Single car accident - insurance claim question (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Long story short: Have had a lingering cough with coughing fits here and there. Last night, I ate a sandwich for a quick dinner while parked in my car. On the last bite, I started to pull out of the parking lot, and a coughing fit manifested itself, and the combination of food and phlegm clogged up my airway, and I blacked out until my car hit the median divider of a highway (yes, my car went across 3 lanes of traffic untouched), the collision spun my car leftward, so I was going in the same direction of traffic on the other side of the highway. I woke up in time to see a lot of headlights, but I quickly spotted a left turn lane to get out of any more traffic, and then I turned into another parking lot and noted my car now pulled to the left.

So, the damage sustain is mainly front-end-related. My left tire is flat, my right side of my wraparound "bumper" is loose and cockeyed, and I was leaking either windshield fluid or antifreeze. I limped home on a flat tire for a couple of miles. My car alarm acted funny, going off shortly after I "disarmed" it, but it stays quiet when I arm it.
My question is: is this sort of single-car accident covered by my comprehensive aspect of my car insurance, or the collision side of it? I'm afraid to make a claim, but if the cost of repairs is half the cost of my car, I'd rather take the rate hike (or even the possibility of policy cancellation, and shop for another insurance provider if it comes to that) because finances are tight, and this would make it even more tighter.

I realize I'm lucky I didn't get T-boned, nor cause others to get hurt (I checked the area, and didn't see anyone on the side of the road with their cars). So, glad I'm alive, nothing physically hurt, just my car, and my pocketbook.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

One of my friends was in a single car accident two years ago and it was processed as a collision claim. His premiums took a big jump afterwards.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I agree. It will be a collision claim(because it was driver error), not comprehensive.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Dear Mr. Woods:

Not sure who you think you're fooling with this "Patrick Sun" identity and the nonsense about the sandwich, but yes, the accident itself will be covered by your collision policy. The broken windows and the replacement golf club would fall under your comprehensive coverage.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Your Allstate Agent

 

[Patrick Sun]

What's the best strategy to get estimates for the repairs? I hate the thought of paying out $50/$75 per tow from collision repair place to the next one.

I did go back to the scene of the accident, and the concrete divider was bevelled, so it was easier for my tires to ride up on top of it, but not before it scraped a bit of concrete from the divider with the bottom side of my car. I think I also knocked sideways a single vertically mounted yellow plastic shaft, but the distance from the curb scrapings doesn't quite make sense unless I hit it with my driver side rear view mirror.

 

[LewB]

Glad you are OK.
If you have an insurance agent, give him/her a call. They are usually quite helpful and sympathetic to your needs.
They should be able to give you options on how to proceed, without telling the 'home office' unless you wish to file a claim.

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Patrick Sun

Long story short: Have had a lingering cough with coughing fits here and there. Last night, I ate a sandwich for a quick dinner while parked in my car. On the last bite, I started to pull out of the parking lot, and a coughing fit manifested itself, and the combination of food and phlegm clogged up my airway, and I blacked out until my car hit the median divider of a highway

Patrick, I'm just glad you're alive. That's a chilling tale. Best of luck with the insurance issues.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I ended up just biting the bullet and paying for the repairs myself. Just glad the month of December, 2009, is over and in my rear view mirror.

 

Little late here, but I worked for a major auto insurance company. Just use this for future reference: Comprehensive only covers damage caused by nature (i.e. a limb from a tree falls on your car, or a rock from a city truck hits your windshield.) Anytime you make contact with another vehicle or hit property it would be collision and you would pay whatever collision deductible is required on your policy.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm going to resurrect this thread because I've had a similar moment of bad luck as Patrick.


I'm in the process of changing auto insurance companies; my current policy ends and my new policy begins on April 6. Since I still have a couple thousand dollars left on my loan for the car, I have to carry collision and comprehensive coverage. As such, I need a Carco photo inspection for the new insure, which is currently scheduled for Saturday.


It was a torrential downpour tonight. I stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get a hot chocolate, as I headed down the road, I was futzing around shoving my wallet back into my pocket and hit a patch of flooded road. I lost traction and slid into a road sign on the side of the road. The road sign is fine, I'm fine, but it left a softball sized dent above my front left wheel and cracked my front bumper a couple inches from the leftmost side.


It's cosmetic damage that I wouldn't bother making a claim on from my old or new policy. I certainly wouldn't expect my new insurer to be responsible for the damage. But I'm worried my collision rate will be affected since I didn't report this single car accident when I applied for the new policy (since it hadn't happened yet).


Would I be better off postponing the photo inspection and trying to get my car in to a body shop? Or should I just roll the dice and keep my appointment, damage and all?

 

[schan1269]

Just tell them it was already damaged.

If asked...

"Parking lot hit and run at Wal-Mart..."

 

[Mike Frezon]

And hope your insurance agent isn't a member of the HTF!


Glad things weren't worse, Adam!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks guys. Things didn't look as bad in the fresh light of morning. While the bumper is cracked, it's not deformed. I popped it back in place and used a strip of black duct tape to keep it sealed.


Most of the dent hammered out, and it didn't affect the wheel bed. I drove it all day today, and it ran as good as it normally does. I'm going to go ahead with the Carco pre-insurance inspection tomorrow as scheduled, and we'll see what happens.