An Allstate agent knowingly ignored hard evidence of an accident in order to hold me liable for a crash I did not cause. In my opinion, this is at best morally degenerate, and at worst legally fraud. That's the long story short version.
Here's the long story long version:
The day before new years, another driver without looking pulled out of his lane which was filled with traffic and into my lane which was not. Since he was not looking and was in the middle of a bumper to bumper traffic lane, he didn't see my car. He entered my lane as I was passing by him, and crashed the front right bumper of his jeep into the left side of my vehicle (driver door and passenger door). The impact mechanics all indicate that his car crashed into mine, not the other way around. The Allstate agent even verbally recognized to me that this physical evidence showed their driver was at fault. I had 2 witnesses who both could corroborate my story.
At the scene of the accident, the other driver apologized to me, told me it was his fault and that he would pay for all damages. I (stupidly) believed him because he was nice, and so we agreed to not get a police report. Lesson learned. His wife called me later that day to reiterate that the crash was her husband's fault and that they would pay. Unfortunately my car was a rental, so I had to go through insurance.
After making 3 identical statements to my insurance Progressive, their insurance Allstate, and the Enterprise claims services, I am told by all 3 that it clearly sounds like the other driver is at fault. Then they make their decisions. Progressive says I'm not liable, Enterprise says I'm not liable, but I hear no official word from Allstate. The cold shoulder. Weeks go by. Every time I call, nothing. It's as though no one works in their offices. Finally the Allstate agent gets back to me.
She says that their driver now "doesn't remember who hit who", and so Allstate is going to make me 50% liable for the crash. I question her about the physical evidence of the crash, and she tells me that while yes this is true, and that the physical evidence does point to their driver being at fault, she is still making the decision to hold me liable. When I press her on this, she says that I should have honked, and because I didn't that I'm being held liable. I tell her that the other car impacted my driver door, behind my vision, so there would be no way I could have seen the other vehicle. She agrees that this is also true, but still is going to hold me liable. I ask her, what about my witnesses to the crash? She tells me she isn't going to speak with them. I then tell her that I have audio recordings of their driver admitting fault, which I in fact do. And you know what she tells me? She tells me that no other evidence will change her decision, she is going to hold me liable (but that she would still like me to send her the recording). She then tells me that if I take this to court, I will very likely lose because their best lawyers will be on the case and that she will no longer even give me the 50% liability offer.
This entire thing has been perhaps the most shockingly dishonest experience I've ever witnessed.
My insurance, Progressive isn't covering this because of course their Liability doesn't cover rental car damage. Go figure. So now I'm being forced to pay thousands of dollars for a car accident I didn't cause. Why? Because people are dishonest.
As a medical student I have not the time nor the money to travel to another state to challenge this case in court, however much I wish I could. And Allstate knew this. I'm sorry, but Allstate clearly seems like a morally bankrupt organization, and one which I desperately wish I was able to hold legally responsible.
But if you want your insurance company to lie for you, then hey, maybe they are for you. read more
