r/InsuranceClaims

I had a small car accident in Huron, OH. I got a sprain in my foot and some of my personal items also got damaged.

I received a very low compensation amount and I feel it doesn’t cover my loss properly. Can I still hire a lawyer in this situation?

The adjuster totaled my car without my consent, they are charging me for the owner retain value even though they aren’t willing to take the car themselves and sell it for scrap, they’ve made have been giving me as little info as possible and I’m nervous they are just trying to give me as little as possible. This is a property damage claim because the car was unoccupied and the limit is 15k and in this same accident the faultee hit another car a newer ev and totaled that car as well so it’s made the process take over sixty days and added a bunch of layers. Can anyone who knows more about this type of thing help me understand if I should counter and how or what could go wrong if I do just any info would be helpful
Location: California, US

Took out every insurance option and claim denied for damaged TV

I used uHaul’s Ubox service with hired movers through the integrated movinghelp website. I bought a tv box from Uhaul and with the help of the movers put the tv in it. The movers then loaded the tv box into the Ubox along with many other items.

Different movers unload the ubox in a new city and we discover the tv was scratched and has dead pixels due to a punctured tv box. They said it was improperly loaded and placed between a fireplace and table instead of mattress and other soft object.

I took out safehaul, safe store, and safeload. Repwest says the damage isn’t covered and to contact movinghelp. Movinghelp says to contact the loader. I went with the highest rated loaders in my area and when I call them now I find out they don’t even have insurance. They say uhaul covers it.

How does safe haul not cover damage during transit? How does safeload not cover damage due to improper loading?

What am I supposed to do? My most expensive item, my Sony A95K 65” is ruined and I’m out $2800 because the insurance was a scam.

Uhaul has the movers integrated through their website. They don’t tell you anywhere that you’re at their mercy and Uhaul doesn’t cover anything. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do to be made whole. I thought I did everything right by taking out every insurance option.

Edit: I have a photo of the tv undamaged 1hr before it was loaded, and then photos after unloading showing the tv and the box were damaged. I do not have a photo of how it was loaded in the ubox unfortunately. I have a text from the unloader saying how it was improperly loaded/stored in the ubox.

Hello there!

The usual preamble - long time reader, first time poster - and apologies if this is the wrong forum.

Background

I live in a flat in England. The unit below had a private rented tenant who is a pyromaniac. Despite countless calls to fire, police, council environmental health, council safeguarding, council antisocial behaviour, landlord, nothing was ever done about the guy. He finally burnt the flat out completely - fire brigade deemed it uninhabitable. It's boarded up.

Summary of Damage

My floors were covered with an oily sooty smokey residue. I spent a week scrubbing (sponge and dish soap + paper towel to lift it all up, 1 sq.m at a time) and daily mopping ever since. There is still black dust on the floor by the end of every day. There is also charring of some carpeting in a closet, and the white baseboards you can definitely see soot stain from where it leaked into my flat. The white plastic window frames (I want to say uPVC?) were totally brown. I got those cleaned up and they look great, and the floors look clean too. Internet tells me that even after cleaning, the soot still sits there and eats away at the surfaces - the laminate flooring has mdf core so it will have absorbed the smoke and soot and gasses.

Main question: I want new floors. How do I handle a Loss Adjuster visit / ensure success?

I am getting mixed info. Freeholder's agent said wait for them and they'll be very helpful. Internet says that since they work for the insurance company, their job is to minimise payout.

- Despite floors and windows being cleaned, are they still ruined? // is it reasonable of me to expect new floors?
- is adjuster going to say "these floors look great! nice work! you don't have a claim."
- Smoke+soot+smell have saturated the void between the burnt out flat and mine, and my sub floors. Timber joist construction. It'll have been 3 weeks post- fire before the adjuster will have showed up, meanwhile the place downstairs is boarded up, dark, wet from the fire hose, and smelling.
- Any other likely damage or expenses on the horizon that I haven't thought of?
- Do I need to be prepared to fight my corner? or is this visit more of a rubber stamp to say the damage happened.
- 1960s building, possible asbestos - anything to worry about there?
- Nobody told me whether or not I should stay or go, so I stayed in my place this whole time - neighbours and friends have been saying that this was probably unhealthy/dangerous. Is there anything I should be looking into on this front?
- Should I have gotten quotes for remedial work / should I get them?
- Should I hire my own loss assessor?
- If they make me an offer and I accept, what if I discover more damage / more cost down the line?
- Will they insist on their own contractors or just pay out for me to do it?
- Will they try to stall the process so I cave and accept a bad deal? how can I keep things moving along?

Do I have any recourse other than buildings insurance?

- I don't have contents insurance.
- the AST tenant below definitely is broke and has no insurance of his own - do I have any recourse against landlord (leaseholder below), council, building managers, freeholders, anyone? Because the loss was foreseeable and I had been reporting this for months?

