Auto Insurance Claims: NJ Cure Auto Claim Denial, state insurance commissioners, acura mdx

Question
Hi,

4 weeks ago my 2001 Acura MDX was broken into and vandalized.They destroyed the entire interior of the car because they could not steal the navigation unit. My SUV was parked next to my house in my driveway. I have NJ Cure auto insurance. Well the problem now is that since my car was wrapped in my business's graphic they are trying to say that the SUV is a commercial vehicle and are trying to deny my claim.Under there policy they do not cover commercial vehicles. The truck is a complete write off.The car is not registered as a commercial vehicle because i really do more work from home and it was used more for pleasure then business.What can i do? SHould i hire a lawyer?

Answer
Hi Rad,

Most auto policies do exclude commercial use. Some policies will allow you to add an endorsement for "Business Use" of a personal vehicle which generally results in a 25% surcharge on the policy.

In this case there are some simple questions. Were you using the vehicle in this way at the time you purchased the policy? Did the vehicle have the wrap on it at the time you purchased the policy? If the answer to those is no, then you shoudl be able to force them to pay the claim. You can file a complaint with the state Insurance Commissioners Office.

There is one important argument here that may determine if your claim can be paid;

1) Is the risk relevant to the loss? No. The fact that your vehicle had a wrap on it and may be used partially in business does not increase the risk that it will be vandalized while parked and unoccupied.

You can try to make this argument to see if it helps you.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh