA
Can you tell from the mirror damage which way it was pushed? If so, the insurance company would be claiming that you were driving in reverse.
A pickup truck with materials hanging over the edge could easily do something like this.
I’d say it’s time for a registered letter to them saying that you have a valid claim, that you’ve provided them with all required information, and that you’ll be employing the services of a lawyer if they don’t immediately live up to their contractural obligations.
some person who was in rush or just not careful driver could have scraped against your car or possibly a person most likely was texting and driving not paying attention
Insurance is regulated in every state. Write (don’t call, write) the insurance company, summarize what you have done and what they have done or not done, then “demand” they honor their policy. Make sure you identify yourself, your policy number, etc. Send a copy to the Insurance regulator in your State, and make sure you write “cc: State Insurance Commissioner” or whatever on the letter you send to everyone.
Talk is cheap, writing gets results.
Do you have collision coverage on this vehicle?