This is old, but I just now found this web site and the other complaints against Safeway.
On April 1, I was rear-ended while stopped at a light. My vintage Buick Wildcat was totalled, as was the car that hit me. The other driver, who was insured by Safeway, was an illegal alien from Honduras who was sloppy drunk. The police arrested him at the scene and charged him with DWI, reckless driving, speeding, and following to close. I was issued no citiation.
I contacted Safeway a few days later and was told that their client would have to report the accident, and that he had not done so. I was told that I could send them a police report, but that they would take no action on it without a claim by their insured. I later found out that this is within their rights under Georgia law, which is another issue that needs to be addressed.
I went to the city jail and talked to the guy that had hit my car. He said that he had tried to report the accident, but that he could only make collect calls from the jail and that Safeway would not accept his calls. A jailer agreed to take the prisoner to an office phone on the following day, from which he could call Safeway direct. The jailer later told me that they tried to place the call several times, but Safeway hung up when the jailer identified himself and thereafter did not answer the phone when they tried to call.
On the advice of a friend who is an attorney, I filed a lawsuit against the other driver so that I could legally get to Safeway. When the county marshals went to serve him the lawsuit papers in the jail, the prisoner had been suddenly released on the same day, wihtout bond, on orders from a judge. Neither the judge nor her staff would give me any information as to the reason for the release or the man's whereabouts. He skipped his court date and has not been heard from since.
I tried service by publication in order to get a judgement entered against the insurdd to make Safeway liable. A lawyer for Safeway mysteriously appeared at the court hearing, claiming to represent their insured, even though Safeway professed no knowledge of his whereabouts. On Safeway's lawyer's motion, my suit against their insured was dismissed for lack of service because I had not had him physically served.
Although I cannot say for certain, I think that Safeway knew all along where there insured was, and that they got him out of jail so that I could not sue him and make them liable.
I strongly recommend this to anyone who is involved in an accident with someone insured by Safeway Insurance of Georgia: Get a good lawyer ASAP, and if you think you MIGHT be hurt, get to a chiropractic clinic that deals with A LOT of accident victims. Do not play around with those weasels at Safeway.
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