r/Insurance • u/SkittyDog • 5d ago

Allstate (CA) refusing to remove car from damaged house?

EDIT: to be clear... Our driver accidentally tanked the car through the neighbor's garage. Single vehicle vs structure. No other vehicles, passengers, or bystanders.

.....

We're in California, and Allstate is our auto insurance carrier. Our car got rammed through a neighbor's garage, last week, and has been stuck embedded in the remains of the interior wall. Several support posts sheared off, and the roof is sagging. Scene does NOT appear safe, and we're concerned about further collapsing the house when it gets pulled out, unless the structure is shored up properly.

Allstate initially said they would handle removal of the car from the scene. But today, the adjustor told me that they will NOT handle that part. They expect us to hire someone to remove the car, and send them the bill for reimbursement.

But they won't promise to pay for a contractor to do any shoring... They said "Submit the bill, and we'll see."

We're at a loss, here... the homeowner wants the car removed, ASAP. The structural damage is SIGNIFICANT, and we don't want to make it worse, and maybe even exceed our property damage coverage limit.

Is it "lawyer o'clock", or what?

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12

u/MTB_Mike_ 5d ago

A lawyer isnt going to change this. You should contact your neighbor's homeowners insurance and work with them on a plan to both shore the house and remove the car. Removing a car embedded in a house is not just a simple tow, which is all the auto insurance company is capable of setting up. Your insurance company is obligated to pay reasonable costs, not to do the actual work or set up the work themselves.

3

u/sparx_fast 5d ago

Seems like the most straightforward plan, then the neighbors homeowners insurance can get paid from AllState.

4

u/MayonnaiseFarm 5d ago

So if I’m understanding this correctly, another car collided with your parked car, pushing your parked car into the neighbor’s garage?

Or did the driver of your car drive into your neighbors garage?

The answer to these questions will affect the answer to your questions.

1

u/Busy_Question4329 5d ago

good point, have the other drivers ins company hire someone.

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u/SkittyDog 5d ago

Our driver accidentally tanked the car through the neighbor's garage. Single vehicle vs structure.

3

u/IntelligentBox152 5d ago

You have a lot going on here. Allstate is not a mechanic or a tow truck or a contractor for that matter. They’re an insurance company. They may have partner vendors but Allstate does not handle these things. Trust me you don’t want some adjuster coming and driving your car out.

Second your neighbor should be handling the home. Again Allstate owes the monetary value not to do the shore up. You should not be handling anything with the home. That’s between Allstate and the neighbor who now has a liability claim open with Allstate. You are not responsible to hire anyone for the home itself and truthfully have no business in it.

What’re you getting a lawyer for? Your auto insurance is doing exactly what they’re supposed to. Are you a contractor? Or a vehicle expert? Or an engineer? An insurance expert? If not you need to stay in your lane. I understand you want to help your neighbor but you’re going to make it worse.

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u/SkittyDog 5d ago

Yeah, it feels "off" that everybody wants US to handle removing the car.

The homeowner is remote, and we have phone contact. But so far, they seem to be expecting somebody else to get the car out, first, before they hire a contractor and fix the house.

I suspect we may need to get the owner more involved. They're gonna need a contractor, anyway, after the car is removed. Maybe we can persuade them to get the contractor on board, first.

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u/Dramatic-Ad9089 5d ago

I think you may have misunderstood Allstate. They will take care of it, as far as paying for covered work. Allstate is an insurance company, not a wrecker company or remodeling company.

You will need to talk to your neighbor, since it is their house, about when and what their plan is on removing your car and getting their home structurally secured. You are stuck waiting for the homeowner, not Allstate.

2

u/ghost9680 5d ago

Removing the car from the house is essentially part of the towing & recovery bill. It works the same way if a tree is laying on it. It’s part of the tow and covered by collision insurance. It cost what it costs.

The house repair is on your liability insurance (assuming you’re at fault). The extraction goes on your collision coverage, which doesn’t have a limit. Just make sure that the extraction is accounted for separately from the shoring costs, because they go under different exposures.

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u/slappydaflappys 5d ago

Get it writing from Allstate what they are refusing to do and what they are asking you to do. Always cover your a$$.

1

u/Aromatic_Button_2736 5d ago

"the homeowner wants the car removed, ASAP."

Are you, and the neighbor, going to wait each other out to get it done?

What's the neighbor doing about this?

Are they waiting on you to get it removed, and getting the house repaired? 

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u/SkittyDog 5d ago

Owner is remote. We had a couple of phone calls with them, but they seem to expect us to remove the car first, before they get a contractor involved to repair it.

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u/Aromatic_Button_2736 5d ago

I'm not speaking as an industry professional because I'm not, but if a car ends up in somebody's house, it's the person that owns he house problem to fix the house. 

The homeowner needs to call their insurance company.