In April, I wrote a blog post about two ways of getting Rental with Downtime claims paid. Rental with Downtime Coverage is designed to help drivers get a temporary vehicle to drive while their disabled vehicle is in the shop for a covered loss. If a replacement vehicle is unavailable, your insurance company will pay for your loss of income while you aren’t driving.
What I didn’t include in the article was that I was actively working with one of my trucking customers to get a downtime claim paid. When one of our longstanding trucking customers called last December to report he had been involved in a not-at-fault accident, he didn’t mince words about how frustrated he was. It didn’t help that it was a week before Christmas and his rig was inoperable.
When Ryan told me he was doubtful the other insurance carrier would pay the downtime claim, I took it as a personal challenge to exceed his expectations. I saw it as a chance to show Wilson Insurance’s claims advocacy. I’ll be honest, there were times it got frustrating for both of us while the at-fault driver’s insurance company stalled and resisted accepting liability.
But I’m from old-school Mesa – I’m scrappy. I never let up.
Six months later I am happy to report we won! Ryan’s tone was much different when he called me last week to report the claim had been closed and he had a big check in his hand. I wanted to share some insights into what I learned along the way.
1. Program Rental with Downtime Coverage on your policy so you don’t have to wait 6 months to be paid. It is much easier to get the benefit upfront and let the insurance carriers subrogate against each other. It is worth the cost (and more affordable than you think).
2. Dashcam footage was essential in establishing liability and getting our trucking downtime claim paid. In less than two hours after the accident, Ryan emailed me a clip of the accident to review. He was able to share it with the officer who then ticketed the at-fault party. It also helped when we got a lawyer involved. If a picture says a thousand words, a video says even more.
3. When you hit a brick wall, it helps to get a lawyer involved for downtime claims. Despite clear communication, a damning police report, dashcam footage, and two witnesses, it was still difficult to get the other insurance carrier to accept liability three months later. That is when I referred Ryan to an attorney who specialized in trucking claims. We don’t play around. A week later, everything changed (and got easier).
4. If you are involved in an accident, immediately get a physical to assess damages. Yes, even if you don’t want to and even if you don’t immediately hurt afterward.
5. To optimize your downtime claim, get a rental truck ASAP. Ryan shared that his downtime claim award would have been greater had he obtained or attempted to obtain a replacement truck last December. He didn’t think it would make that much of a difference and was unsure if a rental Freightliner was even available. They are and it would have.
In retrospect, Ryan told me that the accident was one of the best things that has happened of late. He traded up for a new rig that he likes so much more and bypassed the frustration of having to manage the claim alone. I even think he hates insurance a little less.
If you are a trucking operation that is looking for a proactive, assertive agency to work with, Wilson Insurance would like to talk to you. Not only will we endeavor to find you the most competitive pricing available, but we will also fight for you if you have a claim.
It feels good to win. How can I help you win today?
Justin Chappell
VP Business Development
Wilson Insurance
With experience on both the carrier and agency side of the business, Justin has a unique perspective that is often lacking with traditional insurance agencies. He puts his insider experience as a former senior underwriter to good use to help his customers out of tough spots. When he isn’t blogging about insurance topics, he is busy building his book of business for trucking, construction, manufacturing, hotel/motel, commercial real estate, retail, and restaurant business.