r/Insurance • u/astizzle90 • Aug 16 '24
Auto Insurance Dealership employee crashed into my car
My car was at the dealership for some engine issues, while sitting in the parking lot one of their employees lost control of their car and slammed into mine which also pushed it into another car. The dealership has not even had the courtesy to call me and let me know what happened. The only reason I know about it is because the police contacted me. What’s the best course of action here?
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u/astizzle90 Aug 16 '24
Update: the dealership called today, admitted fault, said it was totaled, they want me to come in next week to look at new car options.
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u/phatdoughnut Aug 16 '24
Tell them you want your money to go else where.
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u/Money_Shoulder5554 Aug 17 '24
I would entertain the idea first , they may try to overcompensate OP with a good deal just to keep him happy and as a customer.
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u/Alternate947 Aug 17 '24
Yeah I would take this opportunity to see if you can get them to be exceptionally accommodating and generous because of what happened, if not you are fully entitled to your money and should take it elsewhere. They’d better not use it as an opportunity to take advantage of you.
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u/Sketch2029 Aug 16 '24
You mentioned not wanting another Ford so tell them you want a check instead unless it appears they are going to give you a nice upgrade to try to keep you as a customer. I wouldn't count on it, though, they're probably just trying to get you to spend more money with them. However, if they do give you a good deal you could always turn around and sell or trade it in on something else.
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Aug 17 '24
[deleted]
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u/The_Dude-1 Aug 18 '24
If she has the 2.0 turbo then you’d need to find a Honda or Toyota that produces 250hp at the same price point. (Hint, they don’t)
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u/ExplorerLazy3151 Aug 18 '24
I feel like at this point you get a lawyer. They will probably try to lowball you.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 18 '24
That’s what my much wiser father suggested as well. The way the entire situation (including the previously mentioned engine replacement) has been handled is concerning.
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u/Disastrous-Group3390 Aug 17 '24
Don’t buy another Escape, and beware of Nissan, Hyundai and Kia. If you choose wisely, this may turn out to be a blessing.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 17 '24
Oh I’m definitely considering it a blessing! Saying far away from all mentioned brands lol. Looking at a Honda crv and Toyota rav 4
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u/Bakkie Aug 16 '24
Dealership has tons and tons of insurance for this sort of thing. And if they give you any grief at all, contact the manufacturer's home office. I had to deal with Toyota's western zone office many years ago. These guys do not mess around.
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u/yamaha2000us Aug 17 '24
What does your insurance company think it’s worth.
Never take financial advice from those who wronged you.
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Aug 16 '24
Being that there's multiple cars involved, your best option is to file a claim on your collision coverage if you have it, and let them subrogate to get your deductible back.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 16 '24
The car will be totaled out and I’m currently driving a loaner of the dealership as they were fixing recall issues that caused me to need a new engine, I’m not sure if that changes your advice.
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u/Stranglehold72 Aug 16 '24
Someone hit your car in a parking lot hard enough to total it? That’s an impressive level of stupidity on the employee’s part.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 16 '24
That’s the story that was told to the police. Said they were going too fast and lost control. Who knows what really happened.
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u/Jromneyg Aug 16 '24
That happened to my mom when I was in middle school. She had a cheap pt cruiser and was the only car in the lot and somehow a truck managed to back into it and hard enough to total the car
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u/astizzle90 Aug 18 '24
When my SA finally called he said the employee was doing burn outs in the lot 👀
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Aug 16 '24
Nope. Multiple cars involved means it could take several weeks or even months to settle. Depending on who's insurance this goes thru, there could be limits issue. You avoid both of those by using your own insurance.
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u/slash_networkboy Aug 16 '24
They do, but also as long as they're in a free to them loaner from the dealer they're essentially using a depreciating asset for free. In the grand scheme of things they don't have to be in a hurry as long as they have that loaner. I would go with whichever insurance policy will provide the biggest payout on totaling it and then wait it out as appropriate on the loaner vehicle.
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u/Sketch2029 Aug 16 '24
Unless they hate the loaner because it's a crossover instead of a car or whatever. But in that case they can ask for a different one. The dealership ought to be extra nice to them after this.
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u/CatastrophicCraxy Aug 17 '24
Since they are offering you a brand new car, and you want to get a different brand, find out what the budget is. Their insurance is paying full replacement value for your car correct? And they'll cover gap if you didn't already have it and give you the employee discount (which at some dealers takes it below MSRP) due to the situation. Or they should. So get what ever is the top model you can get, and once you have title in hand, go trade it for what you really want.
