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View Full Version : A win for me - Yippie



Trish
05-07-2018, 05:02 PM
March 31st

I'm on my way to visit two of my sons when out of nowhere my car is slammed on the driver's side. I look to my side and then in my rear view mirror. Low and behold I see the culprit.

Trish: crap-o-la

I put my blinker on and start to ease my car over to the side of the highway. I glance again in my rear view mirror and .....

Trish: What the H E double L - She's trying to get away!!!! Hey (I'm frantically waving my arm back and forth) Hey...don't you even think about it lady, I shout. (I point to the side of the road and she starts to follow me).

We get out of our cars and she walks up to me and says

Yongmei: You hit me

Trish: Uh...yeah - NO, I don't think so - you clearly hit me. (I point up the road to the posted traffic sign that indicates the lane, her lane, is ending and cars will need to merge right) See that sign - you prematurely merged into myyyyyyy lane. (I drew out the word "my" for emphasis - I thought the situation called for it)

Yongmei: No, You hit me
Trish: Look.....(I take a deep breath) look, let's just exchange Insurance information.

Yongmei: You hit me

Trish: Can you just go get your insurance card. Geesh

We exchange information and get into our cars. She immediately leaves the scene (this time I let her) and I call my insurance company and report the accident.

The following day I receive a call from her Insurance Company, BSCentral (an alias name I've assigned to them). The guy takes my statement. At the end of the conversation I tell him I'm going out of town so I'd like to get my car in the shop as quickly as possible.

Later that afternoon I receive an email from BSCentral. Attached is my approved estimate with instructions to choose a repair shop.

I follow their instructions including creating a temporary account so I can track my claim and communicate with the Adjustor.

I drop my car off to one of their preferred shops and head out of town. I'm gone for about two weeks.

Throughout my travel status I'm checking my temporary BSCentral account and sending inquiries with no luck or response. Right before I return home I notice my account shows the status of "closed". I reach out to the Adjustor again requesting a status. No response.

When I return I find that Mr. BSCentral Adjustor sent me a letter in the post saying that BSCentral wasn't going to pay for my repairs.

Trish: You've got to be kidding me! Two weeks after they approve it and I've already dropped my car off they turn around and deny the claim!!!!

Now I'm mad.....really mad.....spitting mad

I contact my Insurance Company, BSSometimes, and explain to them what went down. They call BSCentral on my behalf and are informed a mistake was made. Someone prematurely approved my claim. BSCentral confirms that they will not be paying for the repairs. According to them, It's a she said/she said situation. Sorrrrrrry

BSSometimes advises me they are going to try and request reimbursement from BSCentral. In the meantime, I'm out my deductible.

Maybe I'm frugal or maybe it's my heritage but losing money is NOT an option!

Thankfully, there's this Agency called the Maryland Insurance Administration. So I painstakingly prepare my complaint. I document a chronology of the events and print off all the estimate notification and the "next steps" instructions. I take a snapshot of all the emails and texts I sent the adjustor of which I never received a single response. I put my package together and submitted my official request for a review and determination into whether BSCentral and/or it's representatives, violated any insurance statutes, regulations or policies.

My request goes to the "Rapid Response" department. Within a week BSCentral is singing a whole new tune. They've decided that yes, the error was theirs and they are happy to pay for the repairs.

I'm happy to say that every once in a while the little guy (or gal) wins. But I wouldn't be a winner without Mr. X.

A Big shout out to Mr. X with the Maryland Insurance Administration. I have little knowledge of the laws that regulate the Insurance companies but Mr. X does know and that's why it's so important that we have these consumer protection Agencies.

BSCentral zero - Trish 1

Chris
05-07-2018, 05:24 PM
Good for you!

The last accident I was in the guy rear-ended my truck. We exchanged info. The police came, made us pull into a parking lot, gave us each a form, and left as they're not required to fill out a report when damage is minor. Of course, to me it was major!

So I inform my insurance company but made clear I was not making a claim, but just in case. Then called his insurance company. They said, ok, it seems like a clear-cut case, but we need to talk to the guy. From there on in I got the run around. His insurance company couldn't reach him. I couldn't. Months went by. I finally got in touch with his wife and explained to her what was happening, throwing in I have it on good word their insurance would be dropped, and she got upset and, apparently, made him call thier insurance company.

After four months their insrance approved repairs and the truck bumper was fixed.

Not as good a story. I'm not as good a story teller.

Trish
05-07-2018, 05:56 PM
Good for you!

The last accident I was in the guy rear-ended my truck. We exchanged info. The police came, made us pull into a parking lot, gave us each a form, and left as they're not required to fill out a report when damage is minor. Of course, to me it was major!

So I inform my insurance company but made clear I was not making a claim, but just in case. Then called his insurance company. They said, ok, it seems like a clear-cut case, but we need to talk to the guy. From there on in I got the run around. His insurance company couldn't reach him. I couldn't. Months went by. I finally got in touch with his wife and explained to her what was happening, throwing in I have it on good word their insurance would be dropped, and she got upset and, apparently, made him call thier insurance company.

After four months their insrance approved repairs and the truck bumper was fixed.

Not as good a story. I'm not as good a story teller.

Wow - you have a lot of patience.

You called the wife huh....... Talk about going totally nuclear on someone. Good move - I mean, what husband wants to be nagged to death? hahahahahaha

Chris
05-07-2018, 06:05 PM
Wow - you have a lot of patience.

You called the wife huh....... Talk about going totally nuclear on someone. Good move - I mean, what husband wants to be nagged to death? hahahahahaha

Well, she didn't know she wasn't supposed to answer, and all that time had gone by.

Abby08
05-07-2018, 06:36 PM
Good for you! Had you just given up, said, "oh well", they would have gotten away with screwing you.

A lot of people do just that, they just take the insurance company's word for it.

Good thing you aren't one of those people.

Trish
05-07-2018, 06:42 PM
Well, she didn't know she wasn't supposed to answer, and all that time had gone by.

Yeah well I'm kinda tenacious. Years ago I was in an accident where a car merged into my lane and hit me. I bounced off the cement median and almost flipped over into oncoming traffic. Completely totaled my car and I suffered a broken arm and a number of other injuries.

I watched it happening in slow motion, a girl came into my lane when she was forced out of her lane by another driver. He never stopped.

Bottom line, the girl and I both had the same insurance company so they wanted to call it no fault because they deemed the 3rd driver at fault but he had left the scene. Which means I would get nothing.

My car was old and paid off and had no book value. I was new in my career and didn't have much money or savings. I couldn't afford another car payment.

The insurance company thought they had me over a barrel and offered me basically nothing. It was a joke. I refused to settle. About 2 months before the statute of limitation to settle expired the Insurance company contacted my lawyer. They made another laughable offer, I countered, they refused. I stopped communications. A week before the deadline, they reached out to my lawyer again and asked what I wanted. I told them to refer to my earlier number otherwise I would see them in court. My lawyer cautioned me and said if it went to trial I risked getting nothing but I didn't care. I'd rather drag their lawyer's asses into court before I'd buckle.

They came back and paid me what I asked.

My dad says I'm too principled some times. hahahahaha

Trish
05-07-2018, 06:50 PM
Good for you! Had you just given up, said, "oh well", they would have gotten away with screwing you.

A lot of people do just that, they just take the insurance company's word for it.

Good thing you aren't one of those people.

Yeah. Like you said, most people either don't know what to do or just don't think they have a chance. I figured I didn't have anything to lose so what the heck. I didn't want to put the effort into writing the complaint and putting the package together but I was miffed that they didn't notify me until after my repairs were complete.

I'm very happy with the outcome. :0)