My car was parked across the street from my house when I heard a loud bang. I looked outside and saw my car was badly damaged, and the police were arresting someone. The cops said my insurance should cover it. I filed a claim with the other driver’s insurance (Geico), but they told me they don’t cover stolen vehicles. Then I tried with my insurance (Progressive), but since I only have liability, they won’t help either. I’m stuck and don’t know what to do. My car gets smashed, and nobody wants to help cover the damages. I live in New York.
That’s rough. This is why people get collision coverage.
When you skip collision coverage, you’re basically agreeing to pay for any damage yourself to save on your monthly bill. The person with the Geico policy is in the same boat as you, really. Your own insurance would do the same if your car was stolen. You could go after the thief for damages, but chances are they don’t have much money.
@Ren
Insurance websites need to explain this clearly so people really get what they’re signing up for. So many people think they have ‘full coverage’ when they really don’t, and then they freak out when something like this happens.
@Ren
Could UMPD work in this case?
Nope, that’s for bodily injury. UMPD isn’t available in NY, and it has strict rules even in the states where it is offered.
Nope, that’s for bodily injury. UMPD isn’t available in NY, and it has strict rules even in the states where it is offered.
Just so people know, the original question was about UIM, not UMPD.
Nope, that’s for bodily injury. UMPD isn’t available in NY, and it has strict rules even in the states where it is offered.
Yeah, I meant UMPD, got it.
@Noor
Still not available in NY—you’d need collision.
Kim said:
@Noor
Still not available in NY—you’d need collision.
I wasn’t talking about OP’s case, just in general for a similar situation.
If UMPD is available in your state, it could help since Geico isn’t covering it. But many states don’t offer it.
You’ll have to go after the person who was arrested for the damage. They’re the one responsible.
Morgan said:
You’ll have to go after the person who was arrested for the damage. They’re the one responsible.
And then hope you can collect anything once they’re out of jail. Felons have a hard time finding jobs.
@Ellis
They’ll probably have fines and legal fees to deal with too.
@Ellis
You might be able to get an order of restitution, which means part of their wages, even while in jail, would go toward paying you back.
You’ll need to sue the person who got arrested. Good luck getting any money out of them though.
Nico said:
You’ll need to sue the person who got arrested. Good luck getting any money out of them though.
And if they’re in jail for a long time, you might get something once they’re released.
Sorry, but it sounds like you’re out of luck. Hopefully, the damage isn’t too bad.
This is why it’s a good idea to carry collision coverage, no matter how careful you are. You can sue the thief, but chances are they don’t have much. Now you’ll probably need to figure out how to cover the repair costs yourself.