View Full Version : Auto Accident Question.
jackmode9316
12-13-2007, 09:42 PM
Any body have any idea how much insurance rates go up when in an accident? Just for liability?
If the total amount of the claim is under $1,000 it shouldn't go up at all. So tell me what happened. I'm a claims adjuster. It's my nature to be curious.
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 07:20 AM
Thanks stu, I knew you might know. Basically I ran into a guy in a cadillac(2006 CTS). He stopped, I didnt notice right away,hit the brakes too late and slammed into him. My fault. He then hit an explorer in front of him. Looks like his rear bumper was a little messed up, and I think that it bent the exhaust, so much so that he couldnt start the Caddillac. He may have also damaged it a littl when he hit the car in front of him. My car unfortunatly was able to drive, but its probably not worth fixing. No one was hurt by the way. I reported the accident last night online actually.
Do the new Caddies possibly have that inertia shut off switch? The switch drops a ball and shuts off the fuel pump in the case of an impact or rollover. I know the newer Jag's have them, Fords have them, or had them anyway. My point being, the damage might not be as costly as all that.
Glad no one was hurt. It is definitely over $1,000 in damage though. How long have you been with this company Jackmode?
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 10:52 AM
Hard to say, I might look into that actually. Thanks. It would start but would just die. So my first guess would be no.
EDIT:
STU, I have been with Geico over a year. Maybe a year and a half?
Okay, you shouldn't get canceled then.
Well, the "switch" (it's actually just a steel ball suspended by magnets) has to be reset, usually it's as simple as pushing a button. You may want to contact him and ask him to mention it to any mechanic he may talk to before any other costly once overs are done on the vehicle.
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 10:57 AM
I guess I can expect my rates to climp pretty decent you think? I was paying about 65 a month.
It's not worth even calling the guy. The amount of the claim doesn't affect the rate change anyway. There is just a threshold of under $1,500, or over $1,500. He's over $1,500, so it doesn't matter either way.
I have no idea how your rates can change. $65 a month is fucking nothing though, I can tell you that. My cell phone is more than that.
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 11:03 AM
Right on. One last question, Am I also responsible for the Car that he hit? After I hit him?
Yeah. He wouldn't have hit that car if you didn't hit him first. You were the proximate cause of the accident.
The adjuster will ask the person in the first car how many impacts they felt. If it's just one, then you are at fault. If it's two impacts, then the guy in the CTS hit the front car first, then you rear-ended the CTS second.
More than likely it will all be put on you though. Especially if the guy in the CTS was not moving when you hit him.
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 11:15 AM
Yeah. He wouldn't have hit that car if you didn't hit him first. You were the proximate cause of the accident.
The adjuster will ask the person in the first car how many impacts they felt. If it's just one, then you are at fault. If it's two impacts, then the guy in the CTS hit the front car first, then you rear-ended the CTS second.
More than likely it will all be put on you though. Especially if the guy in the CTS was not moving when you hit him.
OKay, I dont think much, if any damage was done to the Ford explorer. Shit I was kind of worried that Geico would find a reason to drop me, to avoid having to pay for this stuff. i dont think they can legally do that though.
Your the cats pajamas stu, Thanks BTW
It's not worth even calling the guy. The amount of the claim doesn't affect the rate change anyway. There is just a threshold of under $1,500, or over $1,500. He's over $1,500, so it doesn't matter either way.
Good to know Stu, I wasn't aware of that.
Dave_L
12-14-2007, 11:23 AM
Think about it, even if they jumped your rate by 20%, that's only $12 per month. :)
They are legal bound to pay for any damages that you cause. Your policy is a legal contract. They can not just try to wiggle out of paying for it. Besides, an accident like yours is chump change. No injuries and they don't even have to pay for your car? I don't see this claim going much over $5,000, if it even gets that high. Plus, you don't have a deductible for PD (property damage) liability coverage, so it doesn't matter to you how much damage that there is. You would only have to worry if you caused more damage than you have coverage. Even if you have the state minimums, unless one of the drivers comes back later and claims an injury, I wouldn't even think twice about going over your limits.
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 01:28 PM
Right on Stu. Much thanks. Your insurance OG-ness is always appreciated.
I think the max is like 25,000 or something anyways. (State Min I think)
Well, that's why we got the insurance section started. Let me know if you've got any other questions.
Mario
12-14-2007, 06:53 PM
Yeah. He wouldn't have hit that car if you didn't hit him first. You were the proximate cause of the accident.
The adjuster will ask the person in the first car how many impacts they felt. If it's just one, then you are at fault. If it's two impacts, then the guy in the CTS hit the front car first, then you rear-ended the CTS second.
More than likely it will all be put on you though. Especially if the guy in the CTS was not moving when you hit him.
