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Date:         Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:16:20 -0700
Reply-To:     Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mellow Yellow got hitted
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTilRMme0OHGwMGqIeT4SYGxbpbt4LVTbIswbI09e@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Don,

You can add me to the list of people who have had very satisfactory dealings with insurance companies.

My last experience was when I was out in Indiana. A lady ran a stop sign (at slow speed) and put a deep crease in the side of my Ford E350 van. Her insurance was USAA and they settled in 2 weeks. Check arrived 3 days later. Estimate was $5100 from the body shop they sent me to. Settlement was for $4,850 (they did not total it), because they place 5% of the fault on me for not using my turn signal (which was true). I paid $3000 for that van and even with the crease, it was still good to go (sold it when I returned to California for $1,500). Excellent experience!

Two years earlier, non-insured driver hit wifey's Cabriolet from behind. My insurance totaled it and sent a check for Blue Book value (more than I paid) in 3 weeks. Bought the car back from them for $235 and drove it for another year before my Father totaled it (different story).

Many of my friends have had excellent experiences as well. I understand it can be a different story when a major accident is involved, but I've yet to have a problem in 30+ years.

Cheers,

Jeff

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Don Hanson Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 11:49 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Mellow Yellow got hitted

On Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 10:26 AM, Rowan Tipton <uther@dragonhome.org> wrote:

> Don, > > I wonder if your bad experiences relate to the particular insurance and/or > adjuster you have? I have had two experiences with my insurance company > (State Farm). Neither was with a Vanagon but both were easy. I had a used > car that I had only owned for about six months stolen from a parking lot and > they payed more that I had payed for it plus they also payed the sales tax. > I think they used blue book value for excellent condition... which the car > was in. In another incident someone backed into me in a parking lot and > left with no note. Well, I didn't notice the damage until the next day so I > called my agent (it was a Saturday so they were closed) who called back on > monday. He said I needed to file a police report. It turned out that the > local police require the report to be filed within 24 hours and Monday is > more than 24 hours from Friday. The adjuster said that without a police > report it would be on my collision so I would have to pay my $1,000 > deductible. I called my agent and he made everything right. I got to pick > to place to fix the car and they payed everything. Maybe I'm just lucky! > > r > >> (PS...Someone will now chime in with "Oh that is so cynical, it didn't go >> that way for me..." >> > My experiences being screwed by insurance companies is not "company-specific" nor is it location specific or adjuster specific. It has been my experience in three different states and over a long time period. As I said in my original post...some will say they've have had the same screw-job. Some may even have been treated fairly..Rowan here seems to be one. Lucky guy, in my experience.

My last nightmare (around 2004} cost me easily $20k and a year out of my life (serious head injury) when I was rear-ended in Nevada while stopped at a flagger's station. I was hit (reporting officer estimated his speed at 75+mph on impact) by a truck who 'didn't see' me. 10am, bright sun, straight road for about 10 miles...The fellow was driving a company truck (4x4 dually loaded with structural steel) which was leased to a mom and pop operation...I had Washington state insurance, which was caught up in national the big business "scandal de jour"..Reliance financial group (good name, eh?)..they declared bankruptcy before I got compensated. Swindled their own shareholders, too. The insurance industry's own insurance...supposed to pick up any outstanding claims...they said they were only liable to $10k...My Life-Flight ride by air ambulance was that much alone... Cutting to the chase, after 2 full years of lawers and stuff, they "gave" me $15k for my $40k Porsche 928 GT and all my medical bills, my lost year of life and everything else. "Take it or try to sue us some more" implied statement: "Our pocket are really deep (taxpayer funded) and your's are limited..we will win"...My attorney made easily more than I took away.. So yeah, maybe if everything goes just perfect and your insurance company is feeling unusually honest that day, you may be ok...but I have never found that to be the case in my dealings nor do I know of anyone, personally, who's come out of a claim other than disgusted and dissatisfied with the whole messy and frustrating experience.

Don Hanson


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