What good is atuo insurance?

[HORUS]

What good is auto insurance?

OK... Here is my situation.

In April of 2002 I got into a minor car accident pulling out of a gas station in DC and hit another car entering an intersection causing a minor door ding on the other persons car. I only suffered from slight scraches on my frontend. No one was injured in the accedent and no police report was filed.
My insurance company paid the other driver for all the damages caused.

Now the other driver is trying to sue me. Is this really legal?

Help!

 

[dustin]

If the claim has already been closed I don't think the other driver can do anything. That's why the insurance company asks if anyone was hurt from the getgo.

Did the other driver's insurance company contact you or did the actual driver?

 

[HORUS]

If the claim has already been closed I don't think the other driver can do anything. That's why the insurance company asks if anyone was hurt from the getgo.

Did the other driver's insurance company contact you or did the actual driver?

No... I haven't been called by the other driver or thier insurance company. I just got a letter from the St. Marys court system stating that I'm being sued. Thats it.

 

[dustin]

No... I haven't been called by the other driver or thier insurance company. I just got a letter from the St. Marys court system stating that I'm being sued. Thats it.

I would call your insurance company first and see what they say about your situation.

Also, you could try calling St. Mary's county attorney's office and ask what the deal is.

 

[cattitude]

OK... Here is my situation.

In April of 2002 I got into a minor car accident pulling out of a gas station in DC and hit another car entering an intersection causing a minor door ding on the other persons car. I only suffered from slight scraches on my frontend. No one was injured in the accedent and no police report was filed.
My insurance company paid the other driver for all the damages caused.

Now the other driver is trying to sue me. Is this really legal?

Help!

Sure, it's legal. Statute of limitations is 3 years. Pain in the butt, but they can sue. Probably hoping for an out of court settlement from your insurance company. Better contact them ASAP and let them know what's happening.

 

[HORUS]

Correction... The letter is from M.A.F.

 

[Toxick]

OK... Here is my situation.

In April of 2002 I got into a minor car accident pulling out of a gas station in DC and hit another car entering an intersection causing a minor door ding on the other persons car. I only suffered from slight scraches on my frontend. No one was injured in the accedent and no police report was filed.
My insurance company paid the other driver for all the damages caused.

Now the other driver is trying to sue me. Is this really legal?

Help!

Nope - this is legal. They have 3 years to try this. A friend of mine hurt his back in an accident, and his lawyer fiddley-farted around for two and a half years before finally moving on his case. (God - I hate lawyers almost as much as I hate insurance companies).

The good news is that since this particular claim was already completely taken care of, and closed by your insurance company and it has already been established that noone was injured, these people are very likely going to be laughed out of the courtroom - if it even makes it that far.


My guess - they're strapped for cash, and they want you to be their lifeline.



Best of luck to you.

 

[HORUS]

Nope - this is legal. They have 3 years to try this. A friend of mine hurt his back in an accident, and his lawyer fiddley-farted around for two and a half years before finally moving on his case. (God - I hate lawyers almost as much as I hate insurance companies).

The good news is that since this particular claim was already completely taken care of, and closed by your insurance company and it has already been established that noone was injured, these people are very likely going to be laughed out of the courtroom - if it even makes it that far.


My guess - they're strapped for cash, and they want you to be their lifeline.



Best of luck to you.

Should I be worried???

 

[cattitude]

his lawyer fiddley-farted around for two and a half years before finally moving on his case. (God - I hate lawyers almost as much as I hate insurance companies).

The reason they wait is because as I mentioned above the Statute of Limitations is 3 years. In the event there is a REAL CLAIM, you want to allow as much time as you can for all physical, emotional, etc. problems to be diagnosed. If you file too quickly and settle in full and final, and you have a related medical problem crop up at a later date as a result of the accident, you are SOL.

Granted, most people just work the system.

 

[cattitude]

Correction... The letter is from M.A.F.

MAIF??

