Accident, no ticket, no insurance in effect

I was in an auto accident in Dec., 07. I didn't get a ticket and the police report said that I had not caused it but stated the other driver was andquot;innattentiveandquot;. I rearended them. The car was not the drivers and both driver and passenger went to the hosptital, however I don't know the extent of any injuries. I called to report the accident to my insurance co and learned that my insurance had lapsed due to nonpayment. They reinstated it the following day. One of the people in the accident now has an attorney stating that if I don't show proof of insurance, which I cannot, they will go to the state (I live in MO) and ask that my license be suspended until I pay her damages. Can this be settled w/o the state getting involved? I can't afford an attorney and AM keeping my insurance paid. Any advice would be appreciated.

Son borrowed car and let friend drive-friend hit someone

My son is a licensed driver and insured under my policy - he's 17. He used my car yesterday and, unbeknownst to me, let his friend borrow the car. The friend hit a pedestrian and sped off. When my son found out he went to the scene of the accident and called the police. I'm freaking out here. My son got a ticket for allowing someone without a proper license (the friend is 16 and has a learner's permit.) The friend was arrested. I'm worried that my insurance is not going to cover this -they have yet to return my call. I am a single mom and do not own a home and have no assets. In fact my company just closed down after 30 years and I am getting by on unemployment. I'm afraid, considering the circumstances, that my insurance will not cover this accident and I will be sued. I have no money and don't know what I'm going to do.

Does calling to discuss a claim result in premium increase?

I had a minor, single car, fender bender (more like fender scraper) incident in a rental car in February. No other cars, no police, just scraped the front bumper on the wall in a parking garage. I received claim documentation from the rental car company last week, and the bill came out to about $1500. I'm working on deciding whether to put this on my auto insurance ($500 deductable). I'm interested in what (if any) effect this would have on my premiums. Obviously, I can call my agent to talk about it, but I want to say I saw somewhere that having a conversation like this with your agent is enough to trigger an increase in premiums - regardless of whether you actually file the claim or not. Is this true? Also - what is the likelihood of my rates going up for this? I'm with Allstate, have been for about 3 or 4 years with a homeowner policy, auto policy, and an RV policy. No claims or moving violations since I've been with them. Only one auto claim and only a few moving violations (all dismissed thru defensive driving) in the 12 years before Allstate. No history of delinquent payments. Great credit score. Any thoughts are appreciated..

My insurance company says me new car is totaled...

...but I am not positive that is true. The repair quote my claims agent gave me of $7500 is nowhere near the current value of the car, according to Edmund's and KBB. I just bought this 2008 Hyundai Son*ta four months ago and it is in excellent condition. The accident is still being investigated, but it looks like it I may be faulted because I can't prove that the other driver was speeding or that the traffic light had changed (no witnesses to confirm). So there it is. What options do I have to try to convince my insurance company to repair the vehicle instead? If that doesn't work, I am WAY upside-down on this car. I made the dumb mistake of buying a vehicle outside of my means w/ a low new car APR and I didn't get GAP insurance. I know...idiot. From what I understand, this basically means I'm screwed. I absolutely need a car for work that is reliable enough to travel cross-state. Will a dealer roll my loan into a new loan? Is that an incredibly stupid thing to do? I will be going back to graduate school soon and could, potentially, pay off my balance with education loans, but that is just delaying the debt... Help! Advice? Anyone that has had a similar situation...what did you do? I've learned a lot from this experience...that much is true.

