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I ran over a playmate cooler on a highway. It was really dark and I was passing another car...nowhere to swerve and no time to brake. Dragged it 2.5 miles to a safe stopping place and disintegrated the bottom of the cooler right off.
The cooler dented the front bumper of my 2010 Prius and tore off the shroud underneath the car. I do not know how much it will cost yet (I'm still trying to get it to the body shop for estimate). The shroud is a Toyota-only part so I'm assuming it will not be cheap. I also don't know what else is damaged down there. The car is driving fine 2.5 months later so I guess nothing mechanical but I have been burned on that before.
USAA says this is a collision so I have a $1000 deductible. My Other Than Collision deductible is $250.
Their definition of collision states 'Any object other than an animal'
I'm assuming this will cost more than $250 and less than $1000.
Am I out of luck?
I've been a real magnet in the past few years for body damage that is not my fault.
Poverty+a teen driver does stuff like that to a single mom....
Dangit, I should have just told them it was a deer.
To be honest, it was 2 whole months before it even occurred to me to file a claim.
In July, a man in cardiac arrest totaled my 2010 Prius in a parking lot. He had no insurance. USAA valued that car at $6000. I purchased one that was virtually identical for $5000. USAA is suing the man for my deductible.
My daughter totaled her Honda CRV in August. I paid $5000 for that car. USAA valued the car at $6000. I thought that was quite reasonable! Bought a newer Hyundai Tuscon for $4000.
In September, I had to evacuate my home due to Hurricane Florence. USAA gave me $850 for travel expenses and loss of the groceries in my fridge. That was just for a renter's insurance policy.
On December 24, a guy backed into me at the grocery store. All his fault.
All things considered, I think I'm doing okay. But honestly, if I could take a bus to work, I would.
Poverty+a teen driver does stuff like that to a single mom....
Dangit, I should have just told them it was a deer.
To be honest, it was 2 whole months before it even occurred to me to file a claim.
In July, a man in cardiac arrest totaled my 2010 Prius in a parking lot. He had no insurance. USAA valued that car at $6000. I purchased one that was virtually identical for $5000. USAA is suing the man for my deductible.
My daughter totaled her Honda CRV in August. I paid $5000 for that car. USAA valued the car at $6000. I thought that was quite reasonable! Bought a newer Hyundai Tuscon for $4000.
In September, I had to evacuate my home due to Hurricane Florence. USAA gave me $850 for travel expenses and loss of the groceries in my fridge. That was just for a renter's insurance policy.
On December 24, a guy backed into me at the grocery store. All his fault.
All things considered, I think I'm doing okay. But honestly, if I could take a bus to work, I would.
I hope it doesn't sound trite in this day and age to say that people should be honest even when the truth hurts them. If one did say that such damage was the result of hitting a deer it would be insurance fraud.
What your experiences illustrate is that you have the beneficiary of having insurance four times. As you say, you are doing "o.k.". Think of where you would be in a world without insurance at all. You have described why insurance premiums are as high as they are.
What your experiences really demonstrate is that driving a car is an expensive privilege. You seem to acknowledge that. However, I run into many people who don't want to accept that. Instead, they want to cast blame elsewhere. In their minds, insurance is expensive because supposedly auto insurance companies are earning windfall profits. Or, everyone else out there is to blame for getting into accidents. Instead, its just a reality of living in a populated country where everyone drives a car. Its painful to say it for some, but because driving is a privilege, there is no right to affordable car insurance.
I agree that colliding with a cooler is a collision. The only type of collision that isn't covered under collision is collision with an animal such as a deer.
A deer got my Prius' front bumper 2-3 years ago, and I think it was about $1000 for the bumper. He barely hit the corner of it (I was able to tape it down with matching duct tape), but it broke some fastener in it and required the whole bumper. Also popped the rear bumper loose, but that one only required a fastener. (Also got the front fender, both doors and the rear fender.) AND, he hobbled off. I texted a car photo to my wife, "Deer 1; Prius 0." You'll just have to check with a body shop. I know it came to right at $4,000 for everything. Insurance paid for all of it, or maybe all but $100-200.
As for the plastic "shroud" underneath, that comes in several pieces and is pretty spendy for genuine Toyota parts, but you can get non-Toyota parts off the internet for a fraction of the cost. I need to replace a part of mine, too, but I don't know when I'll do it. I drive a lot of country roads -- rocks, gravel, snow, ice. I'm thinking I'll wait until I'm ready to trade it, then either replace the part or just trade it as-is. I don't think a replacement would last me long, especially in the winter with deep snow/ruts. I'm really only missing the door to access the oil drain, but that's just one part of a big piece. Installation will be the biggest cost with the non-Toy parts.
Adjusters would quickly figure out that it wasn't a deer, so you wouldn't have gotten away with a lie, anyway.
Yup, textbook collision.
And you may want to reconsider your coverage given your string of bad luck recently. I'm sorry that you've had a run of misfortunes, and I wish you better luck in 2019!
Poverty+a teen driver does stuff like that to a single mom....
Dangit, I should have just told them it was a deer.
To be honest, it was 2 whole months before it even occurred to me to file a claim.
In July, a man in cardiac arrest totaled my 2010 Prius in a parking lot. He had no insurance. USAA valued that car at $6000. I purchased one that was virtually identical for $5000. USAA is suing the man for my deductible.
My daughter totaled her Honda CRV in August. I paid $5000 for that car. USAA valued the car at $6000. I thought that was quite reasonable! Bought a newer Hyundai Tuscon for $4000.
In September, I had to evacuate my home due to Hurricane Florence. USAA gave me $850 for travel expenses and loss of the groceries in my fridge. That was just for a renter's insurance policy.
On December 24, a guy backed into me at the grocery store. All his fault.
All things considered, I think I'm doing okay. But honestly, if I could take a bus to work, I would.
Sorry, but hitting a deer typically is collision too.
Hitting a deer is covered by other-than-collision insurance. In many states, this is called comprehensive coverage. Typically, comprehensive coverage protects against missiles, falling objects, theft, explosion, earthquake, windstorm, hail, water, flood, malicious mischief, vandalism, riot, civil commotion, and contact with a bird or animal.
So no, hitting a deer is not considered "collision" under most insurance policies.
Sorry, but hitting a deer typically is collision too.
Nope. Hitting an Animal is covered under the comprehensive coverage even if its dead laying in the middle of the road. Hitting a stationary object on the highway is a collision, however if that object was "moving"(a missile) it will be covered under the comp coverage.
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