I use my personal vehicles for work, and last January I was involved in a rear-end hit-and-run accident where I could not obtain the other vehicle's license number. I called my auto insurance company, Progressive, and was originally told that my uninsured/underinsured motorist policy covered this type of accident.
I called my claims adjuster, Ed Devine of the San Diego office, and was told that I was not covered, uninsured motorist covers only personal injury in a hit-and-run accident, no auto damage at all, unless the other vehicle's license number is recorded. I mentioned that the 800 line operator said that I was covered, and Mr. Devine became quite upset.
I called the 800 PROGRESSIVE number again, and was again told that I was covered. I spoke with a lady named Jemmina. I called Mr. Devine back with the news, and asked him who was right. He said he was, but that all the telephone calls were recorded, and that if the recordings backed my story up, then Progressive may honor my claim anyway.
I received a letter from Mr. Devine saying that Progressive couldn't help me, but if I had contest with this decision I could call Mr. O'Grady from that office. I did so, and asked Mr. O'Grady if the tapes backed my story up. He said that they did, but now Progressive wouldn't honor my claim because I hadn't brought up the issue about the type of policy I had before the accident. I said that I had too, as I had tried to cancel my uninsured motorist coverage about one year before the accident, and that there should be records of that. Mr. O'Grady became flustered, and said that he would check the records if I was "ready to face the consequences, " and that he wasn't going to "commit himself."
I told him that I have no consequences to face, and that I am an employee myself, but if my job performance was sub-par, I would hear about it from my employer. I would not let that make me deceive a client.
Progressive repeatedly denied my claim. Progressive's hit-and-run driver coverage is now defined as being split into two types of coverages, uninsured motorist for policy holder injury, and collision for policy holder vehicle damage. I don't remember having this explained to me when I purchased the policy, and I don't remember receiving any Progressive booklet explaining this when I first became a Progressive customer. Progressive respeatedly made statements that if I could prove a point, then it might honor my claim. I did so time and again, and then Progressive would manufacture another reason not to honor my claim. This tactic even included Gordon Eckstrom, the San Diego office manager. This has gone one for months, and even now I can call the 800 number and have the person there tell me I am covered for vehicle damage. Nothing has change, except Mr. Devine is no longer employed at Progressive.
I believe that Progressive is deliberately deceptive when it sells its insurance policies, and its employees fear termination if they try to settle with a customer. There are recordings of all the conversations that I had with Progressive, but Progressive refuses to acknowledge this, or to produce tapes made prior to the accident. Progressive has dishonest business practices.
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