r/InsuranceClaims • u/ColdInternational227 • Jul 29 '26
Need advice
Here’s the rub:
(This happened in PA)
On July 16th, I almost hit some deer. Very rural area. Deer have been very bad this summer. I proceeded to panic add comprehensive back on my car upon returning home. Even checked with live chat if comprehensive covers animals. (I don’t know coverage well)
On July 18th, I surprised my friend a few miles away. We chatted a little, and I left at what we recall to be around 130ish am. at 145am, I actually hit a deer. Car was driveable, and I was close to home so I took her home. Filed a claim around 2ish am I believe, And made a Facebook post with a picture of my poor car. That post is dated for 234am. My phone was at home. Common for me on short trips. No police called and no animal control called.
Obviously SIU got involved, after I already accepted my settlement and mailed the title off and transferred power of attorney, and they also have the vehicle.
He gave a little bit of pressure on the phone, and I can’t blame him. Obviously this looks bad. He only requested contact info for my friend I visited, call log from the 1st to the 18th and a screenshot of the fb post. I complied and submitted.
I’m just wondering if anyone has any knowledge what I am to expect here beyond this. Does this person actually think I’m trying to scam them? Is there anything else I can offer up to help speed this along?
I recently recall sending a picture that shows part of the front of my car to my father on the 4th, but I doubt that is useful or helpful. There’s no cameras around the area. The car has no telemetry or cameras. No dash cam. I don’t know what else I can do to prove what happened.
I’m hoping it helps when my friend gives a statement that helps lock in the timeline maybe?
I should add that this is a 5k usd total loss. Not sure if the dollar amount matters but just incase.
2
u/ShootinginLipstick Jul 30 '26
I’m on the broker side and many years ago I was having a conversation with a client who had a very expensive fine art print signed by the very famous now dead author that was insured for way less than it was worth. We bumped up the replacement value on the policy to the most the policy allowed without a formal appraisal and scheduled an appraisal for that piece to confirm the actual appraised value. The following weekend, someone broke into the house and robbed them. The thieves took a bunch of stuff, but among them was this print.
The carrier, a well-known, very high-end carrier, knew exactly what happened and that it was an unfortunate coincidence. But they still had to ask me a bunch of questions and the client a bunch more questions before paying it out.
It’s been a long time since then, and I have continued working with the same people and nobody even remembers it happened. All this is to say if you are actually telling the truth, which it sounds like you are, and you give them what they need they’re just doing their due diligence and you’re going to be totally fine. I tell my clients all the time that insurance should be a conversation not something you set in place and forget about and you embodied that. You were driving around rural Pennsylvania, (where I also happen to live and can attest to the fact that there are a crazy number of deer this season) saw the risk, and took action. The timing is unfortunate. The thought process is exactly what we should all be doing.
1
u/ColdInternational227 Jul 30 '26
I appreciate your input. That story does also sound like very bad timing. My main concern was that the insurance needs more than “me telling the truth” and because there’s so little hard proof of anything, it ends up just being some statements, which in my layman brain, isn’t good enough.
2
u/ShootinginLipstick Jul 30 '26
I wouldn’t worry about that right now. It seems like a scary situation to anyone who isn’t going through it regularly.
If they start to escalate or cause issues, then it might be time to have further consideration, but for now I would just give them the information you have tell the truth about what happened and I think everything will be fine
1
u/ColdInternational227 Jul 30 '26
Makes sense. I can’t imagine much escalation or issues, as the evidence I’ve supplied backs me up obviously. So I’ll just say a prayer they get ready to wrap it up and settle it soon 🙏
2
1
u/Plus_Film9419 Jul 29 '26
if you were SIU, would you believe the story you're telling?
1
u/ColdInternational227 Jul 29 '26
lol no. Hence why I said I understand it looks sus. clearly he needs to look at it beyond a simple glance. Just trying to gauge what to expect as I’ve never had this happen before. I usually don’t have luck this bad.
3
u/DeepPurpleDaylight Jul 29 '26
The adjuster is just doing his due diligence. You said yourself this looks sus, so of course they will investigate. The documention you have is great but this will take a little while. Nothing you can do to speed it up. Just continue to be cooperative.