I was always under the assumption that the CTS would have been at fault for the same justification of following too close. Am I wrong to think this Stu?
jackmode9316
12-14-2007, 07:12 PM
I was always under the assumption that the CTS would have been at fault for the same justification of following too close. Am I wrong to think this Stu?
I think that is why he said especially if the car was stoped. That rule may only apply if the cars were in motion. Although I did hear the driver of the Ford Explorer say that she was not stopped but "coming" to a stop, or something to that affect. Honestly I am only guessing.
I was always under the assumption that the CTS would have been at fault for the same justification of following too close. Am I wrong to think this Stu?
Yes, that is incorrect. You can stop as close to someone as you want, but if you don't hit them, then there is no accident. If you are one inch away from the car in front of you, but you are both stopped, you aren't going to be hitting the person in front of you unless someone comes along and hits you. Jackmode was the proximate cause of the accident.
If the CTS driver hit the Explorer first, then Jackmode hit the CTS, they would both have been following too closely.
Every driver on the road has a duty to uphold. This is how we make liability decisions. Let's look at the duties owed, and duties breached in this accident.
Liability:
Insured (Jackmode) is 100% at fault. Claimant #1 (CTS) is 0% at fault. Claimant #2 (Explorer) is 0% at fault.
Duties Owed:
Explorer: Duty to obey state traffic regulations. (I don't mention every duty I can think of, but in this case it would be to stop at a red light, stop sign, cross walk, etc.
CTS: Duty to obey state traffic regulations. (Again, I don't mention a specific one, if no duty was broken; and again, the CTS driver has a duty to come to a stop behind the Explorer without hitting it.)
Jackmode: Duty to maintain control of his vehicle. OR Duty to maintain proper lookout (recognizing that other traffic is stopped) OR Duty to follow at a safe distance (giving him the chance to come to a safe stop) OR all of these duties.
Duties Breached:
Explorer: None. The Explorer came to a stop, or was in the process of coming to a stop without hitting anyone.
CTS: None. The CTS came to a stop, or was in the process of coming to a stop without hitting anyone.
Jackmode: Failure to follow at a safe distance, failure to maintain proper lookout, failure to maintain control of his vehicle.
Proximate Cause: Insured driver (Jackmode in this case) failed to stop for traffic in time and rear-ended the Cadillac CTS; which in turn was pushed into the Ford Explorer. (Mario: Since the CTS was pushed into the Explorer, you can't argue that the CTS driver was negligent in his actions, because he didn't actually do anything. One could argue that if the CTS driver had left a larger distance between himself and the Explorer, maybe he wouldn't have been pushed. However, this is easily shot down by citing that each driver's duty on the road way are based on what a reasonable and prudent person would do. It's unreasonable to stop two car lengths away from the car in front of you; because it is just as unreasonable to assume that you will be rear-ended.)
Damages:
Explorer: Minor damage to rear bumper.
CTS: Front bumper cover cracked, grill cracked, pass headlight, rear bumper, trunk, both rear quarter panels, driver tail light, exhaust.
Jackmode: Front bumper, hood, both headlights, radiator support, driver side front fender.
Ok to pay Explorer and CTS with property damage liability coverage. No collision coverage for insured vehicle damages.
That's pretty much what my liability decisions look like. I don't actually handle three party accidents, but that is most likely how this one will look.
Even if both the Explorer, and the CTS were still moving at the time of the accident there are two obstacles to over come before putting any liability on the CTS driver.
1) Is it reasonable to assume that the average driver was going to have rear-ended the Explorer without the help of Jackmode? No.
2) *And most importantly* There is no way to prove that the CTS was going to rear-end the Explorer anyway. You can only come close to proving what actually happened. If the Explorer driver felt only one impact, then Jackmode pushed the CTS into the Explorer. The CTS driver would have felt two impacts; first a rear impact from Jackmode, and then a front impact from hitting the Explorer. Now if the Explorer driver felt 2 impacts, then the CTS would share some of the liability in this accident. Explorer stops, CTS rear-ends the Explorer (impact one). Now Jackmode rear-ends the CTS and pushes him back into the Explorer (impact two).
jackmode9316
12-15-2007, 02:15 PM
Ive talked to both Geico and State Farm insurance(Both Explorer and CTS insured by SF). It would appear that the Explorer didn't file anything. Wouldn't surprise me though because it didn't even look like anything was wrong with her big steel bumper.
Neither party should technically have had to file anything (unless there were injuries). Since it was your fault; Geico would pay for everything.
Mario
12-16-2007, 12:28 PM
Wow. Thanks for the lengthy and detailed explanation Stu, good to know!
That's what I'm here for. I hope all the members read this stuff. I like answering insurance questions, so ask away.
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