Pushed into a car driven by an operator with a Suspended DL

Looking at my options here... I got hit while stopped at a red light. The person that hit me is at fault (documented in the police report and his insurance co [State Farm] says he is 100% at fault). The force of the impact, pushed me into a car infront of me. No damage to my car, slight damage to his car. The driver of this car was cited for driving on a Suspended DL. Can I put a claim against this person's insurance co, for BI? If this person had not been driving, I would not have been pushed into them. I am guessing the driver that hit me has the minimum 25/50/20 coverage required in VA. So the most I could get is 25K, correct? I can only find out what the true coverage is ... is by suing, correct? I was diagnosed with degerative disc disease over 5 years ago and have been pain and problem free for the last 5 years. Since the accident, I am constantly in pain and had to turn on the implant I have, to help manage the pain. I have not had to use this device in over 5 years... Since the accident I am back under Doctor's care for my back and now my neck, after being release 5 years ago...

Do I have to keep getting shots that barely worked?

I got the first of 3 stellate ganglion shots today. My hopes are all but dashed out. I barely felt any relief. They say I should feel relief (if they work for me,each person is different) almost immediately. Problem is I don't believe it worked. I can only see a little difference not enough to go through what I did and now I have the worst headache of my life. Question is they told me at the Doc's office that I would have to have a series of three before they could try anything else...this is demanded by the auto insurance company. If the first don't work well chances are neither will the second so why do I have to go through this two more times? Why would the insurance company want to waste the money on something that doesn't work, not to mention the fact it will eat up what monies I have available to me for med. care?

single vehicle accident

I was driving home at 3:30am yesterday and lost control on some ice and collided with a curb and a sign post. I was near my home and was able to drive the car home (damage to the undercarriage and the right door). I have filed my police accident report (there is a few thousand dollars worth of damage because a side airbag deployed and the exhaust and connected parts were damaged by the curb). I was NOT drinking at the time or at all on Friday. My question is how does the claims process work with regards to this? Will they assume I was drunk solely because of the time of day(the police officer seemed to have this mentality and repeated questioned me about it)? if so how much will they investigate it? As I was coming back from a friend's house whom i do not know too well, and her friends even less, will I be asked to track them down?

Accident at 4 way stop(w/ stop signs), i had the right away

Hi Community, I just found this website today, and have read a few posts, everyone seems very helpful, and I am in sure need of some help. Setting: Last Friday, I was involved in an daytime accident at a 4 intersection (with stop signs in all directions) in a residential area in Southern California. There is one lane for each direction. I was traveling southbound and came to a complete stop at the intersection. There we two cars to my right, going east bound, nobody coming from the south or east. The first car proceeded to onto the intersection, which meant it was my turn to go next. As I crossed the intersection, I look to my right side, and see the second car coming at me. I was already 2/3 of the way across the intersection as she started to go. She hit my rear tire and rear fender. The lady was elderly, and she was more hysterical when we first pulled over, and kept complaining that someone had hit her just a few weeks prior and that her she just had her car fixed. I called the cops to ask them to come out and write a police report, but at the time she apologized for hitting me and that she didn't see me. The cops asked if she was complying, I said yes, so they said they did not need to come out. We both said we would call our insurance agencies that day. I had a passenger in the car, she did not. We did not have any witnesses. Post Accident: I filed the claim with my insurance company. They told me that since I did not have comprehensive insurance and only liability, I would have to have a claims adjuster from the party's insurance agency assigned to me. They called the other insurance company to notify them of the claim. I called the other party's insurance following day to find out the progress, and when I spoke to the claims adjuster, she told me that her client had claimed she had the right of way, and is claiming no fault. At this point, I was flabbergasted because she had claimed fault at the scene of the accident and now she is claiming no fault. She was not very nice at all. I asked if I could have the phone number of her client so speak to her about the situation, and she exclaimed to me that it would be considered harassment on my part. I was very friendly to her on the phone the whole duration. I called my insurance company; they escalated it to a dispute. But my insurance company said that since I donÂ't have comprehensive, they can't do anything for me, but to fight the liability issue of it. He told me that I should go to small claims. At this point, he took my recorded statement, and said he will contact the other party, or try to (since he did not her phone number). The other party's insurance agency has not even called me yet. I have a few questions to start with. 1)What are my options at this point? The damage to my car is not too severe, but I do not think it is right for her and her insurance company to get away scot-free. 2)What happens to my DMV record, if the insurance companies can't reconcile? 3)What are the insurance companies doing now? I called my dispute claims officer and left a message; he did not call back. I don't feel like he is too concerned for me, because he is not fighting for me, but rather if they have to pay the liability. 4)Related to 2, Is my insurance going to go up if this isn't reconciled? I am really grateful if you made it down this far to read all I have written. I am only a 4th year college student, and do not have the resources to hire a lawyer, any help here would be greatly appreciated, and I thank you in advance. If you have any questions for me, or need pictures, please feel free to ask, I will provide as much additional info as you need.

trying to settle inconvenience claim w/insurance co

My husband and I are in the process with the insurance co. to settle for our inconvenience claim. We were in the accident 4.11.07 I had back, neck, muscle, and sciatica pain. We couldn't do our normal activities over the summer like playing softball, camping, hiking, also the basic house keeping was difficult. We did go to chiropractic and the insurance co. is willing to pay for all my medical bills ($4,046.50) and additional $3,010.00 for my inconvenience. We told them that amount wasn't acceptable. They told us to come up with a figure my figure was pay my medical bills and additional $7,200.00 for inconvenience. They say they are unable to honor my request. My question is how can I get the figure I'm asking for or is what they are offering worth my andquot;on goingandquot; pain. My back still hurts when trying to wash my car, mow the lawn, weed the yard. And when I go walking my sciatica nerve hurts and it makes it difficult to walk.

I have three teenagers and car insurance!! UGH

OK Community...time to help out the ol' InsTeacher. I have three teenagers, a 16 yr. old daughter, a 17 yr. old son and a 19 yr. old daughter. I also have car insurance. The entire household has clean MVRs, and the 16 yr old and 17 yr. old qualify for good student rates, the 17 yr. old had driver's education. We are married, mult-car homeowner, and would like a multi-policy discount. Home has zero underwriting problems, and no HO losses ever (well, since 1989 or so). My car insurance rates suck, at least in my opinion. SO...here's the question! Do ANY OF YOU know a carrier (Pacific Northwest region) that gives decent rates for my exposure situation? 4 vehicles total, 2 full coverage/2 liability only. Carrying $500k CSL, 250/500 comp/collision deducts, UMBI @ $500k, 25k UMPD, plus the typical endorsements. All andquot;normalandquot; cars- nothing andquot;hotandquot; or collectors, etc. Hondas, Toyotas, VWs. Credit excellent, nothing on CLUE. I'm going crazy. Renewal date doesn't matter, I have no problem switching mid-term. I'm paying more than $4000 a year, and it's killing me. HELP!

Question about insurance from a European exchange student in

Hello ! I am an exchange student on F1 Visa in California and am having big problems with the DMV to to an incident that happened to me. Let me explain further : I am a student without a car (I ride bike to Uni and do all my stuff with bike) but decided to buy a car soon. I got my california license easily and prepared to save to buy a car. However in the meantime a neighbor proposed me to lend me his car because he had pity to see me bike everywhere for groceries. Remember I am 19 and HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE LAWS IN CALIFORNIA and NOBODY INFORMED ME OF ANYTHING. I accepted and drove the car to the supermarket. However one day I parked too close to one car and scratched a little bit of paint off the car (a red medium priced convertible). I discussed with the driver and told him I would pay him cash whatever he needed. I did not report the incident because I HAD NO IDEA I JHAD TO (we often settle like that in GERMANY ). However soon (1 month after)the DMV calls me and tells me to fill out a financial responsibility form for damages OVER 750 DOLLARS. I talked to the neighbor and he just said : andquot;oh my insurance doesnt cover you, work it our yourselfandquot;. (i cannt say if his insurance does cover me or not). Anyway I never thought the damages were over 750 Dollars and sent a request for hearing disputing the damages which has been approved. However then I received a letter from the insurance of the other party requesting me to pay 800 DOLLARS ! I talked with my parents over in Europe and they said andquot;just pay itandquot; and so I did. The insurance told me they would send me a release form or something and then I would be able to keep my license. HOWEVER (and here is the PROBLEM) I talked to DMV because I thought andquot;why do I need the dispute form because now I paid everythingandquot; but DMV agents told me if I CANCEL MY DISPUTE HEARING then I will certainly lose my license ! So...What should I do from now on ? I didnt cancel the dispute but paid everything to paragon insurance. (By the way, the insurance told me what had been paid for and Im not a pro but I still think it was too expensive but am not 100 percent sure). I am an HONEST student from Germany and dont want to lose my license for 4 years or I dont know how many because of a SCRATCH in the parking lot !!!! PLEASE HELP ME !!!!! Niki

2 Life insurance Headaches!

1. My mom and her live-in boyfriend of 20 years both passed away within 34 days of each other. He passed on 01/01/08 of natural causes. She was his primary beneficiary. My mom was capable of and did authorize the funeral home to be payed by the first (burial) policy. I had power of attorney over my moms affairs. She asked me to file a claim with his second life insurance co. I did so. My mom then passed away on 02/03/08. Is my moms estate the rightful beneficiary of the second policy or will it go to his brother the secondary beneficiary? 2. My mom was married to a different man in 1980. They went seperate ways but never divorced. My mom did not name a beneficiary on one of her policies. Indiana laws govern that it automatically goes to her husband. We have not seen or heard from since 1980 when they split. He physically abused my mother and her three daughters often when they where together. He is a homeless repeat sex offender in Washington State. Could I win if I contest his beneficiary claim?

Not At Fault

Hi! Today I had to swerve to the right to avoid a large car that had pulled almost completely into the right lane (which I was in) and paused in the road. I would have hit the driver's side door of the car, but instead I swerved to my right and went around the car, avoiding it. I did however, cause severe damage to my car by running into a ditch and probably totaled my vehicle. The other driver's car was not touched. The cops did not give either of us a ticket, but I think he absolutely should have cited the other driver for pulling into the road. I also have witnesses who told the cop that I he was so far into the road I would have hit him had I not swerved. Anyway, because no one was given a ticket, my insurance company says I am responsible to pay my deductible, and the damage is not even worth it to fix the car. I felt that I avoided a tremendously dangerous situation, but I am being penalized. Is there anything I can do to recoup the money for my car or to appeal this situation?

uninsured, underinsured auto insurance

Redoing my auto insurance through State Farm in PA. I am increasing my uninsured and underinsured coverage to $250,000 for each individual and $500,000 for each accident (I am doing this on both of the cars my wife and I own) and my agent advised me to andquot;stackandquot; the coverages. As I understand it that would essentially allow me to double each coverage ($500,000 individual and $1,000,000 for each accident) because I would be able to use the coverage from each car if I needed. The problem for me is the cost is so high and I already have what State Farm calls andquot;Qandquot; coverage for a million $ to pay for medical expenses and medically related costs in case of a debilitating accident, so I view this andquot;stackingandquot; as almost a double coverage I don't really need. I want to be covered in case of a debilitating accident (my wife does a good bit of driving for her job and we really depend on two salaries to pay for our living exspenses) but I feel this is overkill. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

vandalism

my truck was keyed two weeks ago so i called the police and got a report. they told me to go and get and estimate so the can attach it to the report. so i went to the local body shop where the told me that allstate does there on estimates. so i went home and reported the claim and the set me up with an appointment with the adjuster. The adjuster wrote an estimate and took pictures and did what he needed to do, he said the only thing yet to do is give a recorded statement over the phone. So i assumed that was it. Prior to this happening i was car shopping. i now that i found a car that i wanted i figured that since the truck i am driving is 11 years old that it would not be worth painting. So i trade it in for a new car. So the next day i get a call and he asks fo the statement after thats done they tell me that allstate cant close the claim until they contact the police officer and take a second look at the truck. About a week before this happened i informed allstate that i am switching insurance companies so i dont know if they think this is a fraudulent case.

Wife got rear-ended at a light

Hi there, I've had a great couple of hours reading back through the archives at all of the stories and advice - seems like you guys are very helpful. Last week my wife and 5 month old were stopped at a red light in Oregon and got rear-ended by a Pontiac Grand Prix. The impact pushed her (1st impact) into a minivan, and that into a Grand Cherokee. Mitigating factors were time of day (the sun is directly in view in the evening there) and so the driver at fault was not cited but is still being held liable. Her insurance company (Allied/Nationwide) has talked to enough people (everyone but the occupants of the Jeep who got an attorney) to accept liability for the accident. My wife and son have both gone to the doctor's and been checked out, and both seem to be doing alright - my wife had a bump on her head and still has some neck soreness and the baby appears to be fine. My wife has also had a few headaches this last weekend, which may or may not be related. Our car however is probably totaled - it's a 2000 Ford Contour with 102,000 miles. The impact completely took off the rear bumper, both rear quarter panels and damaged the frame in the back where the bumper attaches. There is also minor damage to the front bumper. The cost of the damage and total value of the car are still being assessed, but my insurance adjuster (USAA) said I should be looking around for new cars. Hopefully that's enough background, on to the questions! First off - the Allied agent was here today and had a settlement offer for my wife and son. Allied has already agreed to pay (separate from any settlement) to replace the three car seats that were in the car, our medical deductible that USAA will want from us, and are providing a rental vehicle for the duration. Now for the settlement they are offering $250 for my son's pain and suffering and $350 for my wife's, with an additional medical allowance of any reasonable care, up to $3000 for the next month (for wife only). We don't really think that anything is seriously wrong with them, but are there any additional medical problems that could crop up down the road that we should be thinking of before signing? We don't want to be greedy car victims, but we don't want to be stuck with unpaid medical bills later on either. We have a month to accept this offer, after which she says they'll need additional proof of things (she called this an early settlement). So far I've been happy working with the insurance agent, but I also realize that her job is to save the company as much money as possible. Next question: how can I find out how much my car is worth, and how do I factor in things like snow tires and recent repairs? The tires that are on it now are literally brand new - I bought them the Saturday before the accident (which was Wednesday). It also has an upgraded radio, new speakers, and recent engine work. I'm worried that I'll be given their appraisal of my car's value and an offer to replace it and be forced to buy something in a hurry or start paying for the car rental myself out of pocket. It seems like there should be some way to claim andquot;pain and sufferingandquot; for the inconvenience of having to buy a car when it wasn't your fault that you need another one... Oh well, thanks in advance for the help, and let me know if you need any additional information. -Brian

Can someone get a money judgement against me?

Dear all, nice to have found this forum. I have a serious question that I need your advise. I was involved in a car accident recently and there were severe damage on my car and the other driver's car, the other driver also reported severe personal injury to both my insurance company and their own insurance company. I am thinking at I may be at-fault, but need to wait for adjuster's final investigation. I have full insurance coverage, my liability coverage for personal injury is 30000 per person and 60000 per accident and my liability coverage for car damage is 25000. But the other driver hired a lawyer saying that my liability coverage for both personal injury and car damage will not be enough, I think they are planning to sue me and ask for a lot of money, I am worried if they could get a money judgement against me and execute against my property, I have bank accounts, salaries, and a house under my name and my title, will they be able to get additional money from me by execute against my bank accounts, salaries, my house? Thank you.

I dont know what to do if anything....?

Over three months ago my Rav4 slid into the rear tire of a Ford F150 due to the driver's inability to stop in the snow. I live in CO and it was determined to be her fault so all the damages and a rental car were covered by her insurance, GEICO. The body shop took over a month to actually tow my car from my home to the shop and then it sat in the shop for a little over two more months before it was finally finished just this last Wednesday. Luckily, GEICO has been pretty good about their coverage and I have not had to pay anything. The body shop is my problem though... When I got my car back the gas tank was TOTALLY empty, it usually takes a little over 12 gallons when my car's light is on this time it took over 13 gallons to fill it up. I know this is trivial, but my car was not out of gas when it got towed to the shop and furthermore, where was it driven to? I would have let this minor thing slide had it not been for the fact that the very first day of having my car back it began to make a horrible, gravelly grinding sound every time we applied the brakes. I took it to the body shop and they claimed that its just wear and tear and I probably need new brakes. Sure enough, 400$ later I needed new brakes and rotors. My car was due for new brake pads when it went into the shop but there was no noise of any sort coming from my brakes when we got into this accident. I want to know what happened to my car for the two months it sat at the shop!!! Every week that I called I got a different story about when it would all be done and no one but the one guy assigned to me was ever able to tell me anything about the status of my car. Last Friday, when I called to check on my car for the umpteenth time, I was informed that the guy assigned to my claim was andquot;...no longer with the company...andquot; and then, miraculously, three days later my car is done. Long letter I know, but do I have any rights here? Is there any recourse that I can take? I have heard horror stories so of course my mind is reeling...any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Friend driving jumped curb, possibly totalled my car

Hello - Recently, a friend was driving my car - I was in the passenger seat - he started driving like a jack-ass, skidded and jumped a curb. He is kind of an idiot, but so am I for letting him drive. He has taken reponsibility, and was working on having it fixed on his dime, but it looks like the damage to suspension etc is enough to effectively total the car. Although he is willing to pay a fair price for the car, I don't want to wipe him out financially. Should I just contact my insurance and explain the situation? The accident occured two weeks ago, will this present any problems? There is no police report since we were able to drive back to his house, and only later realized the extent of the damage. No injuries, no other property damage, no other people/cars involved at all. Any advice? I have a great driving record, and although he has offered to pay for increased insurance costs (which will be difficult to determine exactly) I don't want the this black mark on my record. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - M

Disability Insurance

MY HUSBAND BECAME BLIND WITH RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA IN BOTH EYES WHEN HE WAS 43 YEARS OLD. HE HAD GOOD VISION FOR YEARS AND ONE DAY HE WAS BLIND. HE HAD TO APPLY FOR DISABILITY FROM SOCIAL SECURITY.SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY GIVE TO HIM ONLY 643,00 A MONTH. MY HUSBAND HAVE NOT INSURANCE WHEN HE BECAME BLIND. MY FAMILY UNTIL TODAY HELP US TO PAY THE BILLS HERE. MY HUSBAND WRITE AND SPEAKS ENGLISH VERY WELL AND HE USED TO MAKE MORE THAN A 1000,00 FOR WEEK IN THE PAST. I THINK IS NECESSARY TO THINK IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THE PRESENT BECAME PAST AND TODAY IS THE BEST TIME TO THINK IN THE FUTURE WITH DISABILITY INSURANCE BECAUSE IS SAFE. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GIVEN ENOUGH MONEY TO DISABILITY PEOPLE. BELIEVE ME OR NOT JUST 6 MONTHS AGO THEY CANCELED OUR FOOD STAMPS HERE. I DONT WORK ANYMORE BECAUSE I HAD TO TAKE CARE OF MY HUSBAND(BLIND AND VERY MENTALLY ILL) AND I THINK EVERY DAY AND NIGHT HERE THAT IF MY FAMILY DIDNT HELP US... ANOTHER THING THAT I'M VERY HAPPY IS BECAUSE I HAD FOUND SO MANY FANTASTIC PEOPLE HERE.THESE PEOPLE ARE ANGELS. THANKS GOD!!!

