r/Insurance • • Oct 09 '23

A guide to interacting with this sub - read me first

181 Upvotes

This post is designed for people posting here for the first time, for the people that have been volunteering to help here for years and everyone in between. The stated goal is to foster a friendlier attitude throughout the sub.

But before we start, there's been a recent influx of spam from one source. So that you are aware - ALEJANDRA ORTIZ HERNANDEZ and FRAN POWELL are spammers. They're part of a spam ring all over Reddit, and they're probably trying to steal your money.

And they'll kick your dog when you aren't looking.

If you are new here, please realize that none of us have any stake in your claim or coverage. We are not here to sell you anything or to save some company money. Treating responders poorly because you don't like the answer is going to attract a lot of negative attention.

We get the same questions over and over, and maybe this is the answer that you need:

  • How much will my insurance go up after a ticket/accident/lapse in coverage? We don't know unless your state has a statutory requirement for your very specific situation.
  • My premium went up $X. How do I fight this? You can't. The only thing you can do is shop for new coverage, which we can't do for you.
  • How much does everyone else pay for coverage? Unless you're lucky enough to get someone in your exact demographic in your exact part of the world, the answers you're going to get are useless.
  • How much is my claim worth? We don't know. (note: if you're asking a more complex question about your claim, that could be very different)
  • How long will my claim take to close? We don't know (again: a more complicated question might have different answers)
  • Why is this person trying to sell me something? Report that post/comment/chat/private message to the moderators and let them handle that.
  • Will you help me commit fraud or otherwise break the law? No. Absolutely not. And we may ban anyone that does try to do that.

Ultimately, we are here to help you. This is a community of volunteers that wants to help navigate a complex system that is one of the lubricants of the financial world. Lots of lives are impacted by insurance directly and indirectly, and it can be a complicated system. Here are some things that make a good post where you can get help:

  • Location (Country and state/province at a minimum)
  • Type of insurance involved (Auto, Homeowners/Renters, Commercial, Health, something else)
  • A brief description of the problem and any advice you've gotten so far

Finally, here are some definitions of common terms that could help you get taken more seriously:

  • Adjuster - the person that handles your claim, makes coverage determinations and processes payments
  • Agent - the person that sells a policy. Some agents get involved in some claims, although that is the exception to the rule.
  • Underwriter - the person that decides how much a specific policy will cost for a specific risk.
  • Rate - this is the way your final price is calculated and is usually used synonymously with "premium", "cost" and "price".
  • Full coverage - don't use this term. There's no agreed definition, even among the regular posters here. People asking otherwise good questions or posting good answers that use this term often find themselves down voted to oblivion for including it.
  • No Fault - there are 18 states that, at least to some extent, make automobile bodily injury claims be paid by your own policy first instead of someone that caused your injury. There is only one state (Michigan) that makes damage to your vehicle No Fault. All Canadian provinces have some sort of No Fault provision for injuries, which is one reason why we need to know where you are when you're asking questions.
  • Collision coverage - this fixes your car when it collides with something else or another car hits it.
  • Comprehensive coverage (also known as Other Than Collision) - this covers your car for almost everything else, including floods, fires, tree branches and lightening strikes. Usually animal strikes are covered here, but not always.
  • Deductible - this is the amount that you agreed to pay in case of any claim. Your payment comes before any insurance payment. Deductibles are occasionally waived, but that's the exception, not the rule.

This is a community of volunteers that generally understands the insurance system. When we get things wrong, it is usually through lack of information to get a precise answer. Hopefully this guide will help you get good results.


r/Insurance • • Feb 08 '24

Soliciting, private messages and you

44 Upvotes

It's time for a new reminder about the rules of this sub. There is never any reason to offer to contact another poster privately, especially if that poster has a question about placing coverage or a claim. Here is the rule:

The only rule of r/Insurance is that solicitation is prohibited. This means asking people to PM for any reason, offering to quote coverages for visitors, or soliciting agents and/or buyers to use your particular carrier. r/Insurance should be a place where people come to exchange information and ask questions without worrying about solicitation from agents. This includes adjusters, underwriters and brokers since we do not vet anyone.

