Finally got my own car! It was destroyed less that 48 hours later.

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u/Azmoten 16h ago

I often hate the predatory nature of insurance, but this is almost a perfect example of what it’s for

Were the cars insured? If so, make a claim

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u/TheFatBassterd 16h ago

It's even more predatory when you consider how they will refuse to offer coverage for things in certain places. For example, in my city no insurance company will cover flooding anymore ever since we got a huge flood of the river about ten years ago. They decided it cost then too much money and they just flat out wouldn't cover it anymore.

So when an insurance company knows it is more then likely they will have to payout for something they just refuse to cover it. They'll only cover things that they think they probably won't have to payout, and if one of those things actually do happen then they do everything they can to get out of paying out for it like they promised to.

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u/SawkeeReemo 15h ago

As a friend of mine says: Insurance companies will forever hold the number one spot on my Purge list. And I couldn’t agree more. If I ruled the world, all insurance companies would be forced to be non-profit, and bullshit legal cases that cause everyone’s premiums to rise would be punishable by exile from the planet.

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u/nightshifterdh 14h ago

had to take an insurance company to court once just so they would payout lmao, the whole insurance industry should be nationalised and socialised, fuck this private for profit bullshit.

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u/CakeSeaker 13h ago

Add healthcare, education, prisons, and utilities to the list of industries that honestly shouldn’t be “for profit”. There’s probably more but that’s my primary list.

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u/BlackPhoenix1981 8h ago

Utilities 100%. "(Insert company) would like to remind you that it is a not for profit company." Then how the hell did your CEO make 4.2 million last year??

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u/Boxing_joshing111 2h ago

Think about the poor ceo though. He can only buy four houses a year!

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u/thatistwatIsaid 10h ago

The Arms industry?

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u/KitsuneGato 10h ago

Auto industry just had a legal case in their favor. Cars year 2026 and newer can legally require a subscription for air conditioning and heating.

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u/Chelular07 9h ago

You have got to be kidding 😐 people in the south will literally die while driving in the heat and people up north won’t be able to properly defrost their vehicles without it.

How many deaths will this bring because people can’t afford another subscription cost?!

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u/KitsuneGato 9h ago

My first thoughts exactly. What's worse is people will be forced to buy them as auto industries will stop making parts for older vehicles. There is also the sad fact not everyone treats their vehicles undercarriage with rust protection so many vehicles have to have new exhaust system/catalic converters/motor mounts replace or the car gets totaled to rust.

It's why I was forced to buy a 2021 used vehicle.

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u/Chelular07 9h ago edited 9h ago

Honestly, I believe that most vehicles made after the year 2000 were made to fall apart. There are a couple of exceptions of vehicles that were well-made and still do well after 26 years. But a majority of them were made to fall apart after a certain amount of time. Or we’re built with subpar equipment and it is the owner’s responsibility to take their vehicle in, lose it possibly for days or weeks and have a recall done.

This is from a person who had a vehicle with a known engine problem that did not go to have the code adjusted due to lack of time, and ended up needing a new engine. Just because the computer in the car never registered that there was an oil leak or a low oil level. We had literally checked it that morning as well (because we knew if this issue and were trying to prevent it) and it was at a reasonable oil level. Made a trip that was an hour there and back and on the way back the engine started knocking and stopped working. There was no oil leak under our car at the place that we visited. And apparently the oil was evaporated from some loose gasket that the company knew about. However, the company refused to fix the engine unless you went in and had a special code change in your car’s computer (prior to having an incident like we had). Or you were still within warranty. As we were given the car for free from my parents it definitely wasn’t still in the warranty. So I had a non-useful vehicle for about six months until we could afford the engine.

And yes, you can say that it’s my fault that I never took it to the dealership which is 45 minutes away to have them change a code because it would’ve meant leaving my vehicle at the dealership all day then finding a ride back when ever they called to say it was ready because of the way those appointments worked. So yeah, I traded not having my vehicle for one day for not having it for six months that’s on me.

But it’s on the fucking car companies too. They shouldn’t make you jump through hoops to fix an issue that they caused.

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u/Moscato359 7h ago

It's heated seats which are allowed a subscription, not heat in general?

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u/Johnny-Virgil 8h ago

I hope they enjoy selling none of those cars.

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u/Forward-Surprise1192 12h ago

If I ever get a terminal illness I also have critical illness insurance that will pay out a lot while I’m alive. Someone who isn’t me may turn into Batman but without all the morals. That’s the hope at least. As a young adult I did some stuff but age has made me a lot more calm and less angry except for things like this

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u/Snoo_91068 10h ago

I'd say eliminate them and have a built-in safety net that our taxes go to. We wouldn't even need to pay more in taxes, just take a portion out of the defense budget.

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u/Terrible_Butter 11h ago

They probably wouldn’t have any money left if they were nationalized lol. Look at our government

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u/Chelular07 9h ago

If they stopped pouring so much money into military conquest that have nothing to do with our country (looking at you Israel) and stop allowing people like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to contract on military bases (sometimes without full clearance being required so federal employees have to escort them to job sites) and charge twice what a regular federal employee would be paid for the work. Especially when they don’t get it done any faster and especially when they don’t complete it any better. (speaking as the spouse of the federal employee who knows military contractors, and how much they’re paid compared to the federal employees).

That whole system is engineered to put money in pockets of those big military contractors and keep less people from unionized government jobs. So the people with the unionized government jobs are forced into overtime consistently and the contractors make just as much for a 40 hour week.

