The way insurance companies operate never fails to astound me. When you watch the Television ads they seem so nice and co-operative when dealing with your claim. Are they really that accommodating after an accident in real life? How can we be so sure?

 

When you have actually been involved in an accident you find out firsthand how your chosen insurance company really are to deal with. Maybe the customer service staff were really lovely and friendly but the staff in the claims department might be tough in every sense of the word.

 

I've never been negligent on the road before and I'm usually a good driver. On one occasion I was a bit tired and ran into the side of someone's car. They were driving fast into a car park from the left where I was turning right. The other party had fully comprehensive insurance cover and so they were covered. I on the other hand was CTP third party only.

 

The lady had driven into the car park at a very fast speed whereas I was driving slowly. I did apologise and we exchanged details. Then the lady got in touch and explained that the repairs would be $1500. Her insurance company would cover the cost of the repairs and then they would try to recover those costs from me.

 

If the other party hadn't been driving so fast the damage and hence the repairs would have been far less than quoted. The insurance company expect me to pay for the repairs, which I think is ludicrous. Isn't that what car insurance is for? Why do people have these expensive premiums?

 

Insurance companies sell premiums, pay out a claim and then intend recovering those costs from me. Somehow it just doesn't seem right to me that they don't pay it out from a pool of cash generated from premiums and leave people like me alone. This is why many people are not a fan of insurance companies. They take care of you and then they go after someone else to make them pay. 

 

They must have so much money they don't know what to do with it and this is why it is so important to speak to a lawyer - especially in the cases of injury. Car accident injury claimsare larger claims that insurance companies dislike paying out. They may offer you the minimum lump sum payment they can and it is recommended a case is discussed with a lawyer or injury advice line to ensure you get everything you are entitled to.