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Auto Insurance Claims/theft
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Question
My car was stolen 98 days ago, I did everything from phone interview, personal taped interview, provided all documents including phone records, I acquired an attorney as well. The car was discovered more then 30 days ago with damage. They say they are still investigating. I paid 2 months of rental up front and damage is $2800. what is next? It was a lease with just one month left on lease. Please direct me to my next move and what theirs will be. GMAC wrote it off as total loss.
Hello,
Unfortunately, they can go as long as they want when under investigation. They are not investigating the theft, but how they can implicate you some way in the theft. You may think; you have nothing to worry about because you had nothing to do with the theft. Guess again!
This is the insurance denial game. They will hire an outside forensic locksmith hack that will infer that the last time the car was operated was with your key.
To my knowledge, our firm is the only one that serves as an expert in this field throughout the US and Canada for insureds and insurance companies. The hacks work strictly for insurance companies.
Our firm deals with these cases everyday across the country.
You may think to oppose them all you need is a locksmith. The locksmith would get destroyed in court on Voir Dire (wa-dire). The expert you need has to have the same if not more forensic and automotive certificates, training, backgropund and experience in auto theft. Our firm does.
If you go to http://www.autotheftexpert.com you will see the process you are going through and you are not alone.
Until a disposition is made, either paying you or denying you, there is not a thing you and your attorney can do. When they deny, you can retain our firm and go from there.
Please write me personal email at robo14@aol.com and tell me the state you are in and the insurance company.
Thanks,
Rob
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Answers by Expert:
Rob Painter, Ase, CFEI, CAFATE
Expertise
Please remember. I am not an attorney and cannot legal advice. My answers are based on my experience due to litigation I have been involved in as an expert, for both insurance companies and while oposing them opposing them. I deal with only comprehensive claims on autos related to fire and theft. I have even had the opportunity to rewrite policy coverage language as it relates to vehicle theft and forced entry for insurance defense attorneys.
Experience
Experience in the area: Working with insurance companies and attorneys on these issues for over 20 years. It is very common to have a reported stolen car with a so-called factory anti-theft system to have the theft claim denied. I have served successfully as an expert witness in the courts across the US representing the insured and their attorney revealing that the insurance expert did not take all known theories into consideration before rendering their "Forensic" conclusion. Many insurance carriers us independent "Forensic" experts to examine reported stolen vehicles commonly using flawed methodology implicating the innocent insured with the theft. My job is to determine if the insurance expert reached his conclusions based on accepted scientific principals or just net opinion with no basis other than opinion. My case record against such experts is very compelling.My resume can be seen at the catagory "Auto Theft and Prevention." In "Forensics" the scientific method must be employed. In the forensic locksmith field determining how a reported stolen vehicle was last operated, many processes cannot be duplicated and are conveniently not addressed. If they were, juries would have the opportunity to make a fair and impartial opinion at least about what the expert could or could not prove. There is a purported process determining the last key used. The chances of determining such is very rare uless the key is found in the ignition lock. Experts commonly destroy evidence as well and are rarely questioned on this event. I reveal the weakness in their testimony on such instances.
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