Wife hit my truck with our van. Report to insurance?

i get that to an extent. insurance is a highly regulated industry. but it sucks something like that is called fraud, and so is staging an accident to gain money. but to be honest, we do have different categories of fraud. so it’s not all the same to us. every year when i have to take fraud training courses we’re always reminded that not reporting an accident is considered fraud.

there are a couple reasons why i believe it’s still important, regardless of how ridiculous consumers think it is.

1. damage just happened to two vehicles the insurance company is insuring against damage/risk. if you don’t tell your company about any damage, it opens the door to future fraud. it also doesn’t tell your insurance company the extract risk they’re taking on. that risk has just changed with the new damage.

2. driving records need to be updated! even if you hit your own vehicle you are responsible for an “at fault” accident. this needs to be reported to the repository company we all use to track accidents and claims (lexisnexis). you still caused an accident and your record should reflect that.

 

No offense to you personally, but this entire train of thought is why people DON'T report accidents involving only themselves. I completely understand why you as an insurance company would want this information. Because without it, its "potential money lost", not "potential future fraud".

 

that’s one in the same to us.

 

Having repairs done self pay doesn't really warrant the title of "fraud". If a rock chips/cracks my windshield going down the road, and I choose to go the self pay route instead of an insurance claim, am I committing fraud?

 

that’s a comprehensive claim and we are talking about accidents.

and you don’t get to dictate what is “fraud”, we do.

 

Fair enough; lets rephrase, if I have back my truck into my garage, and hit the brick wall upon entry, busting up the bumper; is it fraud if I choose to just source the bumper cap on my own and fix it?

The comprehensive claim was the same idea though; you said yourself potential money lost and fraud are the same, which was the only reason I gave that example.

 

yeah rate evasion. it’s all considered “soft fraud”. so like i said before, different category. i’ll have to screen shot the training material next year for the exact wording. but the skinny if it is - by not reporting claims, you could be gaming the system to obtain a lower (incorrect) premium.

 

Would that be auto fraud or homeowner fraud?

 

both apparently!

Oh I believe you, and I understand completely why insurance would try to regulate something like this. Just doesn't mean I, or others agree with it; but like you said, we don't make the rules, you do. I think most understand it from a business standpoint. I think the disconnect is I (not speaking for everyone) view insurance as a service that I invest in should I need it. In any event that I'm not required by law to involve my insurance, its my choice whether or not I choose to cash in on that investment. If I choose not to, why should I be penalized?

For the record, my vote was report to insurance. I just think the consumer isn't fraudulent if he chooses the self pay route.

 

Lol. "Soft fraud."

I'll softly repair my own truck if I want and my insurance company can softly get fucked.

 

Soft fraud...

Gaming the system for a lower rate... you mean paying for the damage out of pocket instead of getting screwed by higher rates for the next 3+ years.

If I had the state minimums in a bank account and could guarantee self insurance for liability then I would do that over the insurance company thieves.

Literally from a insurance company, with no mention of "soft fraud" or that it has to be reported:
When to Consider Paying for Your Repairs
There are three basic reasons that people might consider paying for their repairs themselves if a car accident occurs. If the total cost for the repairs is less than their deductible, the insurance company will not pay for the damages anyway. There is no point in filing a claim, which can increase your premiums, if the company won't pay for the damages anyhow. Secondly, if the accident does not involve another vehicle, you may want to cover the repairs yourself. Keep in mind that it is insurance fraud if you use a later accident to have repairs from an earlier accident fixed. Lastly, people who have made several insurance claims already may opt not to make a claim so that they do not lose the ability to purchase insurance, or to prevent their rates from going up even higher. https://www.general.com/articles/can-i-pay-car-repairs-without-using-my-insurance

You have earned the Ignore button.

 

I'll just chime to say that I find it funny (given the entirety of this conversation) that when I told Geico I didn't care about the damage to the truck and didn't want them to fix it... they didn't even ask to see pictures. So obviously THEY didn't care too much about documenting that damage.

In any case... Like others have said: I can see both sides of the coin here.

 

Reported.

 

In April I thought you were a dick... now I wish I'd listened

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...truts-ucas-leaf-springs.768534/#post-27441666

 

You should not try to see the world like both sides of a coin. It actually have 3 sides. Top, bottom, and perimeter.

 

Three dimensional thinking

 

Damn dude, FYI I just trolling with that first message.

 

Damn cheaters, man.

Fix the truck on the mutual account before property claims start being talked about.

Procrastinate on the van until after the divorce is finalized, and make it her problem.