Complaint Review: Geico Insurance Company - Nationwide Florida

Unfortunately, I do not know much about Florida accidents and coverages. What I have read, you will probably have to go to sue the negligent driver and they would be responsible for the difference between what their insurance pays out and what the jury awards. That was just a quick read though. I have never been licensed in Florida, so do not hold me to this, I would just hate to see you throw your money away on an attorney who should know immediately whether or not your coverages would extend. Each state is different though. About geico and the jury trial, is this because you are sueing or is the state and the charges on the drunk minor? Anyway, just a quick look and it may be wrong, but that specific coverage says your family members and any other person occupying your covered automobile. It may also come down to the status of your child, living in the house with you, own car, or own insurance, and so on. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM) This coverage pays for bodily injuries to you, your family members and any other person occupying your covered automobile, should the injuries be caused by the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured motorist. The following are examples in which UM coverage may apply: if the at-fault party has no liability insurance if the at-fault party has liability coverage inadequate to pay for the injuries incurred or if injuries result from a hit-and-run vehicle. UM pays for medical expenses and lost wages (after your PIP coverage is exhausted) that you and your passengers may incur. This coverage also includes payment for pain and suffering if you have a permanent injury or death, up to the limit of the policy. Uninsured motorist insurance comes in two options: stacked and unstacked. Companies must offer the stacked option, but may or may not offer an unstacked option.

Daughter was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a mva. The driver was at fault and was charged with dui. The accident resulted in a broken c1 and a brachial plexus injury. the driver was under in-sured. Driver a minor, Dad had a $50,000.00 pi policy. I have a under insured, un-insured clause in my policy with Geico. Geico is fighting paying the un-insured, under insured value of my policy and will be putting my 16 year old through a jury trial in January 09. I thought the reason I paid the extra premium for under insured , un-insured coverage was for this very reason. I only pray that the Female attorney (just had a baby girl) for Geico does not ever have to go through seeing her daughter with a broken neck, permanent brachial plexus injury, closed head trauma , I could go on forever. I understand the Geico attorney thinks she is "just doing her job" but my daughter will never be the same again. I have a great attorney but should it come to this? My daughters injuries should be pain enough. I guess Geico is in the business of fighting claims not paying them.

I will try my best to answer some of your questions and concerns as well as the comments made by others. When you are given a quote for auto insurance it is for the information that is available at that time, driving history, tickets, accidents, age, location, number of vehicle, types of vehicles, etc, etc. Now, you are accidnt free and are a good risk for the insurance company (they want to make money off of you as they are a business and that is what a business does... make money). all of a sudden you are involved in a non at fault accident. ok, perhaps they will still take on the same risk for the same premium payment. then all of a sudden you are involved in a second non at fault accident.. now its time to rethink if you are really a good risk for the premiums that you are paying.. mmmmmm no. even though neither of the accidents were your fault, you are, and you have to admit, a higher risk to be involved in an accident than you were when you took out the policy. like it or not you are a higher risk. the underwriters will look at many things when determining or re-evaluating a risk. how long you have been with the company, driving history of all drivers, accident frequency, amount paid on each claim, etc, etc, etc. I understand that this person did not carry insurance which is required by the state of florida. dont blame the insurance company for inforcing something that local and state authorities have the right and obligation to enforce. approximately 20-30% of all vehicles in the state of florida do not carry any type of insurance.. NONE. it costs the insurance companies billions of dollars a year to pay money that they can never recoop. In order to operate a vehicle in florida you have to have a license plate. in order to get a license plate you have to have insurance (property damage and personaly injury protection only). you call your insurance company and take out a policy, 2 months of coverage are required to start the policy and you now have insurance (you are always paid up 1 month in advance). you go down to the tag agency and show proof of insurance and get your tag. now guess what.... you just dont feel like paying the next months insurance premium payment.. thus your policy cancels. you still have your tag dont you.. next year its time to renew your tag. you go down to the tag agency to renew. the very busy clerk asks you if everything is still the same as you when you purchased the tag and you say yes.. wham, you have your renewal sticker without them even asking for proof of insurance or better yet, you renew your tag online and dont even have to deal with anyone and the sticker is in the mail. Ok now you get into an accident and dont have insurance. the officer asks you for you license and proof of insurance (which you dont have). you either give him the old out dated care from last year and he accepts it or you tell him that you cant find the insurance card. no problem and he does not cite you for it (trust me, it happens all the time) you get your ticket for careless driving and thats it. whewww, close one. My point is this, its not the insurance companies fault for everything. the government is simply too busy, understaffed, or lazy to do their job. the officer has the power to remove your license plate from the vehicle and have it towed if you cannot produce valid and current insurance but they dont care and let you leave. in 15 years of handling auto accident claims i have had 1, yes only 1 officer who followed up to verify a policy was not in force at the time of an accident. now, you have uninsured motorists coverage. this is not for your vehicle but for injuries. you CANNOT purchase uninsured property damage coverage in the state of florida. you then must use your collision coverage and yes anytime you use it, regardless or fault, you are subject to the deductible you chose. the insurance company pay for your damages (less your deductible) and then goes after the uninsured driver who, as you pointed out, doesnt own a thing. problem here is you cannot get blood from a turnip. they can send them to collections, set up a payment plan, file small claims court and get a judgement but if they dont have the money to repay you they dont. they are very very few reasons in this state that allow someones wages to be garnished and simple property damage is not one of them. Should you need further clarification please let me know. Take care,

