Two weeks ago driving to Hershey Medical Center for an appointment (95 miles away), I lost control of my steering and narrowly managed to get the car off the highway onto the righthand berm.

Through the grace of G-d, there were no other vehicles on the road (there had recently been numerous 18 wheelers and other cars), besides which, just a few feet beyond that berm, only a flimsy hand railing protected drivers from a cliff!

Sixty miles from home, there was no way to reconstruct the accident. From the steering jam to coming to a stop from a major skid of uncertain length, the whole thing only took about 90 seconds so my memory was shaky. Later, I was at the mercy of a super nasty claims handler (going by a recording of my account to the insurance claims department, I guess).

She had already decided before we spoke that I didn't have a billable claim because she'd decided about the mechanical failure (not covered by my policy). Why? a) The squealing I thought I remembered (though I specified I didn't think it was my car but rather one of the electronic devices with me - the Garmin, my apple watch, my iPhone or computer) and b) I couldn't prove a collision had caused the damage to the undercarriage which the Toyota service department identified once I got it to them. (Days after driving home at frightening risk).

Not an immense repair cost (I only have a $100 deductible), but nevertheless one I would rather not pay out of pocket!

Shortly before or after coming to a stop, I heard a tinny voice from my wrist. It turned out to be my Apple Watch, whose new crash detector had been triggered by the substantial shock (it takes several G's to make it go off, as detected by the watch's fancy new accelerometer, gyroscope, and other specialized features).

It was pretty traumatic, all told.
Shortly after managing to get off the highway (naturally that was my first priority after the car went into the skid of unknown origin), the watch summoned a police officer. He pulled up behind me in minutes.

It must have been shortly after he began his job, because he didn't seem to know what to do. That made it all the harder to figure out what had happened and what to do. He didn't accept my proffered license and other paperwork (or identify himself) nor did he even examine the skid. When I described my experience, I said I was sure he had seem the skid marks to which he nodded, but didn't examine or photograph it (I asked him afterwards, commenting I thought my insurance company might want to see pictures. For that matter, I wanted to see where the skid began for clues to what caused it). I realized later that it was protocol for him to study the skid.

Having succeeded in driving 20 feet or so further to check whether the car would go, we decided the best plan was to drive ahead to a truck stop 7 miles down the road. He said he'd follow me to make sure I got there safely.

A young woman walking her dog several hundred feet down the cliff, called out to me to see if I was OK, clearly concerned about possible injury and even whether I was in shock. She offered repeatedly to put a blanket over me, after she clambered up the steep incline grasping rocks and weeds, and slipping backwards several times. Once she reached me, she told me she'd called her father for help and sensibly got me to move the car further off the highway to avoid the traffic (trucks!) which had restarted. Good idea, even though there wasn't much space between the extreme right lane and the cliff. It was a very bad spot to have had to stop.

The cop turned up then, and after we all checked for a possible flat, she and her dad dropped out of the picture - very regrettably as I realized later she must have witnessed the whole thing from below, and could have been very helpful as a witness. I needed to solve the mystery of what had happened for my safety and claim. I didn't thank her or get her name, though, between calling my doctor's office and discussing with the cop what to do.
So much confusion!

At the truck stop (where naturally there was no car lift), I finally reached my insurance agent who explained State Farm's towing regs, that they could only get me to a nearby garage to examine the undercarriage (the body looked fine). As for what followed, it was kind of hopeless since it was near closing time. Even if I made it to a shop in time for them to diagnose problems and damage, they'd have to leave me to my own devices especially if parts were needed (they were) and then what? Stay in an AirBnB for however long the ordering and repair took?

My agent told me to drive home (65 miles or so) since, after all, I'd managed to get to the truck stop. Specifically, she said "if it were me". (I was on the point of calling one of my sons - both had been notified by Apple that their mother had been in a "crash". I wanted them to be able to sue State Farm if I didn't make it home in one piece. After all, for all I knew, a wheel would fall off!).

