Accident Insurance

FAQ:

Q: I was involved in an accident. Does the other person have to tell me the details of their insurance?

A: No. The Insurance Privacy Act protects this information unless the insured specifically authorizes the release of the information. However, they do have to tell you who the insurance company is and the policy number. Anything beyon that is confidential unless they choose to share it with you.


Q: I left my car with a mechanic. One of his employees hit my car when he was driving his personal car. Is the mechanic/employer responsible?

A: This hinges on whether the employee was working at the time.
Was he working at the time? If so, the dealer would be responsible for the actions of the employee. If he was not working at the time, you can either deal with your insurance company, the employee's insurance company or the employee directly.
They are not responsible just because it occurred on their property. You need to show that he was working or that the employer was benefitting from him being there at the time.



Q: My car was a total loss. Can they make me keep my car?

A: It depends. Sorry, I wish I had a definitive answer for you.
If it is the other person's insurance, then they can deduct the salvage value and make you keep it. They have to tell you where they got the quote from and if you cannot sell it for that price, they owe you the difference.
If it is your insurance company, then they will take the car for you.


Q: I was in an accident. It was my fault. I don't have insurance. What can I do?

A: You have a few options:
A - You pay him the amount of the estimate.
B - You ask him to get two or three estimates and you pay off of one of those estimates.
C - You make him sue you in small claims court and, when you lose, the judge sets the amount of damages.
D - You make him file a claim with his auto insurance and then they sue you for the damages. They may also report it to a collection agency and let the collection agency ding your credit report.
E - You tell him you have no money and offer to make payments to him. Then, you make the payments.
Remember, if you choose option D, you need to make sure that you know your rights.