by Guest » Tue May 04, 2010 03:34 pm
I was hit by a tow truck, and my car is now undriveable. I hurt my back, but am able to work, and don't have the luxury of not working because I have bills to pay. The other driver's insurance gave me wrong phone numbers and left town without telling me, and didn't return my calls. And today, they even returned a call at 5am, waking my 8 month old daughter and my wife and I.
Finally I've been able to get a hold of my the person handling my case, but I lost an entire day of work having to deal with them, and having to drive 40 miles away to get a rental car, and things still aren't settled. I told them I wanted to be reimbursed my lost wages for having to deal with their goose chase, because I lost an entire day at work dealing with them, but they said they don't have to do that.
I'm not looking for vengeance, I'm just looking for justice. And I know one day's pay isn't a lot to some people, but it is to me. Please, can somebody help me out?
And I know they are going to give me less than it will take for me to replace my car. I'm getting migraines from the stress. Everybody keeps telling me there is nothing I can do, and to give up, and take whatever they want to offer me, but I don't think that's right. I deserve, at the very least, to have back what has been taken from me. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Chris
Finally I've been able to get a hold of my the person handling my case, but I lost an entire day of work having to deal with them, and having to drive 40 miles away to get a rental car, and things still aren't settled. I told them I wanted to be reimbursed my lost wages for having to deal with their goose chase, because I lost an entire day at work dealing with them, but they said they don't have to do that.
I'm not looking for vengeance, I'm just looking for justice. And I know one day's pay isn't a lot to some people, but it is to me. Please, can somebody help me out?
And I know they are going to give me less than it will take for me to replace my car. I'm getting migraines from the stress. Everybody keeps telling me there is nothing I can do, and to give up, and take whatever they want to offer me, but I don't think that's right. I deserve, at the very least, to have back what has been taken from me. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Chris
Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 04:10 pm Post Subject:
Everybody keeps telling me there is nothing I can do, and to give up, and take whatever they want to offer me, but I don't think that's right
Ever heard the saying, "Don't take advice from anyone more messed up than you"? It's good advice, and those who have been telling you to give up . . . don't listen to them.
You are not forced to take whatever the insurance company is offering, especially not if it's less than what a reasonable person would believe they are entitled to.
Although insurance companies don't want to pay for your lost time as a result of their inefficiency, if you believe you are entitled to it, stick to your guns. You can call them on their toll-free phone line every day, twice a day, to ask if they've sent the check yet. Eventually, someone will figure out that it's costing them more money to take your calls than it would be to write you a check.
I actually still have the check I demanded from American Express for $0.36 after I closed my account years ago. They swore up and down that, "We don't write checks for that amount of money." But three weeks of DAILY phone calls on their toll-free line from Los Angeles to Florida finally caught someone's eye, and they sent me the check.
It wasn't that I needed the money -- I never even cashed the check! I laminated it and kept it as a souvenir -- it was the fact that it was MY MONEY and they didn't have the right to keep it. So it cost them probably $30 in phone charges to send me $0.36. And then I'm sure I kept some 50-something accountant wound up in knots because they were out of balance by $0.36 for months.
What you need to do is get to the highest level of claims department supervisor possible each time you call. Don't accept a voicemail box, hang up and call back and ask to speak to someone LIVE. Every time you get sent to voicemail, hang up and call back. It's their dime, and it will add to the aggravation claim you are trying to make.
Eventually, someone will see it your way. Be polite. Explain that you are not seeking thousands of dollars for something, but you lost a day of work at their expense and you want your $100 or $150 back for all the trouble. Once they realize you're trying to be civil, they should become more cooperative.
As a "final-straw" measure, when you believe there is no one left to talk to, that's when you ask to be transferred to the highest possible manager's voicemail box. You leave this message,
"Mr. Smithers, my name is Mr./Ms. Meziere. You don't know me, and I don't know you, but you must be a pretty smart guy to be in charge of things at the insurance company. So I'm sure you understand what UNFAIR CLAIMS PRACTICES are all about. If I don't get my claim resolved in the next 24 hours, I'm going to file a UNFAIR CLAIMS PRACTICES complaint with the Department of Insurance and you can explain it to them. Thank you. My phone number is ======."
And if you don't get the callback within 24 hours, that's exactly what you do . . . you contact the Dept of Insurance in your state and file a complaint. That's the last thing the claims department wants do. One health insurance company here in California is facing a potential $1,000,000,000 (one billion) fine for more than 10,000 violations of unfair claims practices and other claims conduct. All because people complained to the Dept of Insurance.
Insurance companies make money by selling people insurance policies. But they stay in business by paying claims. When they don't pay claims they should be paying, people tell other people and the word gets around . . . don't do business with === Insurance Company. That's not the kind of publicity they want.
Go get 'em!!
Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 02:46 pm Post Subject: thank you
You are awesome! Thank you :)
Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 05:15 pm Post Subject:
Just let us know how things turn out!
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