What to do if the owner of the vehicle collected the insurance deductible from the driver of the vehicle but never submitted a claim?
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What to do if the owner of the vehicle collected the insurance deductible from the driver of the vehicle but never submitted a claim?
The driver of the vehicle hit a light pole. The owner of the vehicle collected the deductible amount for his insurance from the driver but never submitted the insurance company a claim of the accident. Now the city has billed the driver and the owner for the light pole that was damaged during the accident and the owner refusing to pay anything for the bill. Instead, he is telling the driver they must pay the full amount. This bill has been in collections for 3 years now.
Asked on July 25, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, California
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
The driver of the vehicle that caused the damage to public property should advise the municipality's representative that the owner of the vehicle has been paid the deductible for the accident and the insurance carrier for the vehicle should be contacted by the municipality for payment for the damages.
If the driver has his or her own insurance policy, the driver's insurance carrier should be placed on notice about the municipality's claim as well.
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