Complaint Review: Mercury Insurance - Brea California

Mercury Insurance stuck me with a $4000 bill for an accident that was NOT my fault and would have been entirely reimbursed by the other insured party. I had been with Mercury Insurance for 27 years with never an “at fault” accident, I was assured by Mercury that if I went through their “Mercury Insurance Approved Body Shop”, all work would be guaranteed to my satisfaction and handled by them. As a working, single mom in a full-time accelerated master’s degree program, I decided to trust Mercury to handle the situation—as my time was limited. BIG MISTAKE…I am disgusted and appalled by what they did—and did not do!!! 

First, I went to their “approved body shop”, Pacific Elite in Fullerton. I was told by their inspector to DEFINITELY make sure that my car was put up on the rack to look at the suspension for the damage that caused the immediate loud and metal twisting sounds coming from the front end of my car and the obvious visible damage he saw with my suspension—camber off, etc. (I am NOT a mechanic and have no clue about this stuff, I am just repeating what their inspector told me.) It was a t-bone collision to the rear axle, driver side of my stopped vehicle--my Kia Soul.

I rented a car (covered by the other insured) and took my car in to get the dent fixed and the suspension issue taken care of. After picking up my car, I drove 15 feet and realized the loud noises were still coming from the front end of my car. I pulled back into the parking spot to get the body shop manager in my car to hear the noises and to ask what he found when he checked  the suspension—as promised. The manager, Sean, said that he “didn’t look because it wasn’t from the accident”….so, without checking the suspension--as his OWN  inspector said he should, he determined that the damage was NOT from the accident. Hmmmm. Convenient and messed up!!! 

Two days later as I was driving to school and one block from getting on the freeway, the whole front end seized-up, I couldn’t steer, brake, or drive—could have been killed! I called Mercury to ask what to do, and since my “approved body shop” had apparently NOT looked at the problem (basically refused/neglected to address the issue), Mercury said I could take it elsewhere. I asked where to have it towed, and since Sears was only 2 miles away and they had done most of my maintenance—recent brakes, tires, alignment and more, Mercury agreed. After renting a car, I had my car towed to Sears (after my class was out at 11 pm). Mercury gave me a work order. Sears looked at the damage and said it was definitely from the type of accident I described—since they knew my car. Work was started and when I came to pick up my car, I discovered that a “Mercury” inspector had come by, and stopped the repairs--claiming that the damage was NOT from the accident. This game went on for three to four times, where without ever notifying me, the work would be approved and then Mercury would send someone out to “stop” the work—even an “Automotive Forensic Engineer”!!!!  Never once was I notified. Meanwhile, I was in a rental car covered by the other insured’s policy. After 30 days of this shenanigans, Mercury said the damage was NOT from the accident and they retroactively stuck me with a $1500 rental car bill at a civilian rate of $30 per day. I paid to have my car repaired by Sears to make it “safe” to drive--$1500, and I drove it to Kia and had the damage fixed in a few hours with a $75 part, plus labor.

SHAME on MERCURY!!!! I went to small claims court and they had a one inch legal file against me and called the accident “normal wear and tear”. REALLY!!!!!! So 45,000 miles is suddenly “normal wear and tear”. Funny, that my complete recent maintenance which included alignment, new brakes and the works did not pick up the LOUD and crazy damage from the “normal wear and tear” that they claim was the issue.  First,  they (Mercury), said the damage was from the “impact” of my slowly driving into my garage and having a basket scratch the front bumper. Then, they said it was from a slight curb rash to my hub cap (3 miles per hour)…the pictures of the “impact” were so ridiculous that I guess only ‘normal wear and tear” was left! They did this to me when they weren’t even responsible for payment—the other insured was paying for the damage. This is wrong and shameful—ABUSIVE and WIMPY. They lost a NO RISK, LOYAL multiple policy client of almost 30 years.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Attorneys out there….Class Action Law Suit potential? Please contact me. This is wrong. Thank God, my daughter wasn’t in the car with me…would that have been “normal wear and tear” if she had been injured? SHAME ON MERCURY INSURANCE!