Insurance Fraud

Hi , My husband was backing out of a driveway and saw a truck coming down the street kind of fast. He decided to go up the driveway again to let the truck go through. Th etruck decided not to wait and squeezed themselves through anyway. He ended up scratching my rear bumper ( about half an inch) and doing some damage to his door. We called the police since he was being so dramatic saying we had hit him. The police said there was not enough damage to file a police report ( it has to be more thank $750 in damage ) We still exchanged info. He ende up reporting the andquot; accident andquot; to his and our insurance. The adjuster came out and took pictures of our vehicle. We tried renewing our insurance a year later and found out my husband was being held responsible for the accident.They paid the guys $1560 for damages. I cant believe they paid him that amount when the cops said it wasn't even 750 worth of damages to either vehicle. No one ever told us we were at fault. Now they are trying to make us pay $150 more a month for car insurance . Can they put you at fault without ever doing a proper investigation ?

How to settle car insurance claim?

Hi, my hysband had an accidenta few months ago and we had no insurance at that time. It was cancelled since we missed payment. We are in very bad situation financially. The other insurance co. sent us a letter asking for $3900 not sure how they come up with that amt. The car tt got hit is minor hit on the side. They threaten to send it to the attorney for collection and revoke my husband driving priviledges and report him to public safety. I have sent them letter like the one in this forum to settle for less but they did not want to settle. In fact they reply the letter and ask my husband to sign the promissory note to confirm the debt he owe for $3900 and return it within asap. I also asked for the appraisal / how did they come up with that amount but they never inform us. My questions are can we settle the amt for less, how to do it? If i choose to make payment i do not know how long it takes since we hardly have money left after bills, How to ask how did they come up with the amt? and usually will they provoke the DL if they report it to public safety? Thank you !! I really appreciate any help !!

Cash pay-out

I'll try to make this as short as possible. I'm the victim of a parking lot rear end accident. The guy who hit me has admitted all liability. I've gotten an estimate at a shop of my choosing. His insurance company (AAA) sent out to my house an independent appraiser. She did her report but failed to include pictures of the most expensive damage (There's a difference of $500.00 comparing her report and the body shop that I took my car to). After I received the appraisers estimate I called AAA and they said that if I wanted a cash pay-out I would be the one responsible for getting the proof that the part the appraiser 'conveniently' left out was really damaged. This would be at MY expense. AAA, says that my bumper has to be completely dismantled to prove this. I say, BULL!!! U see, the problem is, it's my car that got hit. If the other party has admitted all liability I shouldn't have to pay a dime, not to mention that it's none of AAA's business if I get the car fixed or not. Am I right? BTW, Totaling the car out is not an option seeing as though it's worth much more than the damage caused. This is not in dispute. I live in California. Thanx in advance.

How to protect my assets as an underinsured motorist

My husband, daughter and I were involved in an accident last August 11, 2007 in Nebraska on our way home to Colorado. All of us ( including the other driver) walked away uninjured. The other driver stated he was fine. No ambulance was called. My husband lost control of the vehicle and it is a miracle we survived. The accident was my hubbies fault. We received a letter from our insurance company stating that there may be a demand for more than our policy covers. ($50,000) Upon contacting the Insurance Company (Shelter) they stated the other motorist has retained a very high powered attorney. The attorney has asked for our policy limits. The claims adjuster feels he may be trying to get underinsured motorist to kick in. He has $12,000 in injury claims so far. The other motorist is very obese and is a diabetic and is claiming an eye problem due to the accident . The adjuster feels this was a pre-existing problem and has requested his last 10 years of medical records. I AM SCARED TO DEATH. Is there anyway to legally protect our assets from him. My husband is the sole income for our family. We have no savings and some equity in our home. My hubby was seriously injured last winter on his way to work falling on all of the ice we had in Denver. ( Compound fracture requiring surgery) he also is scheduled for a hip transplant this summer. I worry about my daughter's future if we end up with a judgment against us. Thanks for any advice or help you can offer.