Dennis from Cornelius, Oregon, worked nights at a food processing and packaging plant. At 6:00 a.m., driving home from his shift, a car ran a stop sign and hit him. The impact occurred near the driver’s side rear wheel, missing Dennis by just inches. When he got out to assess the damage and talk to the other car’s driver, they backed away, ripping pieces from his car, and drove off. It was dark; he couldn’t make out the details of the other vehicle and driver. Fortunately, he could walk away from the crash, although a little stiff and sore.
The police came, took a report, and ordered a tow truck since the rear wheel was folded underneath the automobile, rendering it undrivable. Dennis texted me at 6:45 a.m. I asked if he had downloaded the company’s app to his phone—he had. He reported the claim through the app while waiting for the tow truck. By the time he got home, he had an email from the company stating an adjuster had been assigned to his case. Within hours, he talked to the claims representative, giving all the details of the accident.
The adjuster authorized a rental car so Dennis could continue his night-shift work. The company sent someone to assess his car in the tow yard and declared it a total loss. Within a week, they paid Dennis for his automobile out of the Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD) line of coverage, which carried a $300 deductible. He used that cash to pay off the remaining loan; the extra went toward the down payment on a new car. The police never found the other vehicle or driver.
Dennis did everything right. He purchased UMPD and had Rental Reimbursement coverage on his policy. He used the app from the scene to report the accident, which sped up the process.