Can a single cause of damage result in 2 different claims?
Question Details:
My vehicle was parked on the street overnight and there was damage to the side door and the front bumper. Nobody left a note. Its hard to tell if this was a hit and run or vandalism. I initially only noticed the door damage. After I filed the original claim a friend pointed out the bumper damage that I missed. The police report that I filed just says that my car was "damaged". The insurance company said that this appears to be a hit and run, but they are treating the door and bumper as 2 separate claims and are forcing me to pay my collision deductible twice. I understand that it most likely was a hit and run and should pay a deductible, but should I be paying 2 deductibles? How should this be handled by insurance?
Can you amend the original claim at all at this point? I would continue to go up the line with the insurance company, asking to speak to supervisor upon supervisor and taking names and numbers until you can.
Write a letter to your insurance company as well with the original claim number on it and advising that they have assigned two different claim numbers to the same incident. Did they come out and inspect the vehicle after the first damage? Did they notice the other damage? Did they say anything? Keep on them and advise them that you are not paying the deductible twice for damage that was incurred in the same hit and run. Tell them this is obviously a mistake on both your and their parts and that the original police report covers all the damage. It may work; it may not. But you should try. Good luck.
