What can I do if the auto insurance won’t cover my car damage?
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What can I do if the auto insurance won’t cover my car damage?
My car (Mercedes Benz) was hit by a golf cart when it was parked at the golf course parking lot. The problem is that the golf cart was stolen by someone and that someone ran away when he hit my car. (and they haven’t found the thief)After talking to the golf course’s insurance company, and doing the estimate of my car damage (around $1500), the insurance called me and said they still cannot tell me whether they are going to pay for the car damage since the golf cart was droven by a person who stole the cart. Are they right or do I need a lawyer for this?
Asked on June 12, 2009 under Accident Law, Arizona
Answers:
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
You might want to submit the claim to your own auto insurance company first; you should absolutely give them notice of the situation, in any case. If you want to recover your deductible, or sue without asking your insurance to pay for the repairs, a lawyer would certainly be helpful. One place to look for an attorney is our website, http://attorneypages.com
The law in these situations can vary from one state to the other, and I'm sure there are some more factual details that could turn out to be very important. It rarely hurts to talk to an attorney first! While the golf course may claim that they aren't responsible for the acts of a thief who had no permission to use their golf cart, it might be possible to respond that the golf course was negligent in allowing an unauthorized person to get use of the golf cart.
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