QUOTE(Toast @ Sep 4 2006, 09:02 PM)
I was looking more towards a company that deals promptly and somewhat fairly (we all know that claims are not all fair) with accident claims. Unfortunalty, I seem to get hit alot.
I had Mercury last. It took them a year to settle the claim, in which they never informed me of. I had to find out from an inside source. And it was in the other party's favor.
Well - I can tell you about my experience with Allstate. I got sideswiped by a San Francisco muni bus that decided to drag race me from a stop light from a bus stop he was stopped at.
I actually was going to have the damage fixed myself when MUNI (army of full time lawyers) decided it was my fault and I needed to pay them. I filed a claim with Allstate (filed it online - on their website). They called me twice and took long recorded statements from me regarding what happened. THey then went lawyer to lawyer for a few months. I got the car fixed - it cost ~$1030 - and I have a $1000 deducatable. Basically MUNI took fault, but not liability and Allstate wasn't willing to go to court over their loss of $30. So - mixed result. I didn't have to pay for the bus, and there was no adjustment in my rate, since Allstate didn't believe it was my fault. Their staff have always been prompt, professional, and available with the exception of the attourney that handled the case right at the end, who I never did actually get in contact with (I left a message for him which he failed to return).
I don't really feel like I got shafted - I was kind of relying on them for free legal advice (i.e. fighting the legal battle) - and it just wasn't worth it for them for $30. I do wish I'd filed the claim when it first happened and not tried to avoid taking it to the insurance altogether.
Your milage (and damage
) may vary.