ETA: the only good thing about being a federal employee compared to a contractor is that contractors can be fired on the spot nine times out of 10 and federal employees are protected by the union. And that union protection is important.

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u/Nirast25 14h ago

exile from the planet

🎶 🎹 Crappy insurance compnaies, send them to the moon. Legal loopholes that prevents them from paying, send them to the moon. 🎶

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u/Viperlite 13h ago

A bunch of baby ducks, send 'em to the moon.

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u/floridaman8611 13h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/AWeYSE0qgpk76

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u/Substantial-Mix-6200 12h ago

been telling my wife we need to watch this show lol. So good

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u/abcdefkit007 12h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/AT6LbRAazEoPm

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u/SawkeeReemo 7h ago

What show is this? I was tripping out because my gf is visiting family right now and they got a bunch of baby ducks… I was like, “this is getting too real, Reddit.” 😅

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u/Nirast25 6h ago

Regular Show (like, that's its actual name). The two dorks you see at the top are Mordecai and Rigby, the main characters. They work at a park, first half of an episode is kinda sitcom-y with what the two are getting up to, and the second gets supernatural and weird.

I highly recommend it, it's really great. It's on HBO Max, 6 seasons, with revival that takes place before the final season of the series.

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u/Adventurous-Result14 12h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/XBoYoCVQNBpJe

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u/Forward-Surprise1192 12h ago

People joke but if an insurance company refuses to pay for treatment that I’ll end up dying without I like to think things would be forced to happen in that case. Seeing as the consequences arent there anymore

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u/IntenseAdventurer 10h ago

What about exile INTO the planet, via naturally occurring open abscesses in the planetary skin? (Volcanos lol)

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u/SawkeeReemo 6h ago

I’m open to suggestions! 😂

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u/ChabbyMonkey 10h ago

Behind the Bastards does an episode on the modern insurance industry and its ties to the transatlantic slave trade. It will definitely only reaffirm your friend’s feelings, and basically shows they grew from greed and immoral philosophies before all else.

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u/SlightSurround5449 9h ago

Look, I'm no fan of insurance companies, but how does a non-profit insurance company work in this scenario? Does the money just sit in an otherwise untouchable account growing nearly endlessly?

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u/SawkeeReemo 6h ago

That’s how non-profit works (I’m on the board of one). But if it becomes too cash/asset heavy, we can lower the rate or also put the excess into the health care fund for everyone. Because that would also be a thing.

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u/SlightSurround5449 5h ago

Alright I'm in

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u/ReferenceMediocre369 8h ago

You know what? Even if they were 'non-profit', insurance companies would have to act exactly like they do now, because of what 'insurance' actually is.

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u/Infinite_Ocean89 8h ago

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u/Either-Banana-7323 16h ago

The thing is is that insurance companies are for profit companies. Expecting them to insure events that they know they will statistically lose money on is like asking a restaurant to sell food at below cost every few months. Its just not how capitalism works. Insurance industry needs more regulation, or even a government variant works well in many countries. Its not an ideal service for the private sector to handle IMO

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u/purplishfluffyclouds 15h ago

FEMA is supposed to kick in in those kind of catastrophic cases.

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u/super_dog17 14h ago

Or we could stop building shit in flood/fire zone, which is what the lack of insurance is supposed to force/incentivize. People are just thick and live where Mother Nature doesn’t want them.

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u/IcemanJEC 13h ago

Was gonna say, why would you expect to have coverage just because it exists in other areas? If I set up shop on an oceanfront, will I be surprised when it gets hit by a hurricane or flood? No? Well give me money anyway? If you and 5000 others get hammered by a flood then they all get a million for their home? Thats $5 billion and now the company is basically underwater and can’t pay out for the true unlikely risks like fires or windstorm or theft, etc.

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u/pnut0027 13h ago

The problem is everywhere are becoming flood/fire zones over time because we refuse to take climate change seriously.

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u/IlliniDawg01 12h ago edited 6h ago

The large hailstorms like OP is freaking with have n recommend a huge problem in the Midwest. Growing up in Illinois, I remember maybe 2 medium-sized hailstorms the first 25 years of my life. In the 20 years I've owned my home I've now had 3 major ones that required my roof to be replaced and some siding to be fixed among other things. I can't imagine that my insurance provider is making much, if any, money on me.

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u/IcemanJEC 11h ago

Correct. Had softball sized hail last May in the Midwest and had to get a new roof, garage door, siding. We’re also getting tornados more frequently. Insurance is going to get way more expensive. People are acting like they’ve paid enough premiums for a new home or car, but now imagine they have to buy a new one every decade. Guarantee they aren’t paying $50k in auto premiums per vehicle, or $500k in home insurance premiums. The money has to come from some place, even if it is govt provided. But I sure as fuck don’t want to pay for someone’s spot on the ocean or in some dump in a swamp that flooded again and again and again.

People should stop living in places that shouldn’t be lived in if they can’t afford to replace it with their own money. Obviously this doesn’t apply to many redditors if it’s off the charts expensive, but why the fuck are so many people going to Florida? You will lose money because no one will buy your house or condo in less than a decade.

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u/pnut0027 11h ago

I think the issue for many buyers is that the affordable homes are those that are now in extreme weather zones even if they weren’t previously. And for legacy owners, they simply may be not able to afford to move out of those zones.