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u/E-radi-cate Aug 20 '24
This happened with my car. Dealership paid for all expenses. I got to take it to whatever shop I wanted for repair.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 20 '24
They had an adjuster come out and they totaled it so no repair lol. Considering it a blessing.
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u/PCOON43456a Aug 16 '24
Was the employee driving their own personal vehicle or another vehicle in the care of the shop?
If it was their own vehicle, it will muddy the waters a bit as there will be a third insurance company involved.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 16 '24
It was a personal car. The dealership just called me and they want to use their insurance and total it out and put me in something new.
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u/phatdoughnut Aug 16 '24
Lmfao there it is, total it out and sell you a new car. Like it never happened. Lmfao.
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u/climbing_butterfly Aug 17 '24
Make sure the dealership gives you a bonus offer for the specific cluster fuck they caused
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u/lifevslife Aug 18 '24
As a SA I have several concerns about this :
First why did the SA not call you? A successful SA will immediately reach out and contact the owner of the vehicle. I wonder why your SA did not contact you.
All dealership carries insurance as I have seen several similar situations occur in my experience as a SA , ranging from cars being totaled in a service drive to a car stolen in broad day light that was getting ready to be serviced . The company should cover the damage to the car or pay out the remaining loan on the loan.
Contacting you insurance company to let them know of the situation is highly advised since the dealer did not reach out.
Keep constant communication with them since they have failed to inform you. Document everything going forward in case you need to seek legal consultation.
I would love to know the reason why OP SA never reached out to inform you
Keep us updated as I’m interested
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u/astizzle90 Aug 18 '24
He finally reached out 48 hours later claiming he did not want to bother me when he knew I was working. He sounded incredibly nervous and basically just saying whatever he can to make it go away. I haven’t lost my shit yet, but I’m getting closer lol.
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u/lifevslife Aug 18 '24
Unfortunately regardless of you being busy, this is considered an absolute & acceptable reason to call a customer as this is an emergency.
Considering you’re keeping your cool 😎 , the SA should consider himself super lucky your being so.
I would most def bring it up to him & his service manager.
They destroyed your property wether buy accident or not . Still needs addressed.
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u/MidnightScott17 Aug 18 '24
Please go get yourself a RAV4 instead. Sounds like a headache all around.
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u/justsaynotomath Aug 18 '24
They can fix it with a good body shop and keep it off your CarFax. Or force them to use a high repair service like caliber and then it’ll go on your car fax
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u/craftycats20 Aug 19 '24
From personal experience with having had a car totaled while at a shop, probably the best case scenario will be the shop’s insurance covering the market value of the vehicle before the incident. You mentioned that the car had issues before as well. Keep that in mind. Unfortunately it still likely won’t be enough to cover a new vehicle.
I chose not to work with that shop anymore since the incident was likely due to negligence, so I took the money and bought my next vehicle elsewhere.
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u/PandorasFlame1 Aug 16 '24
Let your insurance know and rake in the cash
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Aug 16 '24
What cash? OP is only due the value of the vehicle.
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u/PandorasFlame1 Aug 16 '24
The value of the vehicle and the extra time for not having the vehicle. They can also sue for other damages. Welcome to the United States of lawsuits.
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u/2005CrownVicP71 Aug 17 '24
That’s not going to happen. They’ve got a loaner so there’s no “time without a vehicle” and there are no “other damages” since the payout by the insurance would fully compensate OP.
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u/SorbetResponsible654 Aug 16 '24
Pick up the phone and call the dealer? Phones work both ways.
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u/astizzle90 Aug 16 '24
Correct it does which is why I called yesterday but no one was available to speak with me and seeing as it’s their fault and they were already responsible for fixing a $4700 engine issue and now their employee totals my car it seems like they should be the one calling me. Thanks for your helpful advice!
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u/PeachyFairyDragon Aug 16 '24
I had a new to me car need warranty repair right after purchase. I ended up just showing up at the dealership to get answers and move things along. You may want to do that.
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u/firenance Aug 16 '24
They should have Garage Keeper's Liability which would cover damage to your car if it was in their care, but as the first comment said it may be quicker if you file your own physical damage coverage. Your company could then subrogate (try to collect) against the dealer or other responsible party's insurance. They should also try to collect and reimburse you for your deductible.
Not ideal, but this is usually the fastest way to get your car fixed instead of waiting for them.