So we recently had a massive healthy white oak tree uproot from a rain/wind storm in the area. Beautiful tree, approx 30 tons, 70’ tall with a 36” diameter trunk. It karate chopped my 2 car garage in half and also landed on my car. The garage is attached to the home. It we are in the process of getting it removed by professionals. Insurance said to give them a call after tree is removed and she’ll come out and take a look, along with a structural engineer/adjuster. We just looked in our basement and noticed several new hair pin cracks in the foundation as well as a pretty massive crack in the center block wall that runs down the middle on the home (no basement under the garage). Should I hire my own structural engineer or someone to come out when the insurance structural engineer comes to do the adjustment? Are insurance companies pretty honest about this kind of thing or do they just try to slap lipstick on it? At what point is it deemed a loss and we have to tear down and rebuild?

Do body shops hate it when someone brings car for an estimate but you could tell that it will be totaled? Because they know they won't be getting any business.

Other driver rear-ended me. Got my own estimate from my autobody shop for repairs & was quoted around $8k. Driver only has $5k coverage on his policy. For this reason, his insurance rep suggested I file through my own policy, which has a $1k deductible. Even though in theory I would eventually be reimbursed for this, I cannot afford that right now, and I don't feel I should have to suffer financially to get my car fixed when this other driver was at fault and has an inadequate policy. His insurance also attempted to give me an estimate of a little over $1k for repairs (which is BS, obviously). I asked his rep if I could file through his policy initially, have repairs done up to his policy max, and then have my policy cover the remainder and he told me it doesn't work like that... but when I google this information I am told that I could have that option.

I am very new to this, I'm luckily not in accidents often so I'm not sure what the best way is to proceed. Any advice would be appreciated!

Hoping to get your thoughts on my situation.

Last month, my wife, daughter, and I were involved in an auto accident when another driver ran a red light and T-boned us while I was making a protected left turn on a green arrow.

We all sought medical care the same day at urgent care:

Me: severe right hip pain/inflammation (hip X-ray completed). I later developed worsening back pain, had follow-up evaluations with additional back X-rays, and have now been referred to physical therapy.

My wife: large bruise to right shoulder and knee pain (shoulder X-ray completed). She later developed significant back pain, had follow-up visits and back X-rays, and was referred to physical therapy. She also experienced a severe episode requiring an ER visit when she temporarily could not move her right leg. The ER diagnosed sciatica/acute back pain and treated her with steroids, though symptoms have continued intermittently.

My 2-year-old daughter: significant shoulder bruising and emotional distress following the accident. She became fearful of cars afterward and repeatedly referenced the “red truck” that hit us. She also had a follow-up visit due to continued shoulder pain and sensitivity.

We are still monitoring ongoing symptoms and treatment needs.

I’d like to better understand what I should expect to settle for our pain and suffering and if it’s even worth finding a lawyer.

Insurance had offered me $4.8K for lost wages, pain and suffering. My wife $4K and my daughter $2K and an additional $10K each in reserves for any medical expenses incurred by us and our health insurance provider. (All before my wife’s ER incident and my pain worsened)

So if my car that I take really good care of gets totaled in an accident which was someone else's fault, then I am being forced to spend more money to get a higher value car? Because I would not trust a same model/year/mileage car from a market as much as I trust the car I have been maintaining.

Edit: I would not expect them to give me brand new version of my car, but feels like I am being forced to sell my car at ACV. Everyone tells me that it runs like a new car, and I don't think it is fair that I just get an average market price.

Hi all,

I very recently switched my insurance and address and all to Pennsylvania due to the length I’m there for schooling. I’m a male in my early 20s, and traded in my previous car for a new one just last week. Sadly that same day, I lost control driving through a downhill curve and crashed pretty hard into a tree (nobody else on the road, so I am most likely to be considered fully at fault). Car is most likely totaled, airbags went off and pretty much the entire passenger side drivetrain is smashed in. Fortunately physical injuries are not too bad. Police responded to the crash, and my vehicle was towed to the lot of a body/repair shop.

My main questions are: the vehicle is being stored at the lot of the group that towed it. I filed an insurance (Progressive) claim and an agent reached out end of day last Friday, saying they had to verify the date of the accident with the police report/records group. They would then send an adjuster or person to take the vehicle away to the insurance’s lot. I was told to take my plate and registration, leave both keys and all original options/items with the car (mats, etc). Based on the photo and video attached, the agent said over the phone it would likely be totaled. However I don’t have anything in writing (valuation, where the vehicle will be taken, if I can dispute an offer once it’s taken), and the fact they told me to take plate and registration make me think they’re just planning to total and auction.

Should I let the adjuster take the vehicle, or leave it at the current body shop until they do an appraisal/offer/send more information in writing? Is this normal? The insurance agent seemed kind of insistent that they couldn’t do an appraisal until they took it. Would it be worth getting an appraisal/estimate by the tow/repair person? I am worried insurance will just take the vehicle and give a low offer. It is a very new and good condition car, and just about half was being financed. I have quite good coverage on my policy, and feel it may be possible to get a decent bit back (if not enough for a replacement) but this is my first time getting into an accident so I’m unsure.

