When your car insurance claim is approved

What can you expect in settlement if your car accident insurance claim is approved? Part of the answer depends on whose insurance you are pursuing. If your claim is with your own insurance company, that is called a first party claim. If your claim is with the other driver’s insurance, it is called a third party claim. (See Auto Accident Insurance Claims: Making a Claim for Personal Injury & Property Damage with Your Own or Another Person’s Insurance Company.)

First Party Claim – A claim with your own insurance company

When you have filed a claim with your own insurance company for physical damage to your vehicle from a car accident (Collision Claim); from vandalism or another type of event under the comprehensive section of your policy (Comprehensive Claim); or for injuries sustained in a crash (Medical Payments Claim, or Med Pay); and if there are no problems with your coverage, your claim should be approved and paid. For collision or comprehensive damage, most insurers will pay the body or glass shop where you have your car repaired directly after they receive an estimate from the shop. Occasionally, although this doesn’t happen much any more, an adjuster will come to your home or work, write an estimate for the damage him or herself, and hand you a check right then and there to cover it.

If you have rental car coverage on your policy and your car must be in the shop for several days or weeks, the insurer will either arrange for a rental car for you with a company with whom they have a relationship, or tell you whom to call. There is usually a daily or weekly dollar limit and the insurer will pay the rental car company directly.

Some people use their own health insurance to cover medical bills resulting from a car accident injury claim, even though they have Medical Payments coverage with their auto insurer. Read your auto policy to determine which coverage is primary and how your insurer handles it if you have double coverage. Although you are entitled to receive payment from your Med Pay coverage on your auto insurance policy, some insurance companies may choose to subrogate against (legally request reimbursement from) your health insurer if your health insurance is primary. Other companies will just pay you directly for your bills, even if they were already covered by your health insurance, and you can keep that money. Your policy will only cover you for reasonable and necessary treatment, and only for an amount that is within your policy limits.

Third Party Claim – A claim with the other driver’s insurance company

When you are in an accident with another driver and it is at least partially their fault, and you are not in a no-fault state, you may make a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. For a Property Damage claim, similar to your own insurer, the other insurer will typically pay the body shop directly for repairs once they receive an estimate from the shop. The other driver’s insurance will also pay for your rental car for a reasonable and necessary amount of time during which your car is being repaired.

If your car was totaled, (it would cost more to repair it than its value) they will pay you the ACV (Actual Cash Value) of the vehicle and take the salvage and sell it, keeping the profit, or, offer you the salvage (your damaged vehicle) and the ACV less the salvage value. An agreement on the ACV must be reached in order to settle this type of claim. (See What Your Options Are When Your Car is Totaled.)

If you are injured and making a Bodily Injury claim with the other driver’s insurance company, there are no hard and fast rules regarding settlement. If you are offered a settlement amount that you believe is fair and you want to take it, you will be asked to sign a Release and Waiver, which waives your right to come back and sue for more money from them or their insured at a later time, even if you learn new information about your injury. (See Your Car Insurance Settlement Agreement.) It is always good practice to have an attorney look at the documents before you sign them. Better still, if you have anything more serious than a very minor injury, it is best to have an attorney represent you so you know you are being dealt with fairly.

If you are on your own and cannot reach a settlement, you may:


* Contact an attorney to negotiate for you unless time is of the essence (Check the Statute of Limitations in your state) in which case you may need that attorney to file suit to protect your rights.

* Contact a car accident attorney to file suit against the responsible party (especially if time is an issue).

* In some states, you may file suit and/or file a complaint with the Department of Insurance for Third Party Bad Faith. (At the time of this writing, those states are Alabama, Hawaii, Michigan, New Hampshire, Florida, Louisiana and Nebraska.) Check with an attorney in your state who specializes in bad faith cases.

Insurance Policy Did Not Cover What I Was Told and Sold - Renter's Insurance

We purchased a renter's insurance policy from Geico, but when we went to file a claim for water damage to my personal property, Liberty Mutual, who picked up the policy, told me that all that was covered was for water damage from bursting pipes. Meanwhile, Jeff Brown, one of the muckity mucks from Geico, told me that no one would pay, because all that was covered was for damage from water coming in from blown off shingles.

Yet when we call the Geico sales line, each time without fail we are told the same thing when asking about a new policy—that all water damage is covered, other than if one lives in a flood zone or if war breaks out. We have been documenting all such sales pitches.

The bottom line is, you don't get what you pay for and they take no responsibility for their poorly-trained, overzealous sales staff. Apparently the talking gecko isn't the only lizard that works for their company.

Helping Teen Drivers Become Safe Drivers

Helping Teen Drivers Become Safe Drivers
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Los Adolescentes y Su Seguro
Car crashes are the #1 killer of our nation's teenagers1. Each year, nearly 5,000 teens are killed in motor vehicle crashes2 and nearly 375,000 are injured3.
That's why Allstate is committed to help keep them safe with tools, tips from experts, and information for parents of teen drivers to start that important conversation about teen driver safety.
And talking with your teen about rules of the road may not necessarily be easy, but it is important. As a way to get started, check out Allstate's exclusive Interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract that outlines teen driver responsibilities and defines consequences you agree on together if they're not met.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws
What more is being done? Graduated Driver Licensing laws are designed to help young drivers transition from novices and, gradually over time gain behind-the-wheel experience and driving skills within lower-risk conditions, to gain full driving privileges. Research studies have shown that strong GDL laws can reduce crash rates among 16 year-old drivers by almost 40%4.
To learn more about the laws in your state, click here.
Because GDL laws are not the same in every state, there is current legislation underway intended to change that. The Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act of 2009 (STANDUP Act) would establish minimum federal requirements for a national Graduated Driver Licensing law to be consistent nationally. To learn more about the STANDUP Act and voice your support here.
Safety First
More quick tips to keep in mind. If you're buying a car for your teen, try to find one with a high safety rating. It can help keep your auto insurance premiums down, and increase your child's safety on the road.
Also, if you believe the Graduated Driver Licensing laws in your state aren't strong enough, here are some suggested rules you might want to use with your teen:

* Discuss when, where, how, and with whom your teen is allowed to drive.
* Limit the number of passengers in the car. Laughter, music, and cell phones can create serious distractions which increase with every additional passenger.
* Establish and enforce a curfew.
* Insist that your driver (and all passengers) wear seat belts at all times. They may not be cool, but seatbelts save lives. (And, in some states, it's the law.)
* Create a no-cell zone. Talking on the phone is a dangerous distraction on the road for drivers of any age. Know the applicable laws in your county or state, as these are changing rapidly and fines can be significant.
* Consider limiting or supervising your teen's driving privileges during accident high-risk times (such as Friday and Saturday nights).
* Set driving-area limits. If your teen wants to travel outside your town or city, require that he or she request your special permission.
* Prohibit driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Prohibit riding as a passenger with a driver who's unfit to drive. Encourage your teen to call for a ride home if needed.

Learn more about Allstate's Teen Safe Driving Program.
Find out more about adding a teen driver to your auto insurance policy by getting a car insurance quote today (it's easy!). Or, you can always contact your local Allstate agent or give us a call at 1-866-621-6900 to get your quote over the phone.