- Report: #1296911
Complaint Review: Progressive Auto Insurance - Nationwide
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Progressive Auto Insurance
Nationwide, USA
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www.progressive.com
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Progressive Auto Insurance They said I was at fault when one of their clients rear-ended me and have the nerve to stick me with their client's bill. Nationwide
On Feburary of this year (2016) I was making a left turn from an intersection into my place of work when all of a sudden, I felt my truck getting pushed sideways. The intersection in question had at least 10 cars waiting to go straight, completely obscuring the right turn lane. Turns out some lady (who obviously wasn't paying attention to begin with due to the fact that she did not slow down like any normal person would) who was speeding down the right turn lane had hit the passenger rear tire area of my truck, denting in my fender and tweaking my bumper upwards. At the time I did not have insurance (due to the fact that I have never owned a car insurance policy in my life at the time and the cheapest rate I could get was $124/mo for 12 months, also impossible for me to pay due to financial hardship). She and I got out of our vehicles after pulling to the side of the road to inspect the damage. She suffered a broken front grille from the collision. After she apoloigized profusely, we exchanged information, took photographs, and went our seperate ways.
A few weeks after the incident, I get a letter from Progressive (her insurance company) telling me to contact their "investigator". I contacted this individual (Dave) from Progressive. I gave him a blow-by-blow account of what occured on the day their client hit me. After I had finished, he told me that I am at fault. How is that possible? He told me the damages were $2200 for the other car! Then, he had the gall to try to sell me an insurance policy! What is wrong with these people? I told him to send me an itemized bill to get an idea of where my money was going. He said he would, then we ended the conversation and hung up.
Three weeks later, I get a letter in the mail from Afni (a debt collector for insurance agencies) simply stating that I owe Progressive $2200, a thinly-veiled threat to pull my license if I refused to pay, and a contact number. I am still debating on whether I should lawyer up or pay these clowns in monthly installments (again, financial hardship).
Avoid this company like the plague. If they did this to me, they will not hesitate to do the same to you too.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Irvine,California,
USA
You aren't that bright....
#2Consumer Comment
Thu, March 31, 2016
Sorry, but if you think that your updated cleared anything up, the only thing it did was further show that you were in fact most likey at fault for the accident. You see you again have admited that you could not clearly see the lane as you made a turn. It doesn't matter if you were turning onto a frontage road or not..the rules of the road do not change. Also, as for your justification that you yielded for 2 seconds. Yea, let me know how well that goes when there is a semi-truck baring down on your car that was 3 seconds away.
Oh and if you think that this is a "lecture" on your lack of insurance. Realize that this was some advice as to what would most likely happen if you ended up in front of any sort of authority by "lawyering up". But you haven't seen anything yet in the form of lectures. As if this ends up in court you will not only get the pleasure of an in person lecture by the judge but a lovely parting gift in the form of a nice fine or jail time.
A little more explanation for the curious...
#3Author of original report
Thu, March 31, 2016
Perhaps I should've worded that better. It's actually a frontage road tied in with this right lane just 100 feet before the actual intersection. I was turning left onto the frontage road. The traffic controls state "Do Not Block Intersection" so oncoming traffic cannot block the frontage road, the cars I mentioned were lined up before this sign, completely obscuring the right turn lane view. And yes, I did yield for 2 seconds before I turned onto the frontage road. I would show you on a map, but I will not name street names for anonomity reasons.
Also, don't lambast me because I can't afford to pay insurance at this time. I am well aware of the laws and penalties and don't need a lecture.
coast
Florida,USA
Crucial info missing
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, March 31, 2016
It is unclear as to why you would agree to pay for damage to the other vehicle if you were not at fault. There must be more to this story.
Robert
Irvine,California,
USA
Screwed is spelled Y-O-U
#5Consumer Comment
Thu, March 31, 2016
Every State I have every seen has MANDATORY Automotive Insurance requirements. If you fail to maintain insurance not only could you have your vehicle registration AND license suspended. You will also be subject to a heafty fine, and may even end up in jail. I have yet once to see anything about "financial difficulties" as a valid excuse as to why you don't have insurance.
Since you basically have just freely admitted that you didn't have insurance, either you know some loophole in your State's Law or you are just ignorant.
Next, if I understand your description of the accident you were basically "broadsided". The interesting item in this is how you say there were at least 10 cars waiting to go straight to where you state you couldn't see the right hand turn lane. That is your downfall, and where you lost any claim. Their are vehicle codes and laws that in effect state that before you attempt an intersection or make a turn, you are REQUIRED to verify it is safe to do so. Since you state you could not see the right lane..YOU are in fact AT FAULT. Because in that situation you should NOT have attempted to make the left turn until you could see the lane clearly. If you state that the only reason you made the Left Hand turn was because you were already in the Intersection, you again are at fault because you should not even enter the intersection until you are sure it is safe to complete your turn.
Now, for some totally non-legal advice. They are basically asking you for $2200. Unless you happen to have a relative in your corner who is an attorney, I don't really see an attorney taking this type of case without you coming up with a huge retainer. When I say huge, it could be anywhere from $500 to $5000 depending on how complicated they feel the case is.
One thing you did state is that your car was damaged. You could attempt to sue them for those damages, even if you were trying to figure you each go your own way. Because if you do this you may be able to "offset" some of the damages to the other person's car by you coming up with some damage they are responsible for. Of course this assumes that going to court and admitting you didn't have insurance won't end you up in jail and you think you can get the judge to agree you are each equally at fault, or you less at fault.