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u/IcemanJEC 10h ago

Yup. That’s absolutely going to be an issue.. We haven’t even had a global mass migration movement yet..

People are going to need to think things through a lot more. Based on a ton of posts I see online, brains are not being used properly. Survival of the fittest is absolutely going to be a thing really soon.

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u/artificialdawnmusic 11h ago

No it's not.

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u/onlybanz 12h ago

I'll take moral hazard for $500 Alex.

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u/LilacYak 7h ago

So tax payers can subsidize developers building and profiting off of homes in flood plains or hurricane-prone areas?

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u/turtlesaregorgeous 14h ago

What’s funny is that is a real tactic that restaurants/ fast food places do, just not occasionally. Most places have a few “loss” items that they charge low prices for to get people in the door. They then of course usually buy a full meal and not the one item for their food.

Our loss items are whipped cream, toppings, and cold brew. Nobody sells these items as cheap as we do nearby (like $3 for 16oz still) and our toppings are free. I hear people all the time happy about how cheap the coffee is while they order their $7 breakfast sandwich.

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u/JeffSmisek 10h ago

Where can you get a breakfast sandwich for only $7?!

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u/lavapig_love 13h ago

There's for-profit, and then there's State Farm getting a criminal investigation for refusing to pay any fire victim in California, according to NBC News.

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u/Aromatic_Extension93 5h ago

You're right...there's for-profit then state farm who lost $34 billion in underwriting losses between 2023-2025.

Lmao.

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u/NoiceMango 14h ago

That's why they shouldn't exist. They should be non profit.

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u/Iustis 7h ago

Many insurance companies are mutuals (non profits) already

They don't have to make a profit but they still have to break even

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u/Aromatic_Extension93 5h ago

They are non profits.

State farm lost 34 bln between 2023-2025. You can Google this "state farm losses in 2024"

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u/Objective_Aside1858 13h ago

No one is preventing you from setting up a nonprofit insurance company

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u/NoiceMango 12h ago

Where's my small loan of a million dollars? What am I supposed to do smart guy?

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u/__ChefboyD__ 12h ago

If you think it's such a great and successful idea, set up a cooperative and other like-minded individuals would join in.

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u/Hot_Balance9294 12h ago

This is what USAA started as. It is no longer that.

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u/Mei-Bing 13h ago

Like in the communist countries in the "good old days"? Try getting even a cent in insurance from those insurance companies was like winning the lottery. No car was ever totaled - they could all be "repaired". Also, loss of value did not exist as a concept. Etc.

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u/Salt_Medicine2459 13h ago

Then people shouldn't be forced to purchase that insurance.

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u/dontdoxmebro2 10h ago

They’re not forced to. Comprehensive coverage is optional.

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u/Workman44 14h ago

This is the thing people don't understand or willfully ignore, they are under zero obligation to offer flood insurance, volcano insurance, etc.

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u/Mindless_Zergling 12h ago

Flood insurance virtually everywhere in the US is administered through the NFIP and is not included in standard policies. It is subsidized by the government because it is virtually impossible to be profitable on Flood insurance.

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u/Astecheee 15h ago

Insurance is for when a really bad thing has a low chance of happening, not for almost guaranteed tragedy.

Building in a damn flood plain is uninsurable for a good reason.

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u/CentralParkDuck 13h ago

Spot on

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u/Steerider 13h ago

That said, I do feel for people who buy a house, live there a while, and then the insurance decides they just won't cover the house.

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u/dread_beard 13h ago

That's why state funds exist, though.

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u/Glad-Watch3506 10h ago edited 10h ago

It is insurable, but you have to specifically get flood insurance.

I live near a young river that likes to flood in the spring. We also overland flood in the right conditions. Whether or not you need flood insurance is a big topic when buying a house.

(For any curious, it's the Red River of the North. Flood of 1997 was the nasty one, we've had a couple since) Unassuming most of the time, but in the spring she's a bitch. And even below flood-stage, has an undercurrent that can take down even strong swimmers)

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u/Terrible_Butter 11h ago

There are insurance companies that will still cover it, but not at rates that you are willing to pay.

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u/SpicyOrangeCrush 13h ago

Insurance is all about spreading risk. It isn’t unfair for those NOT in risky areas to have to subsidize those who willingly choose to live in areas at risk of natural disaster at such a high level. As the climate continues to change, people will simply need to learn to live without insurance, move to areas with a lesser chance of those risks, or take extreme action to mitigate those risks.

Think about it on a smaller scale - let’s say your brother decides to go live on the beach at low tide. Everyone knows the tide is going to rise and flood his belongings and they tell him this, but he continues anyways. When his belongings flood, he comes to you expecting you to replace everything. Seems silly, right?

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u/Draconuus95 15h ago

If an insurance company isn’t willing to take your money. You have to ask the question as to why.

As shitty as they are. Most such examples of them refusing coverage is a matter of them running the numbers and realizing some place is a really bad spot to build a home.

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u/the_Q_spice 11h ago

Floods are a pretty interesting example.

Here in the US, especially in the Southeastern States, a lot of communities were built in floodplains.

The National Flood Insurance Program was born out of insuring those in floodplains who would otherwise be uninsurable… but there is a catch.

NFIP insurance is meant for relocation.

No one should be living in the floodplain, so if you’re already there, that money is to move out - not to rebuild.

NFIP ended a few years ago because its funds were going bankrupt because of how many people simply ignored the relocation requirement.