Anyhow, days later, Toyota service gave me an estimate of $1100 to replace the struts and associated parts plus realignment. They pointed out they'd inspected my car only a few months before and would have noticed prior damage. No problem with the steering. That accursed claims adjuster (she screamed at me!) insisted the accident must have resulted from mechanical failure - that the squealing I described was something in the car giving way. That unless a mechanic could (with photos and detective work), PROVE I had hit something, she was dropping the claim. (Toyota said I must have run over a sharp rise (rock?) on the edge of the road, which had damaged the undercarriage.) They and a second opinion mechanic (concerned about the steering problem) agreed I must have run onto an oil slick or an animal carcass, which put me into the skid. As for Apple, in a lengthy talk with their technical department about the Crash detection system, they pointed out they had built in the squeal, to precede their Crash alert and calling 911. (So much for her claim that it was one more sign of the car failing! )

I guess I'll just pay for it out of pocket, rather than reopening the claim even with a different adjuster. Since the cop hadn't made a record of the skid (especially where it began), I can't argue for an extraneous cause, much less retrace my path to where the "crash" occurred. After all, it happened so far away! I'm focusing on my gratitude at surviving at all (I AM grateful!), given the near misses: lack of traffic when I skidded, that I stopped short of going over the cliff, that I got home without further mishap.

I DO wish I had contact info for my good Samaritan-witness, though, if only to thank her. (I'd also like to know what she saw!). Meanwhile, here's an example of how another Apple Watch feature - their Crash Detection - can be life saving. It's not just for falls!

I'm so sorry you had to go through that and even sorrier that the claims adjuster is being so nasty. I know that ultimately their job is to pay you as little as possible and deny as much as they can but it doesn't feel good when you've paid them thousands of dollars over the years and when something like this happens they find a reason to pin the blame and the dollar responsibility squarely back on you. I'm still bitter about my whole fuel tank incident from 2 years ago -- and honestly after balancing out the dollar amount they gave me for totaling my perfectly good van (yes it had 104K miles but it was a honda and probably good for 104K more especially since I just replaced the timing belt to the tune of $1200) with the amount they raised my premiums as a results of this supposedly at-fault accident, I would have been better off paying for the whole accident out of pocket because I'm paying more in increased premiums than they paid out for the accident (including what they paid the other guy who hit the fuel tank after me -- which they decided was somehow my fault too.)

But no, I'm not bitter at all, why do you ask?

Anyway, I'm glad you are ok and you were able to make it home and it doesn't sound like your car is too bad. At this point, I'd just pay for the damage myself and hope they don't decide to raise your premiums anyway just because you reported something......

Thanks very much for your heartfelt sympathy, Lisa. If there's anyone who can understand all the trauma this caused - the accident and dealing with hostile claims adjusters, it's you.

(Still wondering how mine justifies claiming the undercarriage damage was caused by "mechanical failure" when the impact shock was enough to set off the carefully designed Apple crash Detector. Plus claiming its built-in squeal was caused by something in the car failing.)

As if any busy service department would be willing to engage in a detailed research project "proving" the impact was some kind of collision.
After all it's not like trying to solve a murder,
besides which the repair isn't expensive enough, to give them any profit motive for going to that much trouble. ("Proof"! Yet's it's only proof that she finally conceded MIGHT succeed in their reopening my claim.

Besides, whatever State Farm decides, it won't mean Toyota can fit in the repair until late January. (Yes, I'm checking other garages, but seriously, who is going to bother to try to "prove" that the struts were damaged in a collision - somewhere - least of all, just to MAYBE put through a client's smallish insurance claim?)

Meanwhile the Toyota garage admitted regretfully, that driving the car as is, could ruin my new tires owing to possible misalignment (besides which, it would cost at least $100 merely to check for this using their fancy machine.)

Nor would it make a difference in their fitting in my repair sooner.

As it's my only car, it would actually cost much more to rent a car while waiting, than to buy a set of new tires!

However (vividly remembering your ultra harrowing experience), I have to say your experience was far more infuriating and traumatic - the kind of thing to causes bad dreams from PTSD.

And well-justified bitterness.

Anybody else have any comments about how State Farm handles claims compared to other companies? (Wondering also about my homeowners policy they also cover.)

I got two checks in the mail from State Farm last year - my share of Class Action suits they lost. No identification. Not a particularly promising sign of their customers' satisfaction.

quote:

Anybody else have any comments about how State Farm handles claims compared to other companies?

