Insurance Companies

Those of you that has had to replace a seat due to a crash which insurance companies replaced the seat without any questions provided you prove that the seat was in the car etc.
I have Geico and I asked them if they do and I got this repones
"Thank you for using GEICO's online services.

We have received your question regarding the replacement of a child car
seat due to an accident. If either of your vehicles has been involved
in an accident, you are required to contact our Claims department at
1-800-841-3000 and report the incident, regardless of fault. Once you
have filed your claim, our Claims representatives will inform you of all
items that are covered in an accident.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. "


Im thinking bout switching insurance companies to one that will without any hassles.

mburks26 said:

Those of you that has had to replace a seat due to a crash which insurance companies replaced the seat without any questions provided you prove that the seat was in the car etc.
I have Geico and I asked them if they do and I got this repones
"Thank you for using GEICO's online services.

We have received your question regarding the replacement of a child car
seat due to an accident. If either of your vehicles has been involved
in an accident, you are required to contact our Claims department at
1-800-841-3000 and report the incident, regardless of fault. Once you
have filed your claim, our Claims representatives will inform you of all
items that are covered in an accident.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. "


Im thinking bout switching insurance companies to one that will without any hassles.

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i don't think that requiring you to file a claim over the phone is asking too much to replace a carseat. it sounds more like a formality to me. i mean, if you were in an accident... PERIOD, then your insurance should know about it. if there were truly no questions asked, what would stop people from calling their insurance companies and just asking for new seats without showing evidence of being in an accident?

besides, there will be far more questions asked and other red tape during the process of switching companies than there will be to get a carseat replaced with your existing company, so i really don't see the reason for wanting to switch companies.

I know I would have to file a claim etc but that answer makes me uneasy on if they normally do replace seats. I just wanted to know which companies has the less hassle bout it. My company could have said yes depending on etc...

I didn't have to file a claim with my insurance company on either of my accidents because they weren't my fault, and the other party involved filed with their ins company, and their ins company replaced my car seats in both cases.
Those companies were Travelers Insurance and Motor Club (AAA).
Good luck!

mburks26 said:

Those of you that has had to replace a seat due to a crash which insurance companies replaced the seat without any questions provided you prove that the seat was in the car etc.
I have Geico and I asked them if they do and I got this repones
"Thank you for using GEICO's online services.

We have received your question regarding the replacement of a child car
seat due to an accident. If either of your vehicles has been involved
in an accident, you are required to contact our Claims department at
1-800-841-3000 and report the incident, regardless of fault. Once you
have filed your claim, our Claims representatives will inform you of all
items that are covered in an accident.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. "


Im thinking bout switching insurance companies to one that will without any hassles.

Click to expand...

I had Geico. They replaced my seat without any hassle. I did of course file a claim (by phone). My car was totaled.

I had a roundabout, and they let me replace it with a Marathon. I had to buy the new seat first and then mail them my receipt along with a picture of the seat that was in the car at the time of the accident. They sent me a check to reimburse me for the seat. It was easy as pie.

They did not make me send the seat to them either, So I took the cover off the seat and sold the cover. I also removed the LATCH strap and tether strap and kept them...I have no idea why I kept them, DH thought they were cool straps and we had not used the latch one because we had a seatbelt install. The tether was also not in use at the time of the accident. Then I destroyed the seat myself.

this is normal. after an accident you need to contact your insurance company. specially if an accident report was filed (this will vary from state to state, as some states dont' send the cops out ot file a report unless it is a moderate to severe crash) I was recently in an accident (wasnt' my fault was my neighbors) He contacted his insurance company (we didnt' have an accident report as it was a small finder binder) I contacted the manufacture of my carseat. that would be step one, to see what their recommendations are. Most recommend (with the exception of Britax which has quidelines from NSTHA for reusing a seat after a minor accident) that your seat be replaced in ANY accident. They will send you a letter to submitt to your insurance company or the at fault driver's company. You will present this letter to the adjuster the company sends out. Also, if you have any problems and your insurance company also practices in California (which Geico does I do believe, I have them too, I live in FL) that will work in your favor, cause california has passed a law that states all insurance companies that write policies in that state must replace carseats after an accident. So you can use that (even if you reside outside of cali) to your favor to get your seat replaced without hassle. In most insurance, specially big named ones, they know about this (some smaller comapanies like to say they've never heard of that ) and replace any seat where the manufacture deems it needs to be replaced. If they still giv eyou a hard time, then having them sign an affidavit that states that if that carseat fails to protect your child in any other accident due to the insurance company's refusal to replace it, that they take full responsibility of the seat failing. this usually gets the most hard nosed insurance company' sto pony up the replacement cost.

