Hit and run advice please

Sorry man. You're wrong on all counts. I'd suggest reading your policy.

There isn't a 'statute of limitations,' there is a timely reporting clause. You are required by the insurance contract to report any losses in a 'timely manner.' The reason for this is that the insurance company has a right to investigate and waiting too long can jeopardize that right. Here's an example.... let's say someone breaks into your home (home policies have the same clause) and you decide at first that you aren't going to file a claim. You wait a few months, replace the locks, buy replacement DVDs, paint the door to get rid of the shoe print, etc. Then, after a few months you realize that it would have been smarter to use the insurance instead of paying out of pocket and filing a claim. By that point, there is no evidence of a break-in, you can't remember what was stolen, and the neighbors can't remember what they saw and heard the night of the break-in. Is the insurance company supposed to just take your word that there was a crime at all?

A hit and run claim is only ever a collision claim if the vehicle was being operated at the time of loss. If you're driving down the road and a drunk hits you and then drives off, that's collision. If your vehicle is sitting in a parking lot and you come out of the store to find out that someone hit it then drove off, that's comprehensive.

Many companies offer a comprehensive claim-free discount that you will lose if you file a comp claim (usually not including glass-only claims). So if you lose a discount, yeah, your premium can go up.

Again, it might be a good idea to read your policy. It doesn't sound like you have a firm grasp of what's covered and what's not.

 

In some cases yes, but in most cases no. Uninsured motorist coverage comes in two forms. Uninsured Motorist Bodily-Injury (covers you when you are injured by an uninsured driver) and Uninsured Property Damage (covers your vehicle's damages when it's hit by an uninsured operator). Most people only carry Uninsured Bodily-Injury and the few states that require Uninsured Motorist coverage only require that the Bodily Injury portion be carried. Uninsured Property Damage is helpful if you have it, but a vast majority of people chose not to carry it and it's not an embedded coverage that your agent will usually add for you without you requesting it.

This is with some slight variations in a few states, obviously.

 

Dont know about that, State Farm, GEICO and USAA and them packaged together, and I just pulled up USAA to confirm. I dont think you can choose one or the other, you either have it or you don't. Since most people finance their new vehicles, I would imagine that the Banks require them to have the coverage.

 

Hence my disclaimer about there being some variations. You mention three companies and it's possible that even those three companies don't do that in every state.

I'm not trying to be a know-it-all or start a pissing match about insurance in this forum. Just tying to educate the public in the face of some information given with authority by people who honestly think they know what they're talking about but at best isn't going to be true in all states.

 

In my state there is absolutely a statue of limitations for filing a property damage claim for an auto policy. It's 3 years.
We aren't talking about homeowners claims here, we are talking about a car.
Also, in my state "phantom vehicle" does not apply. A parked and unoccupied vehicle that is damaged from being collided into by another vehicle is a non-fault collision loss.
I've never heard of a policyholder losing a discount, or being subjected to a premium increase for a non-chargeable loss, comp or collision.
Again, we aren't talking homeowners here, those policy's are completely different animals

 

Don't be too sure about that. I can go back about a month on any of the cameras at any of my work buildings. Depends on what resolution they record in, how much storage they have, how many cameras, type of recording (on motion, 5 seconds before and after detection, for instance).

 

I dont know enough about insurance, all I know is I have it and I'm glad I do! I've used it a few times in different states, thats all I know.

 

As previously stated, the home example was only that... an example. If you want an auto example, think about witnesses being hard to track down, video footage being deleted, black box data being lost, damage being repaired or rusted over, etc.

Your approval is not my goal and I don't care whether or not I get it. It just doesn't matter to me.

A final word of advice, to you but good advice for all, read your policy. Don't assume that you know what is covered and don't rely on someone in a forum to tell you what's covered. There's no need to rely on someone else to interpret a document that is likely different from yours when you have the contract in a file somewhere. Read it, you'll be better off for doing so.

 

Ugh I hate this crap. Hit and runs, shitbags. I will say this. Soon I will he installing 3 cameras in my truck. One facing the front, one inside to catch anyone breaking in and another facing the rear out the back window. I have to figure out the most efficient cameras not to kill my battery but it kills me to see this happen and no one fessed up to it.

 

From a ex GEICO agent this ^^^^^is the best advice.

 

They have cameras for when your engine isn't running?

 

Yes. My understanding is some will basically record all the time, but they throw out the recording normally. If they sense an impact, however, it saves footage for so many seconds before and after. Just need to get a camera that will do that and wire it so it's powered all the time.

 

Constant 12v is all.. Just have to get some efficient ones to keep the amp draw down

 

Lots of mixed information in here. Here's how it is going down. At least in my case, file is claimed and is a non fault collision. Granted I live in Pennsylvania and am covered through progressive insurance for the last 10 years (I understand rules vary from state to state and different insurer's). 1000 bucks down the drain, adjuster is looking at the truck friday. I go out of my way to park in a manner to avoid just this sort of thing whenever possible but sometimes shit just happens.

 

Come on now, that's not the TW Mentality. Amp draw doesn't matter. If it's high it justifies a NorthStar battery, a dual battery setup, a higher output alternator, or all of the above.

 

Yes, multiple dash cameras have "parking mode" capabilities.

With my Thinkware F770 it can be set to either save clips when it detects motion in the field of view, or it can be set to timelapse mode. It will also specifically save video if it senses shock such as from an impact. I've not had a chance to test that part though. I have the dual camera flavor, the rear camera just plugs into the front camera and its video is recorded along with the front's.

It's wired to both constant 12VDC and switched power; it uses the latter to know when to switch to parking mode. This model has automatic low-voltage power down to prevent it from draining the battery. You can get a device that does the same if you have a camera without that ability.

The camera will automatically overwrite files once storage is full. It does however reserve a portion of the storage for the different sorts of recordings (incidents, parking, continuous) so as to not inadvertently overwrite stuff.

 

This happened to me last week, in a sense. I was freshly parked in the grocery store lot, unhooking my phone ... felt a thud and the truck wiggled a bit.

"are you fucking kidding me?" I thought.

So I get out, inspect for damage ... older woman in a 90's Buick comes up to me "I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry."

I begin inspecting for damage, seconds later I notice her walking toward the store out of the corner of my eye. HA, the nerve!

I yell ... "Ma'am, unless you want the police to be here when you come back out, I suggest you stay on the scene until we figure this out."

She walks in FASTER! Ha.

Her car was very low relative to my truck, and I just got some black plastic transfer from her bumper onto my wheel (which rubbed right off). But holy shit, the nerve of trying to leave the scene. I can look pretty intimidating, so I was extra careful to be courteous given the circumstances.

I wanted to do something about her running away, but that would have been unreasonable considering there was no damage. No harm no foul I guess ...

 

I'd have called that one in just out of principle. Damage or not, she hit your truck so it's not for her to decided whether or not to stick around.

 

I wanted to, but I couldn't have looked at any officer with a straight face in that situation.

 

Yeah, I suppose I'd have ended up choosing the same if it was truly nothing... Her flippancy would gall me to no end though...