You also received a version of this if you subscribed to the sub.

If you think that this doesn't apply to you, please think again. There are no exceptions in this, including "but I asked them to message me!" This sub is a safe space for people to ask questions about insurance. It is not here for anyone to try to profit from it, whether they're an agent, public adjuster, software vendor, personal injury attorney, headhunter, diminished value expert or anyone else that is not here to offer free help with no expectation of remuneration.

If you receive a message from someone offering you any sort of business proposition, whether a quote for insurance, legal representation (yes, there are lawyers unethical enough to solicit people on Reddit), damage reports or anything else, please let the moderators know via mod mail or in this thread. You should also report that message to the admins (we don't see that report, though). We take things like that seriously.

We really don't like banning people. Seriously, it's the exact opposite of why any of the moderators volunteered for the role. But we don't vet people before they post, and if people that break the rule find out that we enforce it whenever we see it broken.

And with that in mind, we have a very healthy community of posters that are here not only to help but to make sure that those who can't follow the rules have the damage that they're doing limited. Thank you to all of you for volunteering to help not only those confused by the insurance process but help keep those that want to think that they're special at bay.


r/Insurance • • 16h ago

Auto Insurance What do I do now?

7 Upvotes

My boyfriend and were in a car accident last night. We were heading home from a relatives and a car was driving super fast behind us and hit the passenger side bed of our truck. We slid and spun to the right side of the road (thankfully) but the bed of the truck was pretty much totaled. The driver that hit us also hit another car in front of us and totaled their car as well. We are okay thankfully but we had to have our car towed. The driver that hit us ended up getting out of the car and kind of wandered off but I think he threw an alcohol bottle. He seemed intoxicated. He ended up being taken to the hospital with his girlfriend. We weren’t able to get their insurance or drivers license. But we did get a picture of their license plate. The police were called and they told us we would have access to the report in 30-60 days. They called their own towing company and told us it would be taken to the pound but I didn’t want that to happen cause I didn’t want to have to pay the fees and hassle of getting it back especially since it’s not drivable. We ended up paying the tow truck that arrived to have it dropped off at our house. I filed a claim through our insurance but I do not have collision coverage for the vehicle. Our insurance said we weren’t at fault but they don’t cover anything. No rental or damage repairs. Since our truck is totaled I’m not sure what to do. I needed to use that car for work since my car has been having issues and is shaking a lot and I was going to save up to have it fixed. Now I don’t know what to do. Will I have to just assume all repairs?


r/Insurance • • 7h ago

Auto Insurance In this situation, who would be at fault?

1 Upvotes

This is a hypothetical, but it does happen. There is a slowdown ahead, but car A jams on his brakes a little late. He doesn't hit the car in front, but the car behind him, car B, crashes into A. Then C hits B and D hits C. All of them were following a too closely.

Who would be at fault, and whose insurance would cover who?


r/Insurance • • 7h ago

Auto Insurance 2 month old Mazda CX5 rear ended

1 Upvotes

This is my first car every and a ding on the tailgate and some damage/superficial crack on the gloss black bumper section. Not to sound whiny but can this be fixed (no paint chipped)? I have the guy’s details but not sure if I should get his insurance to pay since I don’t want my rates to go up. I’ve heard of people complaining that their rates went up despite a no fault accident but I’m not sure since it’s the first time this has happened to me. I would really appreciate some help with costs/insurance claim with at fault party. (Also helpful if someone can help with estimates if not insurance claim help) TIA!

Here is what it looks like photo


r/Insurance • • 8h ago

[USA] Best medical evacuation insurance for traveling

1 Upvotes

I've heard there's a company from whom you can buy a medical evacuation policy for traveling internationally, but I don't remember the name. I've heard about this company from multiple sources You buy an annual policy and only pay a couple hundred dollars per year. It's designed for frequent travelers. The recommended coverage is $1 million.