I really donnot think you will have any problems with Geico replacing the seat though. they are a great insurance company. But they dont' take claims over the computer in most cases, you need to call them in person.

HTH
Beth

Farm Bureau replaced our RA without much hassle, but they were the other driver's insurance. Our repair shop verified that there was indeed a carseat in the vehicle and I had to fax over documentation of the current replacement price because it was more than the average carseat. I had a check within 3 days.

It has been my experience that they will not replace them if the wreck was your fault. They said it was considered it personal property and that isn't covered. They also said if I had hit another car, and they had carseats, then they would pay for the other people's seats to be replaced.

Has anyone had their seats replaced when they were at fault??

I had an accident in December of last year. I was found to be at fault for the accident. My insurance company (State Farm) covered replacement for DD's seat. It took a couple of days of talking on the phone to claims representatives, but they finally told me to purchase a seat and I could fax them the receipt. I had a check 2 days later in the mail...and this was right before Christmas, too! I did not have to prove that a carseat was in my car nor did they ask for the carseat back, so I of course destroyed it a few days later.

Beckers said:

It has been my experience that they will not replace them if the wreck was your fault. They said it was considered it personal property and that isn't covered. They also said if I had hit another car, and they had carseats, then they would pay for the other people's seats to be replaced.

Has anyone had their seats replaced when they were at fault??

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I had Geico and yes, mine was considered my fault by my insurance company. Geico was my insurer and they paid for my car, my seat, the other guy's car and the other guy's injuries.

I never saw the police report, so I don't know what CHPs determintion was for fault, but I know I was not cited. My insurance company said that the "at fault" is not always determed by what the cop thinks...the insurance decides I think if the driver played enough of a role to make it worth it for them not to try to fight to say it was not their insuree's fault. That is how the claims adjuster described it to me.

My husband totalled our car a couple years ago. Definitely his fault. Progressive had me go out and by an identical seat and submit a copy of the receipt. Then a check was cut to us for the value. We carry collision on our cars. Progressive (or any insurance company for that matter) will not cover your seat in an accident that was your fault if you do not carry collision on your car.

I ended up returning the comfortsport that I replaced our original with and used the funds for a husky. Best choice I could have made!

If you want to know if Geico will cover a seat if you are in an accident, just all their customer service number. They may not be able to give out information about different policies without you on the other line. It seems like most companies are more than willing to help figure out what your policy will cover if you give them a call.

I soo agree with PP. Even if your car is paid for infull. Always have comp/collision on your main vehicle! It is a life safer in more ways than one!
beth

In April Ds and I were riding with my mom when she was rear ended. The other driver had State Farm and they just told me to get what I needed and fax them the receipt. After the accident the fire dept took my seat and gave me a cheapie Cosco so I didn't even have the one that was involved in the accident. Of course he barely fit in the Cosco. Anyway I replaced my Evenflo Triumph with a Britax Regent with no problem. They even paid for shipping since I ordered it online. :thumbsup:

I can't remember the guys insurance that replaced mine. I filed with my insurance even though I knew I wasn't at fault, rear ended on the interstate, since you should always tells them. I had a passenger in the car that has up to 2 years to sue me and if I hadn't reported it I would be screwed. Now if she sued me they'd see I wasn't at fault and she'd have to sue the guy that hit me. Anyway, his agent gave me crap cause the baby wasn't in the car at the time but his seat was. The cop told me it didn't need to be replaced. Cosco said it did. He hit me square going about 35. Pushed bumped and fenders in, flat spotted my two front tires cause I was sstopped and standing on the brakes. I was bruised by seatbelt as was my passenger. I got a letter from cosco saying it needed to be replaced, bought a new seat, provided info on seat I had and seat I bought (didn't make exact model anymore and new one was $20 more), they paid it after I submitted it all with a letter stating it was their responsibility. He didn't want to pay the claim on the car either though he tried to tell me the bodyshop estimate was too high, told him sorry, I am allowed to choose my own and I don't have to get multiple estimates in VA. He apparently didn't think I knew anything about car insurance and thought I would back down, I didn't and they paid for it all. I think it was all-state but I can't swear to it, it was too long ago.