Of course there’s other questions regarding stuff like the police report, what information to best include to help my case, etc. but some of that is more legal stuff which I have requested to talk to my school’s legal resources groups for help.

Any insight into what to do would be much appreciated, for those who’ve had similar experiences or know how this all works. Thank you!

My policy was issued in Ohio. The loss occurred in Florida. My car was vandalized while parked on the street — tires were slashed and the windshield cracked (and I think they messed up my Sideview mirror too). When I called GEICO they directed me to the Florida Claims team who advised me I would have no deductible for the replacement of the windshield or the tires. Based on that representation, I decided to proceed with the claim because I really couldn’t afford new tires and a new windshield. I had just spent $1200 on my car a month prior. They sent me a tow truck and the tires were replaced immediately. I paid out-of-pocket. They reimbursed me in full for the tires only after I called corporate customer service who reviewed the call and confirmed I was told there would be no deductible or out-of-pocket cost if I included the tires in the claim. However, they sent me an estimate for the windshield replacement that has a $500 deductible applied. The reasoning provided is that it was filed under comprehensive and there was other damage. I know what the adjuster told me on the original phone call, which is why I proceeded with the claim and arranged for the windshield repair to be done at the Lexus dealer. My question is, can they really force a deductible in order to repair my windshield? I thought the statute was pretty clear. I understand it says for policies issued and delivered in the state of Florida, but Geico specifically transferred me to the Florida Claims team when I called to inquire about deductible, which I assumed meant Florida rules govern. I did mention the statute to them, but they didn’t say anything about the fact that my policy was issued in Ohio. They just said it was filed under comprehensive and there was additional damage. Therefore, the deductible will apply. Also, didn’t they already establish a zero dollar deductible for the entire occurance by reimbursing me for the tires in full?

I bought a brand new truck for around $27k plus taxes and fees. It’s a 2025 Chevy Colorado with only 9k miles. Unfortunately, it was hit by a drunk driver. I was able to get the plates and file a claim through their insurance.

The repair estimate is currently $15,900. Since the truck is basically brand new, I know the accident history is going to hurt the resale value even after repairs.

What’s the best way to file a diminished value claim? Has anyone gone through this before with a newer vehicle? Should I hire an independent appraiser or try to negotiate directly with the insurance company first? Any advice would help

My car recently suffered a minor accident in a parking lot. The other party was kind enough to stand and call the security to update them about the accident. Finally everything was reported to the police and I have a green slip. As instructed by BYD showroom i dropped my car in Al Futtaim body shop in umm rammool and they asked for all the documents and accident report.
Any of you folks have experience with them and how is their service? I am still waiting for my insurance (Orient PJSC) to approve the claim. The other party has an insurance from Dubai insurance company.

i got rear-ended last month and im dealing with some lingering back pain. the other guy's insurance sent me a medical release form, but its super broad. it basically asks for permission to see all my past records, films, and even stuff from other doctors not related to the crash. this feels like a total invasion of privacy. i read a post on the tina willis law site that warned about these "fishing expeditions" where adjusters look for old injuries just to claim your current pain is pre-existing. has anyone here actually managed to limit what they see? i want to be fair and show them the accident records, but i dont think they need to see my records from five years ago. just wondering if im being paranoid or if this is a standard trap.

Family member was involved in a crash in TX. The claim was denied by other driver's insurance based on the police report however the police officer has a complaint filed against him in the department for potential mishandling/unprofessional investigation against the party he blamed in the report. Would this affect the credibility of the police report? The insurance doesn't know about this, has no statements and only has the police report. Its important to note the officer said the report is based on CCTV but the video is so grainy and hardly indistinguishable. Trying to figure out what to do with this claim denial.

Hi everyone,

Need some advice from people who’ve dealt with insurance surveyors before.

I recently got rear-ended in Bangalore while taking a right turn into a lane. The impact caused rear bumper damage, and during the same incident the front-right side of my Taigun scraped against a pole.

I immediately:
- raised a Bengaluru Traffic Police e-Accident report,
- filed an insurance claim with Tata AIG,
- uploaded photos,
- and took the car to an authorized VW workshop (PPS Motors).

The claim itself was accepted and repair approval was given for the bumper/body work.

However, the surveyor is refusing to approve the RH headlamp even though:
- the damage is visible,
- the VW workshop documented “FRONT & REAR IMPACT, RH HEAD LAMP DAMAGE” in the repair order,
- and the service advisor officially emailed me saying the RH headlamp issue will not be covered under warranty due to the observed damage.

The surveyor keeps saying the scratch is “minor” and not approving replacement.

I’m confused because:
- if VW says warranty may be impacted,
- and the damage is from the same accident,
- shouldn’t insurance cover it?

Has anyone successfully escalated something like this with Tata AIG or another insurer?

Would appreciate advice on:

1. Whether I should escalate to claims manager/ombudsman
2. Whether the workshop can push harder from their side
3. Whether insurers usually reconsider after escalation
4. If it’s worth pursuing or not

Would really appreciate guidance from anyone who’s dealt with similar cases.