Hey, Insurance experts…

It's been decades since I've had to deal with something like this.

Short version, someone hit my parked, unoccupied truck when I was inside a coffee shop. Private parking lot. Driver was parked nearby and crying inside her vehicle.  Police came to generate a report. I have her insurance info on the police report. 
 

Do I contact her insurance company directly, or do I call my company and have them deal with it?

You call yours and have them deal with it IIRC. 

Or you can just call them and deal with it.

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Do I contact her insurance company directly, or do I call my company and have them deal with it?

My understanding is that if you deal with their company directly, you don't pay any deductible.

If you have your insurance company handle it, you will pay your deductible, even though you are not at fault.

I am not in fact an insurance expert, so I could be wrong.

Duke said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Do I contact her insurance company directly, or do I call my company and have them deal with it?

My understanding is that if you deal with their company directly, you don't pay any deductible.

If you have your insurance company handle it, you will pay your deductible, even though you are not at fault.

I am not in fact an insurance expert, so I could be wrong.

 

Sort of.

If you file under her insurance then her company pays you directly.  In theory this is more efficient, but in practice the fact that you are not their customer means that the other company has zero investment in keeping you happy so it can be maddening.

If you file under your own policy then you are governed by the rules of that policy, which typically means that your insurance company will make you pay your deductible up front.  Your company will then go after her company to recover the money they spent and (assuming they recover enough) they will then refund your deductible.  The plus side to this is that you are the customer and have more leverage with your own company than you do with hers.

If you can live with being down $500 for a little while, then IME it's much easier to file under your own policy.

Duke said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Do I contact her insurance company directly, or do I call my company and have them deal with it?

My understanding is that if you deal with their company directly, you don't pay any deductible.

If you have your insurance company handle it, you will pay your deductible, even though you are not at fault.

I am not in fact an insurance expert, so I could be wrong.

 

You can file with either company.  if you file with yours, you will pay your deductible but when your company and hers settle you will be reimbursed.

In normal situations I would get an estimate and contact the hitter, asking them if they want to pay or do I claim it on their insurance.  In several cases they just said take it to XYZ body shop and they will fix it on my dime.  Got it in writing, dropped off the car and that was it.  But that takes a certain amount of trust/

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

Duke said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Do I contact her insurance company directly, or do I call my company and have them deal with it?

My understanding is that if you deal with their company directly, you don't pay any deductible.

If you have your insurance company handle it, you will pay your deductible, even though you are not at fault.

I am not in fact an insurance expert, so I could be wrong.

 

Sort of.

If you file under her insurance then her company pays you directly.  In theory this is more efficient, but in practice the fact that you are not their customer means that the other company has zero investment in keeping you happy so it can be maddening.

If you file under your own policy then you are governed by the rules of that policy, which typically means that your insurance company will make you pay your deductible up front.  Your company will then go after her company to recover the money they spent and (assuming they recover enough) they will then refund your deductible.  The plus side to this is that you are the customer and have more leverage with your own company than you do with hers.

If you can live with being down $500 for a little while, then IME it's much easier to file under your own policy.

 

This is all exactly correct from Codrus

In reply to codrus and triumph7 :

Ah, thank you for correcting me, folks.  TIL something.

Let's see some pictures of the damage.  

If it's a big ugly hit that requires extensive work then I would get your own company involved.  This also means you front the deductible (and likely eventually get it back.) But as others have stated, that fronting of the deductible buys you customer service and likely a situation of being more satisfied.  

If it's minor, going through her company can be fine.  

PS: not an insurance expert but I have experienced claims both ways.

porschenut said:

In normal situations I would get an estimate and contact the hitter, asking them if they want to pay or do I claim it on their insurance.  In several cases they just said take it to XYZ body shop and they will fix it on my dime.  Got it in writing, dropped off the car and that was it.  But that takes a certain amount of trust/

I've gotten involved in so many of these after the fact I can't tell you. Unless it's a really, really simple claim like for a mirror or a bumper I would not do this. You'll get an estimate, they'll pay you, then it goes to the shop and they find sixteen other things damaged when they get it apart. Then the guilty party doesn't want to pay because "you're ripping them off", even if you aren't. 

I'd go throught the other party's insurance if possible. If they cause you trouble,  you can always go back through your own.

I am going through this right now, and it's been a nightmare. It's been almost three months and so far I have an offer of 1600 dollars for about $6k in needed repairs. Good luck.