Janet

I also have Geico and although I have never had to file a claim, I did ask the rep I talked to when I added another vehicle about carseat replacement. I was told that in an accident as long as a claim is filed that my carseats would be replaced regardless of who was at fault or if they were occupied. I asked the rep what info I should keep on the seats and she suggested keeping my sales receipts. She assured me that there would be no issues with carseat replacement in the event of an accident.

Beckers said:

Has anyone had their seats replaced when they were at fault??

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Your insurance will only pay to replace them if you have what is commonly referred to as "total" or "comprehensive" coverage. If you have liability & uninsured motorists' only then it will not replace your seats or pay for any damage to your vehicle. It only covers damage you inflict on others. So if you have minimum coverage, and rear ended a car with car seats, damaging your vehicle and theirs, your insurance would pay to repair their vehicle & replace those seats, but would not cover any of yours.


If you have a bewer vehicle it's usually worth the cost to have "full coverage", but there are cases in which it is not a financially wise decision. Generally that's with older vehicles. For example, we only have liability & uninsured motorists (the legal minimum). Why? because the cost of the coverage for a year is more than the value of the vehicles insured. If you're going to spend $1k a year for comprehensive coverage on a vehicle only work $1500, it's not a finciancially sound decision unless you can afford to replace the vehicle every year, which is what you are in effect doing.

skaterbabscpst said:

If you have a bewer vehicle it's usually worth the cost to have "full coverage", but there are cases in which it is not a financially wise decision. Generally that's with older vehicles. For example, we only have liability & uninsured motorists (the legal minimum). Why? because the cost of the coverage for a year is more than the value of the vehicles insured. If you're going to spend $1k a year for comprehensive coverage on a vehicle only work $1500, it's not a finciancially sound decision unless you can afford to replace the vehicle every year, which is what you are in effect doing.

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i totally agree. it's not financially sound to keep comp/collision on a car worth xxx amount if the comp/collision coverage costs even half xxx, IMHO. there comes a point of diminishing return value in having that coverage. on the other hand, it is smart to increase the coverage of the liability portion of your policy, as some states have minimums that are ridiculously low (like $20,000 per person per accident). if you kill someone in an accident deemed your fault, that $20,000 liability coverage won't go too far and you can can be sued for far more...

DH and I got in similar accidents 1 year apart. For his accident we had Liberty Insurance. They didn't total his car even though there was like $12,000 worth of damage and they wouldn't replace the seat because DS wasn't in it at the time.

My accident was with GMAC insurance. They were lovely! Not only did they total my brand new car (8,000 miles!) they let me get any seat I wanted! I replaced a roundabout with a Wizard. They even thanked me because when I submitted the receipt they saw that I asked the Right Start to match an online sale price. LOL

southpawboston said:

on the other hand, it is smart to increase the coverage of the liability portion of your policy, as some states have minimums that are ridiculously low (like $20,000 per person per accident). if you kill someone in an accident deemed your fault, that $20,000 liability coverage won't go too far and you can can be sued for far more...

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Yes, if your policy will allow you to increase your limits, then do so by all means. Some don't allow that. Our's doesn't, but we are looking into combining with our homeowner's insurance so who knows what the different company will do.

I was in an accident in June where I was car #3 of 4 in a row, so the front was my fault and they back of the car wasn't. I have USAA and they were great about it. I asked the adjuster about the car seats on the phone and he just said to buy new seats, fax or mail him the reciepts, and he direct deposited the funds the next day. He never asked if the seats were occupied or what brand they were. I also asked if it would come out of my deductable and he said they don't consider the deductable at all when replacing car seats, they just do it. I know not everyone can get USAA insurance, but if you can, they are awesome!