Storage Fees | How to handle this situation btw states

by Tiffany
(Saint Marys, GA)

I was visiting New York in November. A friend of mine was driving my car and got into an accident. Another vehicle ran into my car. He left the scene and I was driven to it. I was not given the other drivers insurance info instead of her policy number and her name. My insurance informed me that they were not going to pay anything because I was not driving.

My car is not drivable so it was impounded. I had to get back home that day to Georgia. I did not have any money to get my car out of storage and to get it fixed. I was told that my car repairs exceed the car value. I was finally contacted by the other driver's insurance and decided to not report damages because I was told that since I was not driving that I couldn't get anything for my loss.

Since then I have spoken to lawyers and experts and was told to reopen the claim and push the case because even though I was not driving, the other driver still hit my car and was at fault. I called back her insurance to reopen the claim. The told me that they were going to send an inspector to look at the car. (It is still in New York and I am still in Georgia).

The impound called me saying that unless I pay the storage fees that the inspector cannot look at the car. The storage fees are $4000. Way more than what the car is worth. I feel that I shouldn't have to pay that because it is not my fault that the car is there, if I could have gotten the car out back then I wouldn't have anywhere to take it because it is not drivable and I had no money to fix it because the repairs are also more than what the car is worth.

I don't know what to do. Please help me. I don't have the money to pay the storage. Should I just drop the claim again or is the other insurance responsible for the storage fees?


Answer:


Hello Tiffany,

Boy, you are in a hard situation. The insurance company owes your for reasonable and necessary storage fees. The key here is the reasonable and necessary, please see: http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com/Reasonable-and-Necessary.html

You can argue that all of these expenses were necessary, as you could not possibly mitigate your damages. However, it's one of those things about evidence. The insurance company will try to attack you on the fact this was car accident was their fault, but your inability to promptly file a claim it's yours.

Contact an attorney and the department of insurance of the state where the accident occurred. They may be able to help you making the insurance company move forward and get the payment to the storage facility.


Good Luck,
Auto Insurance Claim Advice