Tag: insurance claim

When is a New Car Covered by Your Insurance Policy?

Sheri and I were returning to Dallas after visiting family in Birmingham for Thanksgiving. A friend and client called me on my cell phone. Since it was Saturday, that usually means a couple of things such as they need help with a claim or a copy of their ID card because they’re getting their car inspected. In this case, it was neither, she was in the process of buying a new car, and before driving off the lot with her new car, the finance manager wanted to confirm she has a current and active car insurance policy.

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The Tree, 3 Cars, & the Insurance Claim

The straight line winds that struck Dallas last week sheared limbs from trees and blew a lot of trees over. Some had their trunks snapped while others were simply pushed over exposing their roots by the 75 plus mile per hour winds. When the trees fell, they landed harmlessly on a person’s yard, or they landed on the homes they shaded, cars parked in the driveway, or other structures. Seeing the destruction a tree can cause, I was reminded of a claim I saw early in my career.

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BFF Wrecks Your Car. Who’s Car Insurance Pays?

You and three of your best friends are headed to the Texas Hill country for a weekend to get away and catch up with each other. You’ve been looking forward to it for weeks! It’s been a very long week with late nights to wrap up a project before heading out of town and you’re tired. You ask one of your friends to drive your car while you rest. They accidentally clip another car while passing. No one got hurt, but it’s your friend’s fault and your car.

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File a Car Insurance Claim or Accept Direct Payment?

A client called me last week with a question about how to handle something. Her teen had been in a little accident with an adult, and it was the adult’s fault. The good news is the teen was unhurt and the damage to her car was minimal; the bumpers simply rubbed together. According to the body shop the client visited, they could either remove, sand, and repaint the bumper or replace it. The difference in cost was minimal.

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Hail Claims and Roofers

One of my clients in Frisco, Texas sent me an email last weekend. Her family’s home is located in a neighborhood that was struck by hail, some of it measuring between baseball and softball size. A flurry of roofers showed up in their neighborhood and began knocking on doors to solicit business and my client wanted to know if she should file a hail claim.

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Dealership Totals Your Car: Whose Insurance Claim is it?

John Hooper’s story hit the internet last week. He was the proud owner of a 580 horse power 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. John took his Camaro to the local dealership, First State Chevy in Georgetown, Delaware, for warranty work on an issue with the car’s paint. One of the dealership’s employees took his car for an unauthorized joy ride on a Sunday in December when the dealer was closed.

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Avoid A Holiday Car Break In

The Thanksgiving meal is over and the shopping season is beginning. Are you going to join the throngs of shoppers and brave the malls to find the perfect gifts for family, friends and loved ones? If so, let’s consider a question and reminder that can make this holiday season more enjoyable and help reduce your likelihood of being victimized.

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The Insurance Claim Letter

Several months ago, a friend of mine called. Tom, not his real name, and his buddy had traveled to San Antonio for a guy’s trip a couple of weekends earlier. Tom drove through a construction zone where there was a lane shift followed by a traffic light. Based on the location of the light, he mistakenly thought he was supposed to stop about 40 yards away. He ended up passing through the intersection and was struck by a car that had a green light. It was his fault.

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