Picture this. You are driving along, paying attention to the road, in control of your vehicle, when suddenly you are about to be hit by an out-of-control driver. You think about trying to dodge the car, but you have nowhere to go. You have no choice but to take the hit and hope for the best. Hopefully you are not injured. Hopefully the other driver is okay, too.
Now it’s time to (annoyingly, I might add) deal with the insurance. It’s okay. We get it. There are many things you’d rather do than deal with your insurance company, no matter how good they are. Because submitting a claim means some sort of upheaval in your life. We understand completely.
You call us to submit a claim after doing all the appropriate things that one should do after getting into an accident. (If you should need a refresher on steps to take after an accident, see our last blog post, linked here.) We submit the details of the claim for you and explain your coverage. Let’s say, for example, that you have full coverage on the car you were driving when in the accident. This is a good thing. You have coverage for the damage to your vehicle through your policy. Here comes the part where you cringe…..we inform you of your deductible that you are responsible for.
Wait for it………….
“But it wasn’t my fault!!!”
You’re absolutely right. It wasn’t. We don’t want you to be out your deductible any more than you do. Here’s how it works from here and hopefully, these details will ease your mind.
- You can go through your own insurance. If you use your insurance, however, you are subject to the parameters of the policy. In short, you are out your deductible ONLY UNTIL Erie has a chance to go after the other person’s insurance company to recoup your deductible and any other money that Erie had to pay for the repairs to your vehicle.
- You can not use your insurance and go directly through the other guy’s company. The pro to this choice is that you won’t have to pay your own deductible. The con is that as your agency, we have no control over how the claim goes. We can’t speak on your behalf. You are at the mercy of that other company. It could go either way. Some insurance companies are easy to deal with. Others, not so much.
So what should you do? It’s your call. We are here to advise you on your options and help you to make the decision that makes the most sense for you.
We hope this sheds some light on a bit of how your policy works. If you have any questions, let us know! Call us at 717-755-2335 or email us at staff@aadvantageinsurance.com.
