Expert: Anne - 1/23/2008

Question
My daughter's car was hit twice in one day.  The second time it was a hit and run.  The person fled and left the car.  The next morning the owners reported it stolen.  There was no forced entry or damage to the column.  Now their insurance co. is saying they are not responsible if the car was stolen.  The first car's ins. co. is saying they are not responsible either.  What can we do?

Answer
Hi Karen,

Well, this is somewhat of a difficult situation. Insurance companies must believe their clients about the facts. Here, you really need to look at the police report (stolen vehicle). They will probably not want to release it to you since you are not a party to the vehicle. You can try to do so.

At this point, you can take them to small claims court and have them explained how and when was the vehicle stolen. Why did they reported only after an accident. Usually you report the vehicle stolen as soon as you can. It is very unclear from the facts whether they can or not justify this.

Depending on the amount of damages to your car, you can talk to an attorney and see if a formal lawsuit is an option. Sometimes, just the fact that you have an attorney and a lawsuit will make the insurance company settle. It really depend on the facts and what kind of evidence exists out there.

I hope this helps some.

C.Q.
http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com