State Farm won't pay for car damage

[vizzz]

Hi I have insurance with State Farm, while my boyfriend and I were at the beach a car fell off a tow truck, rolled down the hill from a stop light at the top of our street and hit my car. My neighbor told us that she saw it all happen, she was in her front yard at the time. The guy hitched the car back on and drove off.

We took my car to a body shop recommended by state farm. The shop called and said we had to pay the $500 deductible and they would repair all damages. We kept calling to check in on the car and finally got an update that they had repaired part of the damages but had stopped because State Farm was opening an investigation. Then we received a notice from state farm that their appraiser had said the damages do not all appear to be from the same accident and they would just be repairing the bumper.

I'm not sure what to do, I work from home, barely drive my car right now but had it serviced recently and see it daily so I know there was no damage before this accident.

I'm so confused why they won't fix it. Should I be taking pictures of my car daily in case there is damage to prove that it wasn't like that before? I have talked to several reps and a supervisor at state farm but they said this is their final decision and there is nothing else they can do.

What are my next steps here? The damages were all from the accident but if I were to bring my own appraiser out the car is currently in the shop halfway fixed.

[h4]Coverage Details[/h4]

A - Liability CoverageBodily Injury Limits

Each Person, Each Accident

$25,000 $50,000

Property Damage Limit

Each Accident

$50,000

D - Comprehensive Coverage$100 Deductible

G - Collision Coverage$500 Deductible

H - Emergency Road Service CoverageU - Uninsured Motor Vehicle CoverageBodily Injury Limits

Each Person, Each Accident

$25,000 $50,000

U1 - Uninsured Motor Vehicle Property Damage Coverage

Update -In a surprising turn of events the repair shop guy has changed his story and agrees that the damage is all from the same accident it appears. State Farm is requesting the statement from our neighbor now. It’s been crazy dealing with this, our local agent said the company has changed a lot this year and this is not the only case like this he’s dealing with, he said he’d be willing to testify if we brought it to court.

 

[ireneleevn]

@vizzz Just a secondary note, not related to your question, your liability limits are WAY too low. Consider reviewing this with your agent.

 

[resjudicata]

@ireneleevn Second this. You're asking for major trouble by saving a very few bucks for state minimum liability. Bump it up to at least 100/300. It won't cost much more

 

[connorsneddon]

@vizzz Something the estimator saw didnt match with the other damage and your presented facts of loss. They’ll send you a letter explaining the results of their inspection, the damage in question, and the reason why they believe it isnt covered. Your own appraiser wont help unless they can somehow prove its all related. Maybe speak to a couple first and ask for opinions.

 

[tka_tn]

@vizzz What was the point of impact on both cars involved? What damages did you tell State Farm your car sustained? Did your neighbor provide a statement? What is the damage specifically that State Farm is willing to cover? What is the damage they are not covering?

 

[vizzz]

@tka_tn Not sure about the other car, there was damage along the left back side from the back passenger door to the bumper. I told them something along those lines. Neighbor did not provide a statement but I can get that if it could help. They fixed the rear bumper, lamps, body and floor but don’t want to fix the rocket pannel or anything below it because they said it’s too low to the ground and wouldn’t have been impacted. They advised that I would need to open up a separate claim for the lower body damage because they believe it’s from a separate accident.

 

[tka_tn]

@vizzz Did your neighbor ever state what kind of vehicle hit your car? Also, her statement to State Farm might have been helpful in the beginning of the claim.

 

[hocachepkoi]

@vizzz You need to ATLEAST quadruple your liability limits. That is honestly much more important than fixing a damaged bumper

 

[vizzz]

@hocachepkoi Thanks I’ll look into this. I think I’m going to cancel this policy but will do more research this time around.

 

[hocachepkoi]

@vizzz Awesome, I would recommend 100/300/100 liability limits at a minimum. You definitely want to make sure you are covered in the event that you injure someone. Best of luck.

 

[wayne15]

@hocachepkoi Thanks for noting this - I just changed mine. You guys are awesome for giving out advice

 

[resjudicata]

@vizzz The appraisers here will give you a second opinion if you post a pic of the damage.