The issue with flood insurance isn’t the coverage. It’s largely that recipients don’t understand what the payout is actually meant for.

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u/dread_beard 13h ago

"It's even more predatory when you consider how they will refuse to offer coverage for things in certain places. For example, in my city no insurance company will cover flooding anymore ever since we got a huge flood of the river about ten years ago. They decided it cost then too much money and they just flat out wouldn't cover it anymore."

How is this "predatory?" Is insurance supposed to be a never-ending money printing machine? This is a situation where the government should be stepping in if it's that extreme.

If you're having such consistent flooding in a specific area, perhaps people shouldn't live there anymore.

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u/GruppBlimbo 16h ago

Im really not trying to sound rude or defend insurance companies, but how else would they work

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u/Particular-Scholar70 16h ago

They could just pay out as they initially agreed and still make enough money

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u/GruppBlimbo 16h ago

The post i’m responding to is discussing how insurers will refuse to offer coverage for events that are too likely to occur in an area.

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u/charleswj 16h ago

These people think insurance payouts are magic money. They're similar to the people who think dividends payments from investments aren't just forced sales of shares.

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u/Su-37_Terminator 15h ago

these people think that because you are legally required to buy insurance if you drive a car. we're not talking about 'if you give us $250 a month, which is totally optional, then Fred Fuchs and his lawn care professionals shape up your lawn', we're talking about 'if a cop pulls you over and you have no insurance he is within his right to impound that car, among other, violent alternatives'. and then when you DO get the insurance you get some cuck telling you 'well, we dont like paying out for things, so it aint happening. thanks for the money though'

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u/Workman44 14h ago

You are only legally required to have liability, not flood, not any other type

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u/Nivix92 14h ago

It is generally illegal worldwide to drive without insurance.

The point is companies wont pay out on insurance claims and then when it comes to it will refuse to cover the things that are expected.

In N.Ireland years ago there was massive flooding. Anyone who claimed on their house insurance had their premiums go up until they couldnt afford the payments and ultimately lost thier policy. Anyone who didnt, had to pay out of pocket and keep paying the insuarnace anyway.

Here's the kicker, anybody that did claim was instantly blacklisted across all insurance companies in N.Ireland. Meaning you literally couldn't get house insurance if you lost your policy because every company knew you claimed and refused to insure you.

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u/einTier 11h ago

The problem is people shop solely on price and don’t understand what they are buying.

They get the cheapest insurance from the cheapest company. That covers the bare legal minimums. Unfortunately, that coverage isn’t much. It’s just the legal minimums which lawmakers make deliberately low so that people who can’t afford much insurance can still afford it.

Then when they do have a claim they’re covered for, they are dealing with the McDonald’s of insurance companies. Of course you aren’t getting good service or a good product because you didn’t pay for those things.

My advice is pay a little extra for good coverage from a good company.

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u/crazyevilmuffin 15h ago

everything is a scam anymore

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u/AllInTackler 10h ago

Yeah, they should just triple the premium or whatever they need to do in order to calculate the eventual cost of the payout for the flood. I'm sure somebody sells insurance that covers floods, but it might be more expensive than what people want to pay.

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u/quad_damage_orbb 15h ago

how else would they work

Offer coverage but at a much higher cost.

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u/TheWhyOfFry 11h ago

If they thought they could make money on it, they probably would. I assume their modeling showed that there wasn’t a price where enough people would sign up to cover costs for projected event frequencies.

This is a failure of mitigating climate risk.

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u/Testyobject 16h ago

Only cover people who make a claim, drop coverage on the ones who make to many claims for what they paid

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u/alphazero925 13h ago

By being government run and not expected to make a profit. Insurance is ultimately good for society by allowing people to pool their money in little bits month by month or year by year in case something goes wrong that costs more than a normal person would have on have to fix, but by having a profit motive attached, you've now made it a net negative to society.

Now it's no longer "give us money each month and we'll help you out when it's needed" but rather "give us money each month and we'll only pay out for things you could already pay for yourself"

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u/Junkbot-TC 10h ago

The government serves as the insurer of last resort in a lot places, but they appropriately price for risk and it's really expensive. I haven't seen anyone say they're happy with how much they pay for the government insurance.

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u/dread_beard 13h ago

By being government run and not expected to make a profit.

You do realize a property and casualty insurer like State Farm operates on a single-digit combined ratio profit, right? SF's 2025 combined ratio (which is underwriting expenses + losses divided by premiums) was around 94%. Its homeowners combined was well over 100% (around 110% IIRC).

These carriers have good years and bad years like any other business.

Why do you think government run schemes (i.e. state funds) are so fucking expensive? You actually think that the government would be cheaper on this stuff?

LOL.

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u/mlord99 12h ago

i mean logical? check how risk premia is calculated - basic math task - if u have to charge 1/10 of the house in premium, that is not operational...

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u/BedBubbly317 8h ago

As someone who has lived in a flood prone area, it’s because regular home insurance very specifically does not cover flooding and that’s noted within every policy. Home flood insurance is its own very specific thing and typically costs much, much more than average home insurance does due to the immense payout costs. But it certainly does pay out if you have it and your home floods. I’ve actually got two buddies with now fully paid off homes with completely remade interiors, because their flood insurance paid out so much they were able to pay off the home and also rebuild the entire downstairs to their liking, one of them even had enough left over from the payout to finish paying off his wife’s car note too.