But that's really a moot point. The rate increased by over $400 every 6 months because of the 2 non at-fault accidents. Soley because of this. No the car wasn't stolen, he bought it and didn't get it registered at the time of the accident. The reason he didn't get it registered is because he didn't have insurance. The legal owner of the car was contacted by Geico, but they didn't have insurance either. So, ya, they might get a mark against their credit, but I am sure they don't care. They were losers anyway. The whole point here is that I didn't do anything wrong. I have been driving for 36 years, I have always had insurance, I have never been in an accident that was my fault, I have no moving violations, 1 parking ticket in the last 20 years or so... and I get dinged over $800 a year, yet some idiot who breaks ALL the rules walks away scott-free. They didn't even yank his license! What a crock. To me, it's just another way to screw with people's insurance rates so the they can make tons of profit. They know you have to have insurance by law, so they can do whatever they want.

well that is why they didnt go after him! INSURANCE FOLLOWS THE VEHICLE NOT THE DRIVER....ok that is scary to think that there is actually an insurance company out there that didnt know that. did he steal the vehicle???

This is the reason I elected to pay extra for uninsured motorist coverage. This picks up when the other person is either underinsured or uninsured like the person that hit your wife. You should go after the parties separately in small claims court. I think the insurance rates went up recently in the Jacksonville area anyway. That could be the reason for the increase as well. Not targeted against you specifically. My rates went up as well even without any accidents.

Yes, the insurance company went after the guy, but he didn't have a job, money, absolutely no assets, renting a room in the hood, no car, the car he was driving wasn't his, the owner of the car was in worse shape financially, so the insurance company got nothing. Again, the risk factor is bull. It's just an excuse to raise rates by about 90%.

I work for another insurance company. I can tell you what they did was calculate your risk of being in an accident to determine your rates. Negligence does not play into this at all. Your wife was struck from behind, twice. Same accident type--that will increase her chance of having the same type of accidnet. Hence---higher risk---higher rates. Now as far as the accident with the uninsured motorist, why didnt your company at the time go after him as an individual? They can do that if the at fault party does not carry insurance. You may want to check back with them to see if they ever did start the subrogation process

I said 2 accidents, not 'several'. How do you know it was in a short period of time? I never said how far apart they were. We are not a 'risk'. I have had no accidents or tickets in 25 + years. My wife has had 1 at fault accident in her life, no tickets. That does not make me a 'risk'. My wife is stopped at a red light, and some jerk isn't paying attention, and rams into the back of her car. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that make HIM the risk? His rates went up because he was in an at-fault collision. So, tell me again why MY rates increase as well???

I said 2 accidents, not 'several'. How do you know it was in a short period of time? I never said how far apart they were. We are not a 'risk'. I have had no accidents or tickets in 25 + years. My wife has had 1 at fault accident in her life, no tickets. That does not make me a 'risk'. My wife is stopped at a red light, and some jerk isn't paying attention, and rams into the back of her car. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that make HIM the risk? His rates went up because he was in an at-fault collision. So, tell me again why MY rates increase as well???

I said 2 accidents, not 'several'. How do you know it was in a short period of time? I never said how far apart they were. We are not a 'risk'. I have had no accidents or tickets in 25 + years. My wife has had 1 at fault accident in her life, no tickets. That does not make me a 'risk'. My wife is stopped at a red light, and some jerk isn't paying attention, and rams into the back of her car. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that make HIM the risk? His rates went up because he was in an at-fault collision. So, tell me again why MY rates increase as well???

I said 2 accidents, not 'several'. How do you know it was in a short period of time? I never said how far apart they were. We are not a 'risk'. I have had no accidents or tickets in 25 + years. My wife has had 1 at fault accident in her life, no tickets. That does not make me a 'risk'. My wife is stopped at a red light, and some jerk isn't paying attention, and rams into the back of her car. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that make HIM the risk? His rates went up because he was in an at-fault collision. So, tell me again why MY rates increase as well???

especially in such a short period of time puts you in a higher risk catagory. That's the way it is. The insurance company will more than likely sue the other driver for reimbersment. You may get part of your deductible back but it will take several years. Blame your state's enforcement. The insurance company can do nothing about it if the laws aren't enforced except raise your rates to offset the higher risk.