Badly, in my experience. I got rid of them decades ago.

We had State Farm for many years. The only time I ever had to file a claim they were terrific. Wrote me a check, no questions asked, and told me if I recalled anything else that was stolen any time in the future they would take care of it (this was for a burglary). I had expected to have to PROVE to them what was stolen and its value, but they just took what I detailed at face value and handed over the money I claimed it was all worth.

State Farm auto insurance handled my bicycle accident (though it was not just them but also the company of the driver who hit me). We had a lawyer handle the paperwork, but we were also in touch by phone with SF the whole time.

They were very nice and we didn’t have to pay a thing, plus a money award. Then again, we have a policy with very good coverage. In NY state the two companies work it out and I hear it’s very formulaic.

They haven’t raised our premiums either.

I've been with State Farm car insurance for 40 years!! And brought with me, my ex, eventually, his new wife and (in due course) both sons.

(Homeowners only three years, no claims).

One might think they'd value my loyalty (though in truth, most of those years were with a competent golden-hearted couple who always went to bat for me in case of trouble - grey areas.)

When they retired, they left so many happy customers, their business had to be divided between four new agents.

I wonder how much difference the agents themselves make.

A garage I went to today for a second opinion, said State Farm had changed (were harder for him to deal with too) and that he now found Erie and Progressive better.

I've also found tremendous differences between their claims adjusters. Some (like this last one, the shouter) are nasty, aggressive and impatient while others are sweet, good listeners and eager to help.

I wonder if part of their compensation is determined by how much they succeed in limiting pay-outs.

I KNOW (as Lisa said) they shorted me on how they valued my perfect condition CAMRY when it was declared totaled. Brand new tires, car ~fifteen years old but 55K miles. (A gift from Mom, she hadn't driven it much.)
They valued it at 80% of (State Farm's) average blue book, despite its added value.

I'm sure my former agents would have disputed this lowball price.

Plus the way the accident itself was handled. Sorry for repetition, but this was the one caused by the empty garbage bin. It blew across the road like a bat out of hell on garage pick up day - the windy Ides of March. It wrapped itself (still unseen) around my left front wheel (axel?) and made me lose control of steering.

It was so fast not only did I not see it, neither did the car behind me.

I spun around three times, ending up crashing into a tree in the opposite direction. Seven ribs broken (but luckily my back was OK.)

She was another screamer (insulting too).
Declared me negligent for not avoiding it. I'm madder about that one than the recent one.

Digression: any idea how to protect motorists from blowing (empty) garbage bins? Around here, they're put by the curb when full and left in the same place, when empty. Light as a feather in a powerful wind, they all blow (but this one ended up in a four lane highway).

We haven't had State Farm since I sold my Missoula house. When we bought our current place, we shopped around for homeowner's insurance and State Farm came in very high on premiums, even with both vehicles included.

We ended up going to an independent insurance agent to get help picking a company. She recommended Traveller's to us, and they have been terrific.

For our home policy--we had a huge wind event here a couple of years ago and shingles were blown off the house and barn all over the property. The roofer told them that we needed new roofs on both buildings, and Travelers agreed. So we have two brand new roofs on our house and barn, and only had to pay the one deductible.

With the truck this past summer, when a mechanic ruined my transmission because he didn't properly connect the tranny cooler lines to the radiator he replaced, and the tranny fluid all ran out while I was taking my horse to the vet two hours from home (ggggrrrrr. still furious about this), Travelers agreed the new transmission was a covered loss, and they paid for it!

It also turns out they have roadside service that is better than AAA--their towing company here will haul horses in trailers, and AAA will not, and it is included in the policy.

So, I am very happy with Travelers, their claims people were awesome to deal with, and they are very reasonable and pay quickly.

Just in case you would like to insure with someone else.

The key is “Independent Agent”. Mine shops every year to find out who wants my business. He also goes to bat when various adjusters do stupid stuff.

State Farm agents are loyal to State Farm. They have no choice - they’re not allowed to represent other companies.

RP, Pique and Steve, thanks very much for your input!

Much appreciated.