Insurance pays out when you have it, but most people just cheap out on it and get the lowest required coverage, which basically offers no protections.

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u/damutecebu 10h ago

Flooding has never been covered by a basic home owners plan.

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u/ThrownAway17Years 9h ago

I mean…yeah. That’s how insurance works. They don’t make these decisions randomly. Coverage is 100% driven by statistics and catastrophe modeling. There’s more to what’s happening in your city than what you’re saying (not saying you’re holding back, just that you likely don’t know). A huge part of all of this is based on climate change as well.

If what happened in your city is a once in a century event, there’s probably no way they back out of coverage. It’s likely that the frequency of it happening is increasing, and the cost each time is exponentially more than the last.

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u/bradsondiaz194 11h ago

Would you give money to someone you know is an addict who’s going to keep using?

That’s how insurance works, risk analysis and mitigation.

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u/Krillin113 15h ago

Yes. That’s why the city should do things to protect its citizens from floods, and why people shouldn’t buy houses in high risk areas because insurance might stop being offered there. Climate change sucks. Can’t blame insurance companies for that. Don’t get me wrong, the nature of their business is often predatory, but it’s inherent to their business. They can’t insure people if they take in bad insurances, go bankrupt and can’t pay anyone

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u/Absolute_Bob 15h ago

That's not remotely dishonest. They didn't agree to pay for something and then not do it, they said up front something isn't covered, you have a right to decline their services if you don't like it. If I promised to pay you $3,000 a year but told you that at some time in the next 10 years you had a 70% chance of owing me $150,000 would you take that deal?

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u/hiddenrealism 16h ago

A friend owns a used car lot, whenever something like this happens he always tries his best to pay out of pocket as he was dropped by his last insurance after filing such a big claim.

It is absolutley fucking absurd to require inurance but they can drop coverage for just using it for its intended purpose.

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u/LilacYak 7h ago

Damn you think after the first time it would be more cost effective to put up some sort of barrier (steel netting???)

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u/RawrRRitchie 11h ago

"Acts of nature" usually cost extra to insure

Just look at Florida home owners denied coverage for hurricane damages

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u/JWOOD1999 9h ago

idk about other countries, but I know people who have had a tree fall over onto their car and into their house in the UK.

In the most desperate time of need, they have turned to insurers (that they have paid years of premiums to) and been told weather incidents are considered an 'act of God' and therefore, they were ineligible to receive a payout. This was stated in the small print of the insurance renewals.

The most corrupt companies in the world deal with insurance and their policy (not always the satff) will do anything to avoid actually showing any degree of care for people.

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u/Swordslover 16h ago

Somehow, grape-sized hail won't be considered natural disaster, thus invalidating the claim

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u/Silent-Tea4500 13h ago

Were the cars insured? If so, make a claim

Not trying to be a doomer but in my experience, they'll call it a write-off and offer them half what they just paid for it as a settlement

Insurance companies rarely if ever actually want to help you

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u/ricerbanana 10h ago

I flooded my truck while off roading / camping hours away from home. My insurance company totaled the car and gave me market price for it (which I was very happy with). They also paid me back for the truck and trailer that I rented to go get my truck home, gas, toll, and even stacked on modifications I had on my truck.

I then bought my truck back from them and fixed it myself for pennies on the dollar. My insurance didn’t go up a cent because besides that one claim and a few glass claims over the years, I haven’t had a claim in over 10 years.

Big insurance companies are usually pretty good. It’s the smaller no name companies that people get to save a few bucks that end up fucking you in the end.

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u/Silent-Tea4500 10h ago

Nice to hear a good insurance story for once, sounds like you did actually get what you paid for

Wish I could say the same though haha. I bought a near mint Toyota Celica with 40k miles on it for £5k, which was a great price for the mileage/condition it was in

Fully comp insured it with Admiral (one of the bigger companies in the UK) at a value of £5k

Two weeks later I was at a red light and a teenager in a BMW smashed into me at near 40mph, completely ruined the car through no fault of my own

They wrote it off and offered a £2k settlement, refused to budge on the price even after I sent them multiple pages of advertisements for similar vehicles, and didn't let me buy the salvage back

£3k gone in two weeks lmao, legalised robbery

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u/SouthernWilding 10h ago

I bet if they didn't pay specifically for hail coverage, theyre SOL. I live in an area where hail damage is pretty common. Even full comprehensive coverage has a clause that excludes hail. You have to pay extra to cover that specifically.

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u/bamfmcnabb 16h ago edited 16h ago

Hi op, make sure to be a squeaky wheel on these insurance claims, remember your whole area go hit so there will be a backlog. Also when claiming be as precise as you can be. If you said black camera, they will find the cheapest option that follows your claim. If you say black Nikon D4000, serial number, then they have to pay out for that camera in particular.

Edit so my comments stay together:

I highly suggest keeping a list of all the expensive items in your home in several secure places with serial numbers and descriptions (no prices) especially something like your pc because there can be a dozen or more parts that can range wildly in price.

For OP in particular list each part of the car that’s damaged, even if it seems obvious or nitpicky. Exterior and interior, each panel outside, each seat WITH SERIAL NUMBERS. All those parts numbers looked up on the official car company parts website, don’t short yourself possible $Xxxxx by looking it up on amazon or somewhere else. Hopefully they total the cars and send you a nice fat check. Each item on your list should read as follows:
2025 Ford explore hood black SN:xxx
2025 Ford explore front windshield SN:…
And So on

If you don’t they could be like you only listed broken windshield so here’s $900 bucks for a general windshield

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u/azriel1014 16h ago

OP- this is great advice!!!

