Q
I thought this scratch was worse than it was, so I reported it to my insurance company. I then called back and canceled the claim. However, they didn’t remove it from my record and it is listed as a collision with no money paid.
Does anyone know if I can get this off my record and if not, what records will it show up on?
Thanks.
A
The sad fact is that every insurance company has a different policy for what constitutes an “accident” and how it is reflected on your insurance coverage. Some companies in this scenario will promptly remove the “accident” from your record if there are no claims, the collision wasn’t your fault and the damage truly was trivial. Other companies, like yours apparently, insist an “accident” is an “accident” and will continue to carry it in your customer history even if there is no claim and even if the accident was not your fault. The key thing is to find out if your company is charging you an additional premium for this “accident”. If not, at least this listing in your history isn’t costing you money. On the other hand, if the “accident” is resulting in higher premiums I don’t blame you one bit for trying to get it removed from your history. Contact the carrier and see if there is any procedure for removing this from your record. If they will remove it, great. If not, you may be stuck with it so long as you remain with that company.
Your best remedy in this scenario is to always remember that you can “Vote with Your Feet”. What I mean by this, is that it’s a free world and if your insurance company isn’t treating you properly, at renewal time seek competitive quotes from other insurance carriers. Remember: insurance carriers are dying to get your business so often times one carrier will offer promotions to attract new customers. With that said, when you go to get insurance be VERY CAREFUL to make sure that you are purchasing all of the particular types of coverage that are essential to have proper coverage (e.g. in my book that means a MINIMUM of Liability limits of $250,000/$500,000 and SUM (supplementary under/uninsured coverage of $250,000/$500,000).
Good luck!
Jim
_________________________________________
James B. Reed, Esq.
Personal Injury & Malpractice Attorney
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William St., Elmira, NY 14901
Tel. (607) 733‑8866 Fax. (607) 732‑6062
Toll Free 1–800-943‑3529
mailto:jreed@zifflaw.com http://www.zifflaw.com
Read my N.Y. Injury Blog at http://www.NYInjuryLawBlog.com
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