WOT: Changed the title to the Big Story!, The big stupid insurance company vs the lil guy. This is very long...L Options

[rick 918-S]

Last October My youngest son was riding his bike to school. It was snowy and sloppy and his brakes failed as he approched an intersection. He was on the sidewalk riding against traffic. The light turned red for him but he couldn't stop. The car waiting at the light started off. Although the driver of the car my son hit had the right of way she never bothered to look to see if anyone was coming.

So, I'm not arguing my son was mostly in the wrong. Hey, His brakes failed. Here's my beef. The woman stated at the scene she was not going to turn in a claim as she had lots of other damage on her car.

So, she then turns in a claim to her insurance company, that's fine, she's entitled, however were not notified until the end of January and then it's by a collection agency. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

The douch at the collection agency comes off as a total prick. He has no clue who he's talking to. He's arging with me about the facts and telling me I shoould just turn this into my home owners insurance. I tell hime to send a proper subrogation demand. He faxes over the estimate I attached here. $ 2000.00! caused by a bike! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) The photo that came through the fax machine was a black blob.

I contacted the woman's insurance company. To make a long story short I insisted we have the opportunity to settle the damage in good faith. Eventually the insurance rep canned the collection agancy douch bag and sent the photos I attached here.

As you can see the woman is attempting to claim the prior damage she has on her car. Remeber the damage she told my son she already had...

My son, seeing the pending collision turned to the right and hit the quarter panel with his left shoulder. His bike went down and he flew over the trunk lid and landed on the ground behind the car.

So the damage to the rear door and specially the front door was not caused by my son. I confronted the claims rep about this. She is standing her ground and is attempting to charge us full tilt based on her insured word. I ended up going to the rep's supervisor. He asked me to submit what I felt was caused by my son.

Now, Here's what I need. I need a print out showing what is an included and not included operation with regard to refinish time.

Example, I am going to write an estimate for the repair to the quarter panel only. No blend time, masking the rear window, masking the rear bumper.

I know as part of the refinish time, "color tint time" is included. I need this printed out and faxed to me. In the old school crash guides there was an included and not included operation section. I know computer driven software estimating systems have the same thing.
12 hrs on the quarter panel is funny time. In the real world that's a 6 hr repair. I the spirit of settling things, I will give them the funny time.

Oh, and in discussing the estimate with the insurance rep, She agreed that "body pull" was a fraudulent charge. No shit!

My son ended up with a wrecked left shoulder that day. He was on his way to his jury. He's a musician and it was finals week. He ended up on the Dean's Lists. But was so sore a week later he went in for an xray. He's better now but still has some mild pain from time to time. Good thing he's young.

[7TPorsh]

Insurance companies suck...people suck. I don't know how old your son is but the part that bothers me moest is;

" My youngest son was riding his bike to school. It was snowy and sloppy".

Why is he riding a bike to school if it's snowing??

[ConeDodger]

Insurance companies suck...people suck. I don't know how old your son is but the part that bothers me moest is;

" My youngest son was riding his bike to school. It was snowy and sloppy".

Why is he riding a bike to school if it's snowing??

People ride mountain bikes to school and work in MPLS in the snow and rain all the time. This is not unusual behaviour. These are tougher people than you can probably imagine. Where he erred was in being on the sidewalk instead of the street as bikes do not belong on sidewalks however, if there was plowed snow along the roadway, riding on the road would have been a suicidal act in my opinion.

[7TPorsh]

True, maybe California has softened me up. I used to walk and ride my bike to school in 3rd grade in Boston.

Nowadays being a parent in today's world, i can't imagine my son or daughter going to school on their own (before high school)...even on a beautiful sunny day.

Times have changed.