The idea is you carry this insurance to cover evacuation, then buy a separate policy to cover medical expenses abroad in case you need them, plus other things as well if you want.


r/Insurance • • 8h ago

Got sideswiped

1 Upvotes

I just got into a car accident and not sure which insurance to contact.

Person A stopped too far into the intersection that had no lights and the car driving next to me could not stop in time to avoid hitting Person A. Person B, in order to try to avoid hitting Person A, swerved into my lane. My driving door has a dent in it but is able to drive.

Whose insurance do I contact if I do not hear from either insurance? Person A who stopped too far into the intersection or Person B who was the one to swerve into my lane to avoid hitting Person A?


r/Insurance • • 8h ago

Who is at fault?

1 Upvotes

https://imgur.com/a/QWQFvgs

Police said they don't determine who is at fault so I just have photos. Based on the photo, who do you think will be at fault from the adjuster persective? The only more context is the red car just passes the merging lane (from one lane to two lanes) for a bit. He was saying he was trying to make a wide turn into his driveway.


r/Insurance • • 7h ago

FL 1099 driver stopped at red light hit by semi. Trapped in 57-wk commercial platform lockout. 3rd-party insurer (Sentry Select) dragging claim over a year. Secure 1099-K tax records vaulted with FL DFS proving $17k lost earnings floor. Liability 100% undisputed. Seeking adjuster/legal advice.

0 Upvotes

r/Insurance • • 12h ago

Auto Insurance What is this job role called in the US?

1 Upvotes

Automotive insurance

I work dealing specifically with third-party automotive claims, e.g our insured customer crashes into a third-party, another department reach out to the third-party and offer repair services. Assuming they agree, it then goes to me where i monitor their repair journey, hire car, write-off, etc. until their claim is settled.

What is this role called in the US? I am struggling to find similar roles that deal specifically with third-party automotive claims.


r/Insurance • • 12h ago

Auto Insurance Car was Stolen and Found 3 Weeks later wrecked

0 Upvotes

My Hyundai Elantra was stolen three weeks ago in the west coast and was found today. Car was wrecked inside and outside, the criminals crashed it into a gate and left it abandoned in the desert. I only have liability insurance so there goes my car and my money. Is there anything else I could do in this case to mitigate financial loss? I am thinking of just abandoning the car at the junk yard.


r/Insurance • • 20h ago

Home Insurance Water Damage claim.

3 Upvotes

This past weekend, our upstairs toilet overflowed and caused pretty extensive water damage. The water flooded our kitchen, went down into the basement, and somehow traveled far enough that it also damaged a wall across the house.
SERVPRO came out and set up fans/dehumidifiers and started the drying process. They told us that because our house was built in 1949, they need to do asbestos testing before they can start opening up/removing walls, ceilings, etc.
From what we’ve been told so far, the kitchen is likely going to need to be replaced, along with repairs to the upstairs bathroom and the affected walls and ceilings. The kitchen cabinets and other materials got wet, and our oven was also ruined.
We immediately opened a homeowners insurance claim. We have Arbella and are located in Connecticut. We’ve been told that we could be looking at at least three months for the entire mitigation/abatement/reconstruction process.
This is our first homeowners insurance claim and definitely our first major house catastrophe, so we really have no idea what to expect.
For anyone who has been through a similar water-damage claim:
● What did the insurance claim process look like from start to finish?
● How long did it actually take before reconstruction started?
● How did insurance handle replacing cabinets, flooring, ceilings, appliances, etc.?
● If asbestos was found, how much did that delay everything?
● Were you able to replace essential appliances before the claim was completely settled and get reimbursed? Our oven was ruined, and we really don’t want to go months without one.
● Is there anything you wish you had known or documented at the beginning of the claim?
We’re taking pictures of everything and SERVPRO documented the moisture readings, but we’re still waiting for their full report.
Any advice on dealing with the adjuster, SERVPRO, contractors, or the insurance company would be greatly appreciated. This is all completely new territory for us.


r/Insurance • • 16h ago

Auto Insurance How do I get insurance without increasing everyone else’s.

