No, I didn't have an accident. This happened some time ago. My car was parked at the local strip mall. I came out and found somebody had hit (and run) my car in my absence. After the claim adjuster looked it over, they said my claim was denied because it was parked on private property!

Even though this happened a while back, I'm still troubled by this. Back then it was an econobox with little damage. Now I'm driving a car that is a little too precious to have damaged. What if I get hit again and the damage runs in four digits? I'm afraid to go to the mall anymore. Is it true that a hit-and-run claim can be denied because it happened on private property? What good is having insurance at that point? Should this happen in the future, should I lie and say it happened on a side street or city parking lot, or better yet, on my insurance carrier's parking lot?

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K

Must be a strange clause in your contract or you're using allstate insurance. was'nt it after huricane andrew where they packed up and moved out of florida leaving everyone holding the bag.

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Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933)

My wife has worked at a large insurance Co for 25+ years and has never heard of such a thing happening.

Gilly

Who is your insurance scumpany?

I think you were hoodwinked!

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RIP "Betsy" (Oo=*=oO)
'96 E 3 2 0 (W 2 1 0) M 1 0 4 (Totalled)
Spaces in sig so as not to screw up the SEARCH; every time someone searches for that MB they don't want my sig!

2004 Audi A8L
'98 VW Passat 1.8T 5M
'87 Alfa Romeo Milano 2.5L 5M
'67 Impala convertible, 327cid

You've been had! Get a lawyer.

An insurance adjuster is more a psychologist that tries to adjust your mind to think that you don’t need to be paid.

Get a lawyer and make a complaint to your state insurance board.

True.

Or, his comprehensive or collision deductible was higher than the cost of repair.

I got the reply I was looking for, so my mind is at ease. I'm glad to hear that the insurance company should indeed cover such a loss.

This was back in 1985. The insurance carrier was Allstate (good call by Alex). The car was an 82 Omni. Damage was estimated at $150. Deductible was $50. There was comprehensive coverage on the car. Like I said, claim was denied because incident occurred on private property. Not worth pursuing since I fixed it myself for peanuts.

I mentioned this a few years later to students of the Univ. of Illinois Law School that I ran around with. They just shook their heads saying this happens all too often, where insurance companies will use any cheap excuse to get out of paying a claim.

You can understand my concern, since I am now driving a high end MB. This issue was always in the back of my mind, and thanks to the knowledge of experienced folk on this board that I can tap into, I am now smarter and more confident.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K

Totally.

Read your policy language as this contract will be the guiding force when it comes to possible claims in the future.

Then contact your state's insurance commissioner for information about complaints filed against the company.

I have found that you get what you pay for with insurance