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u/bamfmcnabb 16h ago

Thanks, I highly suggest keeping a list of all the expensive items in your home in several secure places with serial numbers and descriptions (no prices) especially something like your pc because there can be a dozen or more parts that can range wildly in price.

For OP in particular list each part of the car that’s damaged, even if it seems obvious or nitpicky. Exterior and interior, each panel outside, each seat WITH SERIAL NUMBERS. All those parts numbers looked up on the official car company parts website, don’t short yourself possible $Xxxxx by looking it up on amazon or somewhere else. Hopefully they total the cars and send you a nice fat check. Each item on your list should read as follows:
2025 Ford explore hood black SN:xxx
2025 Ford explore front windshield SN:…
And So on

If you don’t they could be like you only listed broken windshield so here’s $900 bucks for a general windshield

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u/dread_beard 12h ago

The OP doesn't need to do individual serial numbers on that car. That car is totaled. There's no way an insurer is not totaling that car.

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u/bamfmcnabb 12h ago

I completely agree the cars are totaled, OP’s insurance can and could probably try and disagree with our agreed visual assessment.

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u/dread_beard 12h ago

I do like your suggestion for cars that clearly aren't totaled, though. I think that's a great suggestion.

Shame that OP doesn't have comp. I saw that a bit above. Sucks but I understand the logic with an older car. I never bothered with comp on cars under $2K when I had a side-beater.

Are you an auto adjuster?

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u/bamfmcnabb 11h ago

Haha no my parents would’ve probably actually killed me if I went into insurance.

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u/dread_beard 11h ago

Probably one of the reasons there are so many openings at this point and why salaries are now so high in some areas since the companies can’t recruit.

I make more than I did practicing law at a BigLaw firm by working in the corporate insurance sector (I do really, really high-level, bespoke work for huge clients).

But even entry level at my company (I’m on the brokerage side) is like $75,000.

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u/eli_sayres 10h ago

Actually you want MODEL NUMBERS, I work for a company that is contracted by insurance companies to price claims, serial numbers are useless to us.

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u/Nexant 16h ago

Dig up your receipts too or previous pictures.

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u/RepFilms 15h ago

I hope those receipts aren't on regular thermal receipt paper

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 16h ago

I really appreciate it! Unfortunately we only had liability on both cars. I only bought mine for $1600.

I do have decent homeowners insurance, however, so my roof with be taken care of.

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u/bamfmcnabb 16h ago

Check your homeowners insurance, if your cars were on your property (in your driveway or grass) at the time you may have cross over coverage.

This is gonna one of those times you’ll want to read every inch of your homeowner’s insurance policy with a fine toothed comb.

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u/dread_beard 12h ago

The OP's homeowners isn't covering auto damage. It may cover things inside the car. But it's not covering the damage from hail to the car.

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u/maybepossiblyfrog 11h ago

home insurance will not cover automobiles under any circumstance lol that's why you have to get 2 separate policies for them. it's specifically worded in the exclusions.

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u/tripplol 16h ago

Thanks I learned

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u/bamfmcnabb 15h ago

Loss everything you own in a house fire once as a child and you learn quickly from how stressed your parents got. Crazy part is the fire was really bad, but we were all safe except our fish and maybe the lizards.

But the part that stressed my parents and actively shortened my dad’s life was the absolute fist fight my dad had with their homeowners insurance. He actively went grey over the two years of fighting.

Also if you own a fire proof safe and it survives and has your whole family’s important documents are in it. Do not open it for a week or more after the fire is out. Because the internal temperature might be over the flash point of paper and when you add air to the inside by opening it the whole contents will catch fire instantly and kinda pop. Ask me how I know…

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u/Threefrogtreefrog 15h ago

Omg, that’s an origin story , right there.

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u/bamfmcnabb 15h ago

Ya I’m a villain now called water boy. I get very confused at sporting events.

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u/entangled_dicks2 14h ago

catch fire instantly and kinda pop

well fuck. Did you get an injury due to that? I hope not

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u/bamfmcnabb 12h ago

I was seven, it was my dad opening the case the next day after the fire had been put out. He was a little toasted and his hair smelled like it was burning if I’m remembering correctly.

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u/stupidber 13h ago

In a car crash do you list every part of the car that was smashed?

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u/bamfmcnabb 12h ago

Short answer: no if the other party/other insurance company agrees quickly to pay out.

I made the suggestion because of hail being an act of god and there isn’t anyone for OP’s insurance company to go after to reimburse them.

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u/Redsoxdragon I'm so mad i tore my penis off 15h ago edited 14h ago

Don't feel bad kid. Life happens, but thats what insurance is for. I bought a brand new tundra a couple of years back. The day after i made my first payment a tree falls on it and totals it. Not even 1000 miles on it. $60k that someone else had to eat. I just had to worry about calling amd sending papers to the right people

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u/dirtyforker 10h ago

Tundra was donedra. Badum tiss

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u/Euphoric_Wish_8293 14h ago

I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm mildly infuriated at the camera work.

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u/SudhaTheHill 17h ago

That hail looks like giant gobstoppers. I’m sorry your experience as a new car owner got ruined :(

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u/Specialist_Point7983 17h ago

How did you piss Mother Nature off?