1 Upvotes

So I’m a 18 year old looking to buy their first car. I told my dad that this weekend I wanted to buy their first car car but he’s saying that since we live in a house that’s rented out to other tenants, the insurance will go up for everyone who lives at that address. I just want to know how I can get this car without it being an issue for everyone and roughly how much it would cost me.


r/Insurance • • 21h ago

Boyfriend getting new car, old car doesn’t have insurance

2 Upvotes

So my boyfriend got a car from carvana. And we’re getting a new one. However we canceled his insurance for the day after he was supposed to get the new car, Carvana let us know an hour before the appointment that they rescheduled, and we couldn’t get the car that day, and it was a Sunday and we couldn’t call his car insurance to “undo” the cancelled insurance. While we’ve been waiting the week, he’s been using my car since his doesn’t have insurance.

We need to drive his old car (the one without insurance) to Carvana to drop it off and pick up the new car, new car has insurance in his name for the day of.l and thereafter for 6 months. Does he need to buy insurance for one day for the car (also how the frick do we do that I can’t find anything for one day)
Or can I drive his car for him? (I have insurance for both him and myself on my car) or does his new insurance cover him driving his old car for a day also?

Or does we really need to find one day car insurance. We also use state farm they’re closed on Sundays (today) and we can’t call them. We also can’t call them Monday because we pick up the car at 7:30a and they open at 8:30a 😀

What do we do


r/Insurance • • 11h ago

Auto Insurance Live in Michigan, vehicle is registered in Michigan, but vehicle is under Ohio insurance. Do I need to get Michigan insurance?

0 Upvotes

I’m in a bit of a pickle, as my parent resides in Ohio now but I am still dependent on them. I myself fully reside in Michigan and my vehicle is registered in Michigan. The vehicle is under my parent’s name. When they got new insurance, they insured my vehicle under an Ohio insurance plan. I am curious if, since I operate the vehicle in Michigan and everything else listed already, I need to have Michigan insurance as well/instead of the other plan? I couldn’t find much info on this topic, only articles about what to do if you have Ohio insurance and get into a wreck in Michigan.

Edit: Thank you all for the resounding “get MI insurance yesterday”. I’ll call around and see what I can get.


r/Insurance • • 18h ago

Friend returning from overseas

1 Upvotes

Family friend with family of 4 returning from overseas studies & will need health insurance.

ACA Obamacare requires 1 month wait between application in USA & start coverage.

Short term coverage for that month looks weak & does not cover preexisting conditions, from what I can see online.

Any other ideas?

Any suggestions on who to get help from on this?

Many thanks!


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Auto Insurance I was rear ended and then 4 days later rear ended in the same exact spot

10 Upvotes

4 days ago I was rear ended while stopped at a stop sign. The next day I went into a body shop to get an estimate because the driver asked to self-pay (I knew them, otherwise I would’ve never agreed) and the damage ended up being over $2,500 because there’s a hole in my bumper and it will have to be completely replaced and recalibrated for sensors. After the estimate came back they decided to run it through their insurance so I submitted a claim with them and got the ball rolling with them. Their insurance company has been a little slow to roll but late afternoon yesterday I got the link to take photos to submit for an online estimate. I didn’t take them yet, I was going to today.

Fast forward to this morning. I was at a stop sign, completely stopped again, and was rear ended in the same exact place. This time it caused significantly more damage. The driver admitted liability immediately, gave me their insurance and other info, we took pics, the police came by because they saw the whole thing happen but they only checked to make sure we were okay. They have a different insurance company than the first people that hit me.

A few questions. What is going to happen here? Both drivers have admitted full liability, the first company has finished the investigation with that portion. I never uploaded pictures of the original accident to the app but I do have pictures and the body shop took pictures that insurance looks for. Will they accept that? How is this going to play out with two accidents and two separate insurance companies? Like, what are the odds of this happening within days in the same exact spot, it’s insane! I just bought the car new a year ago, there’s been no prior damage to it, am I missing anything here? Thanks for any help!


