Experience with Insurance Agents

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Turkey Trot

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Experience with Insurance Agents[/h3] We have been in business almost 10 years and have been doing insurance through one of the big name companies all that time...and paying hefty premiums as well, even though we never had any claim whatsoever. This year, we heard about a "great" company that was recently licensed to write policies in Virginia. The premium for the policy came in at 50% less than the big name, so we switched over to the new one.
Apparently, about 10PM last night we had a neighborhood teenager slip at the top of a hill at the edge of our property, tumble down and do a full gainer across a knee-high stone wall in our back yard. First we new was when the Rescue Squad ambulance driver came to the door to see if they could use our driveway to get closer to the prostrate teenager in our back yard. Long story short...the Squad boarded her, stabalized her neck and took the teen to the hospital about 11:30 PM and I sat down to figure out what I should do.
First thing this morning, I called the Insurance company and got the answering machine which gave an emergency contact number. Called that and recounted the events with the head agent. First comment from him was, "Well, we'll have to get a look at it and see if you have ben negligent. If you have, we don't do anything. If not, then you'll have coverage. That is what insurance is for. Call the office on Monday and submit a report."
Well, I was pretty dumbfounded. They and the insurance company's inspector/rep have both done on-site inspections and made no observations/recommendations on any hazards they thought we should address/correct or whatever, or which would constitute negligence if we did not take action. To be greeted with what came across as a "Alert the office; how can we avoid paying..." comment left me cold and wondering what others have experienced. Big expensive company we left had a good reputation of customer service/orientation, but the prices jumped higher every year. I did not get a warm fuzzy from this contact with my current company and am wondering what others have encountered when reporting incidents to their insurance companies.
 
From what you described, I am trying to figure out how you could be held responsible for anything in the first place.
As to insurance companies, I left the Big Boy several years ago when the premium went through the roof. I have never had a claim on either company and with luck will never have to find out how either would handle a claim.
I agree that you were given a crappy answer, one that would have me writing a letter to customer retention with an "earfull".
 
I am sorry to hear about the incident and hope that all will work out in your favor.
Have you thought about that the Teen was trespassing and had no business on your property anyways? Maybe that could be a good point of defense in case they would ask for damages.
We have been with our insurance company since 1994 and never had a problem, even when my son got rub over by a snowmachine, they paid all costs no questions asked. Then we only had car insurance, later we purchased the house and added that. I was glad to hear that they also offered insurance for B&B's, so we stuck with them.
Their premiums seem to go up too, but only 2-5 dollars every few years.
 
From what you described, I am trying to figure out how you could be held responsible for anything in the first place.
As to insurance companies, I left the Big Boy several years ago when the premium went through the roof. I have never had a claim on either company and with luck will never have to find out how either would handle a claim.
I agree that you were given a crappy answer, one that would have me writing a letter to customer retention with an "earfull"..
How many thieves stuck in chimneys or falling on slippery sidewalks have sued the homeowner and won? Too many. Whatever the kid was doing, I'm betting the parents see big bucks in her falling on a business property. Unless they are decent people.
 
From what you described, I am trying to figure out how you could be held responsible for anything in the first place.
As to insurance companies, I left the Big Boy several years ago when the premium went through the roof. I have never had a claim on either company and with luck will never have to find out how either would handle a claim.
I agree that you were given a crappy answer, one that would have me writing a letter to customer retention with an "earfull"..
How many thieves stuck in chimneys or falling on slippery sidewalks have sued the homeowner and won? Too many. Whatever the kid was doing, I'm betting the parents see big bucks in her falling on a business property. Unless they are decent people.
.
Like the classic case where the guy was breaking in to the school, fell through the skylight, became a paraplegic, sued the school district from jail - and WON!
 
From what you described, I am trying to figure out how you could be held responsible for anything in the first place.
As to insurance companies, I left the Big Boy several years ago when the premium went through the roof. I have never had a claim on either company and with luck will never have to find out how either would handle a claim.
I agree that you were given a crappy answer, one that would have me writing a letter to customer retention with an "earfull"..
How many thieves stuck in chimneys or falling on slippery sidewalks have sued the homeowner and won? Too many. Whatever the kid was doing, I'm betting the parents see big bucks in her falling on a business property. Unless they are decent people.
.
Like the classic case where the guy was breaking in to the school, fell through the skylight, became a paraplegic, sued the school district from jail - and WON!
.
I remember that story...what in the world was the judge thinking???
It is really sad what the world has come to
 
After seeing everything that insurance companies did after a major Hurricane to get out of paying claims, I am not confident in even the big boys anymore. We housed quite a few adjusters and listening to them just made me boil. One most important thing you can do before signing a policy is to read the fine print. If you do not understand everything, ask for clairification in WRITING. If you have not made any changes since the inspector was there that could be questionable in this accident, they should cover you. When we filed our claim, the adjuster was very careful to say he was not sure if this or that was covered...I procedded to follow behind him with my policy 'book' quoting it and saying it needed to be listed.
You were wise to call as you never know if this will turn into something or not. And as Bree pointed out, it does not matter if they were invited guests or traspassing, if they file, they can prevail. (But traspassing can be used in a method of defense, they were not given permission to be there.)
Let's just all hope you do not have any issues with this matter...
 
Sorry to hear about this. Please keep us updated on this story and how you deal with it.
 
After seeing everything that insurance companies did after a major Hurricane to get out of paying claims, I am not confident in even the big boys anymore. We housed quite a few adjusters and listening to them just made me boil. One most important thing you can do before signing a policy is to read the fine print. If you do not understand everything, ask for clairification in WRITING. If you have not made any changes since the inspector was there that could be questionable in this accident, they should cover you. When we filed our claim, the adjuster was very careful to say he was not sure if this or that was covered...I procedded to follow behind him with my policy 'book' quoting it and saying it needed to be listed.
You were wise to call as you never know if this will turn into something or not. And as Bree pointed out, it does not matter if they were invited guests or traspassing, if they file, they can prevail. (But traspassing can be used in a method of defense, they were not given permission to be there.)
Let's just all hope you do not have any issues with this matter....
Let's just all hope you do not have any issues with this matter...
Hear! Hear! I think we are all hoping for that as the outcome.
 
Sorry to hear about this. Please keep us updated on this story and how you deal with it..
Thanks, everyone, for your comments. We will keep posting on this as it plays out. Best news of the day is that the young lady was discharged and sent home about 4AM this morning. Felt I needed to keep track of developments, so went over to see her and her mother this afternoon. Both were apologetic for all the turmoil and promised there would be no more shortcut taking through our property. That is a tad reassuring, but a short talk with an a split the winnings attorney could turn it all on its head in no time flat.
Now, I'm wondering if the bigger issue for us is whether we will have to post no traspassing signs all the way around our 2 acres lot. Is that what we will have to do demonstrate that we have taken strong action to ward off repeats and not be negilent for failing to post the signs. Being in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood circled by lots of other homeowners's back yards, putting up a bunch of signs certainly would not bode well for good neighbor relations. Guess I will kick that squarely into the lap of the insurance rep I spoke with this morning.
.
 
Was the company you switched to the one that came down here from PA? They kept trying to get me to see their rep. I wonder how many he talked into switching. Please let me know how this ended. What bad service!
I stayed with mine which is a local VA company.
RIki
 
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