QuestionQUESTION: Hi Jane,
Someone hit my parked car and did some damage. He left a note under my wiper with his name contact info and insurance info. I called him and left a message, then called his insurance company and filed a claim. When he called me back, it turned out he's a kid who just got his license and he wanted to pay me cash for the damage, and not get the insurance companies involved, so his rates wouldn't go up. I'm okay with this, but not sure how to cancel or withdraw the claim I made. Is this possible? Thanks.
ANSWER: Hello A.,
Doing what he suggests is a bad deal for you. Paying you cash for the damages ... how much would that be? Have you had a professional prepare an appraisal? Has the body shop torn down your damage so that you know if there is hidden damage? Is he also going to pay you for your rental car while your car is in the shop at his expense?
My advice to you is NOT to withdraw the claim. Look at it logically. If he does pay for your damages in cash (which I seriously doubt) it will cost him more than a potential rise in his insurance rates. There's nothing in this for you.
Quite frankly, anyone who drives around hitting parked cars probably needs higher rates ... just not at your expense.
Jane Pytel
http://SolutionsForYourInsuranceClaim.com
http://FloridaAutoInsuranceCentral.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dear Jane,
Thank you for your prompt reply!
You raise a lot of good points. The damage to my car is incredibly minor - basically I need a new taillight. If it were just body work I wouldn't much care because it's an old junker and I won't have it much longer. I can also easily walk to work or take public transit (which is free to me), so that's no issue, I don't need a rental car. But at this point I'm just weighing my options, and so I just want to know if it would even be possible to withdraw a claim - is that actually possible? If not, then it's a moot point anyway.
Thank you!
Allison
Answer Hello Allison,
You know, I used to be an appraiser. Rarely if ever is it "just" a taillight. Usually the paint alone is over $500! I strongly suggest you not make any decisions until you have a professional appraiser review the damages. It may be an "old junker", but some day you're going to sell it. Do you really need more damage to drive down the value?
As for walking to work, you have suffered a loss. If you want to walk to work, so be it. If it's an inconvenience, you are entitled to a rental car.
Yes, you can "withdraw" a claim, but you've reported it and the insurance company knows about the accident. Likely his rates will go up anyway.
You're missing the whole point of insurance. People pay premiums to make things whole again. As a claimant, you are entitled to liability benefits to be "whole again". Use them!
Jane Pytel
http://SolutionsForYourInsuranceClaim.com
http://FloridaAutoInsuranceCentral.com