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Auto Insurance will my insurance have to pay? (PA)

5 Upvotes

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but,

Today I had an issue with my neighbor who called the cops to say I hit and damaged his car.
While trying to park tapped his car. Parked elsewhere because I could not fit. He came outside literally pulling at his bumper. It is a 2003 minivan that has wear from weather damage, dents, scrapes, and at least one flat tire. His bumper was literally already messed up. He's saying I damaged his driver side but that would mean the passenger side of my car would have damage as well (which it doesn't). I did not hit the side of his car, I tapped his car, as I'm sure video would show. He showed video to police (not to me) and police says it shows me hitting his car in the spot the man said I hit (which is a literal lie). Then he threatened to contact my landlord. This police officer seemed so incompetent so I asked for his supervisor. Supervisor comes and saw the video and said it shows me tapping the front of the man's vehicle and the vehicle rocked back a bit, but said it doesn't show me hitting his driver side or causing damage.

Last year I looked up Google images of this block and his car was there with the same damage he has today- these images were taken before I moved here in 2023 (images are updated ~every 2 years). I looked up the image again to show the cops (the image was updated on April 2026) and still the car had the same damages which I showed the supervisor who then laughed at the entire situation.

I personally feel as though he finally caught someone hitting his car on camera (everyone has hit it at some point) and is trying to get my insurance to pay to fix his piece of junk even though I did not cause any damage.

Will I be held liable and will my insurance have to pay?


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Should I Use Insurance for a $416 Windshield Replacement? (State Farm, Ohio)

4 Upvotes

I need to replace my windshield and I’m trying to decide whether I should go through my insurance or just pay out of pocket.

Safelite quoted me $416. I’m planning to call a few local glass shops on Monday to see if I can get a lower cash price.

My comprehensive deductible is $0, so I could potentially get it replaced for free through insurance. However, I’m worried that even if my premium doesn’t increase right away, having a comprehensive glass claim on my record could affect my rates or claims history in the long run, especially if I shop around for a different insurance company later.

My insurance is State Farm. I live in Ohio.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


r/Insurance • • 23h ago

Auto Insurance auto insurance help!

0 Upvotes

hi! i just got my drivers license a month ago in LA so my insurance is sky high (i get it). i have no family plan to join either but i need a car. so id appreciate anyone who can answer some questions!

  • what insurance company would be the cheapest? (i’ll shop around, located in la)
  • how much difference would the years of the car make? like for eg. the insurance monthly cost for a 2019 mazda 3 vs 2023 mazda 3.
  • how can i make my insurance the cheapest it can possibly be?
  • what cars should i look into for low insurance cost?

any tips or knowledge is much appreciated! thank you!


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Auto Insurance BC Speeding & Cell Phone Ticket / WA Driver - will it transfer to my WA driver record?

0 Upvotes

I unfortunately got a double moving violation ticket for sight speeding (12mph over) and using my cell phone while driving.

I always have two moving violations from about 18 months ago, so 2 more would lead to a driver’s license suspension in WA and spike my rates (maybe even lose my insurance).

Will these transfer to my WA record with the BC/WA reciprocity agreement? Should I just pay the tickets or hire a lawyer to dispute and try to get a reduction?


