Pay bill after reared car?

[hongshen78]

Case Help.

Several weeks ago, my wife reared neighbor's car and at that time we gave them our insurance card and asked them to contact insurance.
Today, the neighbor reached to us and gave us a bill they got from lease car company. He said they leased car and had no time to contact insurance company. They returned the car and leased car company sent them a bill of $1400. They wanted us to pay the bill.

In this case, is this their responsibility to reach insurance to file a claim? If they choose not to do so, do we have the responsibility to pay the bill?

 

[adjusterjack]

Are you trying to get your insurance cancelled?

You were supposed to notify your insurance company of the accident YOURSELF and let the company handle any contacts with the claimant.

Now you've jeopardized your insurance company's right to investigate and defend and you could lose your insurance over it for failing to comply with the policy requirements.

Call your insurance company right now. There's probably a 24 hour claim phone number in your policy papers so you can call now and report it. Then turn the bill over to the claim rep when you get a response.

Meantime, if your neighbor asks, just say your insurance is handling it and they will be contacted. Then stop talking.

Now sit down and read the part of your policy that says Duties After a Loss.

 

[Betty3]

You/your wife should have notified your car ins. co. of the accident. Do it now. (Even when in an accident where you believe you are not at fault, you should notify your car ins. co. of the accident. In this case though, it seems as if your wife is at fault.) It always your responsibility to notify your own car ins. co. of any accident.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Quite frankly, if you're the one that has the contractual relationship with your own insurance company I have no idea why you would believe that the victim of the accident rather than the person who is insured (that would be you and your wife) and who caused the accident (ditto) would be responsible to call your insurance company.

In addition to the good advice given above, I'll be the bearer of some bad news. In the event your insurance company doesn't pay for the damages, you'd be personally responsible to pay your neighbor for the damage done to the rear ended car.

I find that the best way to handle issues like these is to put yourself in the shoes of the other party. Would you think it's fair to lose all rights to compensation if you don't call your neighbor's insurance company for an accident your neighbor caused? You'd probably be very upset and say something like "but if they caused the damages and it's their insurance company and they owe me compensation for the damages and inconvenience, why would I be responsible to have to do all the work and be further inconvenienced on top of that too?" This should be obvious. And it answers so many of these types of questions. Do unto others...

 

[txls]

And besides all of that, you really don't want your insurance company opening claims from just anybody who calls and claims that you were at fault. You want them to hear from you!

 

[Michael Wechsler]

And besides all of that, you really don't want your insurance company opening claims from just anybody who calls and claims that you were at fault. You want them to hear from you!

Sadly this reflects the "well the money isn't coming out of my pocket so whatever you guys decide is fine with me" approach. Not a good one.