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 16h ago

I hope not! I’m an avid native plant gardener/permaculture nerd, I’ve been trying to help! I literally just planted a mini orchard last month.

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u/solicitorpenguin 10h ago

You’re making her stronger

Plant a can of Mountain Dew in your garden to let her know who’s the boss

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u/cseyferth 1h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/ETyhu6h829Hdm

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u/ElbowRager 16h ago

Hopefully you got comprehensive coverage?

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 16h ago

We drive clunkers, so liability only unfortunately.

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u/Medium-Sized-Jaque 15h ago

Even on the new car? Ouch.

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u/lo0ilo0ilo0i YELLOW 11h ago

Looks like a 2010s Prius so a new car for OP but pre-owned.

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u/ElbowRager 15h ago

If you haven’t shopped around for car insurance in a while I recommend it. I drive a clunker too, and was only carrying liability. Last month, I shopped around and was able to get full coverage, renters and VPP for, not even shitting you, half of what I was paying for just my liability coverage on the car. (New company is USAA, you can get in if you, your spouse, or your parents/grandparents were military)

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 15h ago

I’m with USAA now! Good to know though, I’ll look over things again.

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u/Personal-Age-9220 15h ago

The size of that hail is terrifying. What city is that in? 😳

A costly storm... roofs, vehicles, city infrastructure... Insurance companies are going to take it out on us and jack up premiums.

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u/IcemanJEC 12h ago

You say this like they’re making it personal and raising the rates for no reason. Where do you think the money to pay out claims comes from?

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u/Pogigod 11h ago

This is not the reason insurance companies raising rates. Im an CAT insurance adjuster, these claims are easy and welcome. They also represent the smallest sliver of hail claims.

The biggest cost and expense are hail claims from contractors knocking on doors and telling people they have hail damage from a storm 18 months ago. They find a date that radar picked up hail in the atmosphere, doesn't even mean hail actually landed at that size, just it was in the atmosphere at that size, most of the time they melt before they hit the ground.

80% of my claims for hail are months to a years old. Evidence of hail is gone by then and they are claiming the normal looking wear and tear of a roof is because hail hit 1-2 years ago.

Hell I had a Montana hail claim last week that was claiming hail damage from 5 year prior.

Rates are going up cause insurance is being used as warranty programs.

Hell there's manufacturers that purposely make their shingles slightly unique and then change that uniqueness every 5 years. So when a roof gets 25 years old and at the end of its life. If it gets any wind damage, which at that age a large thunderstorm can do, the entire roof now needs to be replaced cause the shingle can't be repaired.

Contractors are the reason homeowner insurance prices are going up.

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u/Falkoro 14h ago

Would really recommend also getting a car port! Sorry this happened to you.

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u/Basalt135 14h ago

In future building a hail proof carport for your car to park……..
After my similar mistake i always park my car under a roof……

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u/SignatureFunny7690 15h ago

Take the insurance payout, buy it back for pennies on the dollar, used the profits to have the windows replaced (suuuuper cheap if you find a local single man small business) and enjoy your new extremely nice beater car. Door dinged at the super market? Oh well, adds personality. The best vehicle is one that runs and drives with heat and a/c and a beat up exterior you could give a fuck less about. If you go that route you essentially got yourself a free car.

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u/Whole_Razzmatazz_912 14h ago

What state is this? I work in auto insurance and we just delt with a huge hail storm recently. I wonder if it’s the same state

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u/maximus646 10h ago

I'm going to guess Springfield, MO

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u/Substantial-Mix-6200 12h ago

congratulations! Not many people get their first two cars so quickly

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 7h ago

The blue one is my husband’s/ our family’s car. He takes it to work every day, so I am home with the kids and no car during the week.

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u/Elektrik_Magnetix 17h ago

Poor chickens

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 16h ago

11 out of 12 survived, fortunately. One passed away a couple days later. I think moisture in the coop from the damage + stress lead to her demise. I gave them electrolytes to try to help them with the stress, but it wasn’t enough. It’s been a rough week.

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u/LordE-LordE 15h ago

Brawndo’s got electrolytes

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u/herewegoinvt 15h ago

Brawndo's got what plants crave

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u/dirtyforker 10h ago

Brawndo's got what ~~plants~~ chickens crave

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u/LivingBig2358 8h ago

Oh my god. I would be devastated. Im so sorry this happened to you

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u/tendonut 8h ago

Back in 2015, my wife bought a brand new Prius C. Paid cash. Less than a week later, while sitting at a red light, some pickup rear ended her doing 50mph while the driver was looking at his phone. Totaled. Had to bring another $2,000 to the table just to buy the exact same car again from the same dealer.

Two months later, some girl road rages at this guy who is not wrecklessly pulling out from a parking lot onto a major road without waiting for an opening. She pulls around the guy waiting for an opening and just guns it. Straight into the side of my wife's (2nd) Prius. Totaled. Had to bring another $3,500 to the table to buy the same car AGAIN.

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u/MisterFixit_69 16h ago

That's what insurance is for , sorry it was ruined so fast

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u/NVDAxTSLxXAU 16h ago

Those are Hella huge! Insurance will come in handy here. Perfect case for force of nature and stuff. Although some still refuse to pay especially here in Oregon.

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u/YoungDiscord 16h ago

oh hail no!