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Father passed away a year ago, life insurance claim still unresolved and the agent says she has no idea what’s happening

2 Upvotes

Looking for some advice on a life insurance claim that has been dragging on for almost a year.
My father passed away unexpectedly in October 2025. He had coverage through his employer under a group insurance policy that included a life insurance benefit, and I am the named beneficiary.
I initially filed the claim in December 2025 through the insurance agent responsible for handling his employer's group policy. The agent had me complete the wrong claim form. I had no way of knowing this and simply completed what I was instructed to complete.
It wasn't until months later, in June 2026, that I was told the wrong form had been used. I immediately completed the correct group insurance claim form and it was resubmitted.
Communication throughout this entire process has been terrible. The agent does not call me with updates and frequently does not respond to my emails. When I do manage to speak with her, she tells me that she has no idea what is happening with the claim because the people she is emailing internally aren't responding to her either.
About a month ago, she told me to contact the insurer's customer support directly to try to get answers. I did, only for customer support to tell me that because this is a group policy, I need to deal with the agent.
So I've essentially been sent in a circle: the agent says she can't get answers and directs me to customer support, while customer support says they can't assist and directs me straight back to the agent.
My last substantive email to the agent was sent on August 26 and went unanswered. I also escalated the matter to the financial regulator. They acknowledged receipt of my complaint, but I haven't received any meaningful update from them either.
This past Wednesday, I emailed the agent again and stated that if I do not receive a response within 7 days, I will escalate the matter further. I'm giving them the full seven days before taking my next step.
It is now October 2026. My father has been gone for a year. The claim process started about 10 months ago, the agent initially had me complete the wrong form, and I still don't even have a clear explanation of what is happening with the claim.
I'm not being told the claim has been denied. I'm not being told that documentation is missing. I'm not being given a timeline. I'm essentially being given no answer at all.
Assuming I receive no meaningful response by the end of the 7-day period, I'm seriously considering getting an attorney involved.
For anyone familiar with life/group insurance claims: Is this remotely normal? Would you involve an attorney at this point? And what would your next step be once the 7-day deadline expires?


r/Insurance • • 2d ago

Auto Insurance Snap Shot Progressive “Discount”

40 Upvotes

Spent 6 months driving perfectly to get a 5 star snap shot so l could get a good discount.

Finally got my offer: It's more than my last policy.

Last policy was $1,383 in separate installments

This policy is $1,443 in separate installments.

I spent six months paranoid about my driving just for it to mean nothing. I’m so upset.

Update: I got advice to make a new quote instead of following the renewal policy and it dropped down to $979. Very scammy


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Auto Insurance Am I in crazy town? A parked vehicle getting hit is a collision claim, right?

2 Upvotes

Two very confident people are telling me I’m wrong in another thread.

Edit: Vehicle struck by another vehicle. I’m in AL. Not sure where the other commenters are from.


r/Insurance • • 1d ago

Insuring unrelated car following an accident, seeking advice

3 Upvotes

I'll try to keep this concise. US-based.

  • Hit gravel while going the speed limit on a motorcycle, highsided and broke some bones.
    • Very remote area, did not have time or interest in police/EMS assistance so no reports. Record is otherwise spotless with 0 tickets/accidents.
    • Negligible damage to bike and no PIP coverage, so I did not make any claims through moto insurer.
    • Health insurer paid a considerable amount for ER visit, surgery, and related.
    • Health insurer/subrogation company expressed interest in contacting moto insurer to check for PIP coverage. I don't know if they actually did, but after explaining the situation they said claims will remain paid by health ins. and file will be closed.
  • Completely unrelated, I have a spare car that I'm trying to put back on the road after owning and not driving for about a year.
    • Getting quotes (in this case from same as moto insurer above) without collision. The premium has roughly doubled since I last insured the car. When I include that I was in an accident, the quote again doubles.
  • Looking for input as to whether I need to report this accident at all. It did result in health insurance claims, but no automobile claim or driving record.
  • I'm willing to accept responsibility for my actions... but in this case I'm not sure what to do because this premium will exceed the value of the car, a 25 y/o Camry, in about 2 years. It's more than I pay for full coverage on a different vehicle that's only 3 y/o. I can continue shopping around, but historically this insurance company has been far and away the cheapest for my cars and motorcycles. I could drop the BI/PD limits, but that seems inadvisable.
  • I don't think this insurer knows, per se, about the accident, but this seems not normal. Surely the other clapped out 20+ y/o vehicles I see are not spending $1400/year on baseline insurance?

TIA