November 14, 2011, ERIE, PA — Normally, I’m a fan of Erie insurance companies who use agents because agents usually help to increase the quality and quantity of communication with the consumer. Every now and again, though, agents make mistakes just like everyone else. Here is a story of one such mistake that offers lessons in dealing with your own Pennsylvania insurance company.
A man called our office with a problem. He’d borrowed his daughter’s car and caused an Erie car accident that was his fault. None had been injured, fortunately, but there was damage to the vehicles and the repair cost was significant. Unfortunately, he learned after the Pennsylvania auto accident that his daughter had allowed her Pennsylvania car insurance policy to lapse.
The man thought to himself, “Well, I have my own insurance policy with Erie Insurance. I’ll call my agent and ask whether they’ll cover me.” And that’s what he did. To his dismay, however, his insurance agent told him, over the phone, that his policy would not provide coverage. Now he was looking at paying for the damage out of his own pocket.
Then, a good friend told the man to call the Pennsylvania insurance lawyers at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C.. We immediately told him that we were confident that he had insurance coverage for the Erie car crash but that before he spent a dime on us he should call his insurance company directly, ask them if he had coverage and, if they told him he did not, to insist that they respond to him in writing with an explanation for why he did not have coverage.
One phone call to Erie Insurance later and the man was pleased to learn that he did, in fact, have coverage for the accident. He was so pleased he called us back to thank us and promised to tell all his friends about the good advice he got from our firm.
The lesson in this story isn’t that you shouldn’t trust your insurance agent. On the contrary, we think they are a good source of information and assistance when you are choosing and buying insurance. However, whenever you are told that you don’t have coverage for that, you should always ask for a written explanation of your benefits and, if you have only spoken with your agent, you should go further and call your Pennsylvania insurance company directly. At a minimum, you will cause the answerer to look more closely at your coverage and, as was the case here, you will often find that you do, indeed, have coverage. Of course, when all else fails, call a Pennsylvania insurance lawyer.
Contact a Pennsylvania Insurance Claims Attorney
The Pennsylvania insurance lawyers at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. have experience in fighting for our clients’ rights and have demonstrated an ability to successfully go toe-to-toe with large insurance companies. If you’re looking for an experienced Erie insurance claim lawyer to help you with your Pennsylvania insurance case, call for a free consult at 814-273-2010 or toll free at 814-273-2010 or fill out our on-line consult form.