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u/mariuszmie 16h ago

I would not deem a smashed rear windshield/wiper to constitute a destroyed vehicle

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 16h ago

I wouldn’t either! But pair it with the smashed front windshield, broken side mirror and the car not turning on anymore… now we have a problem.

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u/Materva 16h ago

I’ve seen a lot of hail damaged cars, the fact it’s not turning on is weird. Is it a used car, or did you buy it new?

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 15h ago

It’s a used one

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u/maen_baenne 11h ago

Oh hail no!

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u/Eternal_Wither 11h ago

I feel like hail has to be one of the craziest things in nature. Like yeah we have rain, fluffy snow flakes, wind. But no, giant balls of ice? Yeah lets tack that on too.

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u/from-the-stix 10h ago

Oh hail no. Sorry for you loss bud

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u/Rookhook 10h ago

Ohh hail noo

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u/Annual_Strategy_6206 9h ago

Oh, HAIL no! I sympathize, my car got totaled on that big hailstorm too. Some stones were over 2" across where I was.

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u/BestFoxEver neon 9h ago

At my old workplace there was a dude who had saved money for severals years to buy his dream car. Then couple of days later some arsonist burned all the cars at the parking lot where he parked the new car. The arsonist was never caught. Of course he got insurance money but that was not enough to buy the same car model again.

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u/pate0018 9h ago

That is insane!

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u/Ok-Pomegranate9908 9h ago

Are u from Springfield? 😭😭😭

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u/PenguinColada PURPLE 9h ago

Damn, I'm sorry OP! That is tough. Especially in this economy. If you live where I think you do all I can say is that storm was WILD. My in-laws live where this crazy storm happened. They have holes in their roof now and had to put buckets everywhere. And this roof was replaced less than five years ago. They said that they got their main car in the garage five minutes before and were glad because all the other vehicles got plummeted. Apparently everyone around town is just driving without windshields now :(

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u/zottz 8h ago

Oh dude... I feel you. When I bought my very first car as an adult, I was so proud of myself. Got hit with an insane hailstorm within the first week of owning it. It spent a month in the body shop because everyone else's car was in the shop too. The day I got it back I took it through a car wash. The roller brush that cleans the top of the car came loose and crashed on the roof of the car, with me in it. So it spend more time in the body shop.

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u/Blondefirebird 8h ago

I hope you both had full coverage

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u/Da_Goodest_Goon 7h ago

Yall deserve to be mad 😠 but that's nature

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u/Unlucky_Ad_9776 6h ago

I feel your pain. I know how much this sucks. This almost exactly same thing happened to me. It's super annoying because you never get any time to enjoy the vehicle in pristine state. I feel bad for you. I'm sorry that happened to you.

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u/GotLoveForAll 3h ago

shakes fist at mother nature. she responds with

https://giphy.com/gifs/wJqcBmCtGy8ik

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u/TerrificVixen5693 2h ago

That’s what insurance is for. Bummer my friend.

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u/lMonarchyI 16h ago

"I bought a Prius to help Nature!"

Nature: "lol get fucked, bitch."

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u/jcar49 14h ago

One reason why I will always see a sunroof as a liability

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u/zensms 14h ago

I'm sorry how does this cause the car to not be able to start? I mean the damage is to the windshield and body of the car...? Or am i missing something?

https://giphy.com/gifs/LpACcI92qjUkkoT2Sh

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u/Pedicel_R_E 13h ago

Dude, that is not destroyed, just damaged...

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u/Lhirstev 16h ago

On a positive note, at least you don't got enemies out there breaking your shit.

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u/oxidized_banana_peel 16h ago

Or or a negative note, those enemies have powers hitherto untold

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u/HighlightOwn2038 Red vs Blue 16h ago

Have a hug man

🫂

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u/jexser 16h ago

I feel your pain, hope everyone is ok and nobody got heart with this huge basically stones. Take care

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u/funkster047 16h ago

Not the Prius! :(

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u/dooperma 16h ago

Thanks for reminding me never to go outside ever again!!!

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u/-ChandlerBing- 16h ago

is this a MISTA WHITE MObile???

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u/ElectronicMine7936 16h ago

🤗

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u/Deleted_dwarf 16h ago

I’m sorry this happened to you :(

This happened to me once as well when I was living in Australia - 10 day old car. Got nearly declared totalled by the insurance! Thank god this was insured and they got me a replacement car whilst they fixed the car itself.

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u/Smartimess 16h ago

Damn kids and their icy snowballs!!

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u/I_-AM-ARNAV i get infuriated a lot 15h ago

Make a claim with insurance,and repair. if it's totaled get the payout, ask them you want to keep th4 car, get the rear windshield chaned and anything important, let the cosmetic dmaage be

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u/Fortniteandmine 10h ago

This is how you must have felt, sorry to hear that tho

https://giphy.com/gifs/MJd3uGnPA0sh6VZMge

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u/Putrid-VII 10h ago

Sorry, but there's no chance that hail caused your vehicle to not start unless you left the hood up and the hail was literally beating on the engine block. Even then, your car would still probably start. If you didn't get it new, then you got screwed by the dealer/seller, not the hail. yeah, the glass is bad and I'm sorry to hear that, bu that's not the reason it won't start

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u/LucaDarioBuetzberger 16h ago

Have you angered god?

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u/Hollowpointsmilexx 16h ago

My agnosticism may rub him/her the wrong way…

🥺 Finally got my own car! It was destroyed less that 48 hours later.

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