 

[HORUS]

The reason they wait is because as I mentioned above the Statute of Limitations is 3 years. In the event there is a REAL CLAIM, you want to allow as much time as you can for all physical, emotional, etc. problems to be diagnosed. If you file too quickly and settle in full and final, and you have a related medical problem crop up at a later date as a result of the accident, you are SOL.

Granted, most people just work the system.

Yes... But should I be worried?

 

[HORUS]

MAIF??

Yeah that's it.

 

[cattitude]

Yes... But should I be worried?

It's hard to say. They probably won't come after you as much as they are hoping your insurance company will settle. Contact your insurance company. They have attorneys on staff that handle that type of thing. Generally, you don't need to defend yourself with an attorney unless it was some sort of horrific accident. What exactly did you get? A letter or an actually Complaint filed in a court? They could be just suing MAIF and naming you as a co-defendant.

 

[Toxick]

Yes... But should I be worried?

Your insurance company already legally established that there was no injuries, correct? And this case is closed? If so, I wouldn't lose much sleep over it.

Call your insurance agent and fill them in on everything. They will tell you what you need to do. If someone is trying to take their money - believe me they will do everything in their power to put a stop to it quick, fast and in a hurry.

 

[HORUS]

Your insurance company already legally established that there was no injuries, correct? And this case is closed? If so, I wouldn't lose much sleep over it.

Call your insurance agent and fill them in on everything. They will tell you what you need to do. If someone is trying to take their money - believe me they will do everything in their power to put a stop to it quick, fast and in a hurry.

OK.. Thanks. But it still sucks

 

[alex]

My sympathies. I would definitely call your insurance company and find out what, if anything, you need to do.

I had this happen to me several years ago. Someone hit me, I had a witness. The other insurance company paid me to fix my car. After the claim was settled and I have forgotten about the whole thing, my insurance agent called about a personal injury claim from the person who hit me. I told them that the other insurance company had paid for the repairs to my car and it was deemed the other person's fault. I asked the agent why the claim was just now coming up and she said that sometimes accident victims contact lawyers right after an accident, before fault has been determined and that most likely they never told the lawyer they were found at fault. I never heard from my agent again about the claim and since my rates never went up I presume they told them to go take a hike.

Good Luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!

 

[HORUS]

My sympathies. I would definitely call your insurance company and find out what, if anything, you need to do.

I had this happen to me several years ago. Someone hit me, I had a witness. The other insurance company paid me to fix my car. After the claim was settled and I have forgotten about the whole thing, my insurance agent called about a personal injury claim from the person who hit me. I told them that the other insurance company had paid for the repairs to my car and it was deemed the other person's fault. I asked the agent why the claim was just now coming up and she said that sometimes accident victims contact lawyers right after an accident, before fault has been determined and that most likely they never told the lawyer they were found at fault. I never heard from my agent again about the claim and since my rates never went up I presume they told them to go take a hike.

Good Luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!

Thanks.

 

[dems4me]

I don't know, I don't believe I own one of those -- is it something legal?
:shrug:

 

[Oz]

(You do have auto insurance, right?)

Copy your Insurance Agent on the summons, and let him/her handle it for you. If you have photos, police reports, or any written statements from the accident, copy those too. If you don't have that, then as soon as possible, sit down and write out your side of the accident, including anything you remember about it. Draw the intersection, and the position of your vehicles. Record any occupants, or anything unusual. Was anyone drinking? How many occupants? Either party on the cell phone, or distracted by screaming kids? Was there a sun glare? How fast? Was either party disobeying traffic laws by speeding or running a red light? Was it raining? Day/night/cloudy/etc. Anything and everything, no matter how insignificant you believe it to be. Your insurance company will eventually need this information, so do it now while you're under no pressure to deliver it to them. Photos of your damage, repair bills, doctors bills - it's all relevant.

You don't need to be worried if you have good insurance. But you do need to take it seriously and protect yourself going in... Your insurance agent can advise you as well.

Good luck!

 

[willie]

Allstate has a Fraud department just for this.