Surcharge and insurance

[chefchris401]

I take it your in mass?

Rhode island doesn't do the point system.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[ecduzitgood]

In Mass. and the only loophole I could find might be if the reported damage claim amounted to less than the $500. I am thinking if I pay the insurance company $1101, it would reduce the claim to $499 which would then be $1 under the $500 that triggers the points/surcharge. Maybe????
I can't see how I could be found less than 50% at fault since the other vehicle was parked and I was the only one moving. I don't think loosing sight of the car in the mirror while maneuvering the trailer gets me off the hook. I suppose I could just look at the surcharge as being $1600 financed over five years and the extra amount paid would be a finance charge.

[FishermanTim]

Originally Posted by ecduzitgood

In Mass. and the only loophole I could find might be if the reported damage claim amounted to less than the $500. I am thinking if I pay the insurance company $1101, it would reduce the claim to $499 which would then be $1 under the $500 that triggers the points/surcharge. Maybe????
I can't see how I could be found less than 50% at fault since the other vehicle was parked and I was the only one moving. I don't think loosing sight of the car in the mirror while maneuvering the trailer gets me off the hook. I suppose I could just look at the surcharge as being $1600 financed over five years and the extra amount paid would be a finance charge.

You think the insurance company is going to take $1101.00 up front instead of a 7 year surcharge that will amount to a couple of thousand dollars? Keep dreaming. They want as much money for as long as they can get it.
Your only break might be if your insurance has "accident forgiveness" where your rate doesn't get bumped up for one minor accident.
(Key is MINOR accident)

One thing that has sacved me from being at the complete mercy of the insurance company is that the last three incidents I had, I took pictures to prove MY case.
I had a rollover on an icy, untreated road. Photos showed road condition VERY clearly, and I won.
Pulling into company parking lot, car runs into my truck, passenger side front wheel. photo showed that the double yellow line had a gap SPECIFICALLY for traffic going in and out of our lot. I won.
Driving on a hilly NH road, head on with a motorcyle at the crest of the first hill. Photos showed that I was on my side of the road when collision occurred and that the skid.scrape marks were the result of having the driver side front wheel ripped off the tie-rods and the rim scraped the road. The photo also showed that there was no dividing line to indicate EXACTLY where the center of the road was. I was not cited by NHPD, nor did my insurance go up. The same road now has a dividing line and a speed bump where the downhill motorcyclist was coming from. My insurance investigator told me that if there's one thing they LOVE, it's when client have pictures to back up their claim.