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Since the purpose of this blog is to educate as well as pontificate, this week’s offering will reveal to you a secret about auto insurance that I didn’t know and so, maybe, others don’t know.

Here is today’s lesson, right up front: If you are backing up, you are always at fault.

This amazing discovery is based on actual experience (mine). It happened in the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy on the West Side. Most of you are probably familiar with that location. I was backing out of a parking space on the south side, so I looked to my left (east) and saw no one there, then to my right (no one there), so began to back up slowly. Half way out of the space, a car came around the corner from the east entrance and Whamo! It clipped the back left corner of my car.

Of course, I pulled back in and went over to see the person in the other car who had parked just past my space on the south side. A nice lady of mature vintage got out, all flustered, and apologized for what happened, saying, as I remember, “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t looking.” I tried to reassure her by saying (naively), “Well, let’s just let the insurance companies worry about it.” Then, we sat in our cars and waited for the police to take the usual report (which occurred an hour and three quarters later before an officer arrived, but that is another story).

Now for Stage Two of our little saga. The next day I received a call from the nice lady’s insurance company and I dutifully gave the caller all the facts, after which she said, “Well, of course, you were at fault because you were backing up.” I became a little defensive. “She hit me; I didn’t hit her.” The called replied, “But you backed into her space.” “I didn’t back into her space. I was already there. She came around the corner of the building and ran into my car. She apologized for it.” The caller: “But you were backing up, so it was your fault.” I decided not to argue further and thanked her for calling.

Stage Three: Of course, I called my local agent and listed the facts again. She was sympathetic and then said, “But it will probably be considered your fault because you were backing up.” Then she added: “We will pay any expense over your $500 deductible.” “What!” I sputtered, “I’ve always had $250 deductible.” “Well,” she answered, “don’t you remember, last year when you were in here to renew your policy, you signed up for $500 deductible.” I don’t remember that, but I decided, again, not to continue an argument I couldn’t win.

Stage Four (and that’s all): The next day, the adjuster from my insurance company called from Indianapolis and then came over to look at the damage. He took about ten minutes and then announced his verdict. Remember, he knows my policy has a $500 deductible. So he decides the damage is worth $592, explaining, “You don’t need to get estimates, because that’s all we’ll pay. We’ll send you a check for $92.” Then he added: “Her insurance company is suing our company for the damage to her car.” I guess I kind of lost it, blurting out: “Damage to her car? She hit me; I didn’t hit her. We looked at her car and there was no damage.” He shrugged and drove away.

O.K., that’s all to my Happy Learning Experience about Insurance. Sorry it took so long to explain why you are always at fault when you are backing up.

–Vic Jose

Vic Jose :: Jul.12.2009 :: Uncategorized ::

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