Do I have a claim?

[kls1981]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WA


I reported my car stolen. The officer who showed up stated right from the start that I did it, that I was probably drinking, hit something and then fled the scene. That I was lying about it being stolen and that if I didn't confess then I would be going to jail for 3 felonies. He continued to threaten me this way for several hours and in a public place. I was crying, upset over the situation and when my friend said that I was upset, he said that I needed to quit crying because I was acting guilty by doing so. He did not take an accurate report from me or my witness. He also has never called the friend that I was with that night. When I did sign the statement saying my car was stolen, he again told me I was lying and grabbed the paper out of my hand. He then said that another police dept. would be coming to my house to talk wtih me and that I would probably be arrested.
Because of this, my car insurance company is taking their time. I've gotten different stories from several people there about whether I can get my things out of the car, where the car is, what got hit in this accident, etc. The adjuster also did not respond to me for about 3 weeks and took 7 weeks to get a phone statement from me. He has since claimed that he was out sick a few days.
I've been so stressed out over this and I am still paying my car payment (never once been late) and my insurance payments each month. I've started having problems related to the stress like getting migraines, etc.
Do I have a claim against the insurance company or the better yet, the police dept? When I tried to file a complaint the police chief said the officer did nothing wrong.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

[Antigone*of*Greece]

Originally Posted by kls1981

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WA


I reported my car stolen. The officer who showed up stated right from the start that I did it, that I was probably drinking, hit something and then fled the scene. That I was lying about it being stolen and that if I didn't confess then I would be going to jail for 3 felonies. He continued to threaten me this way for several hours and in a public place. I was crying, upset over the situation and when my friend said that I was upset, he said that I needed to quit crying because I was acting guilty by doing so. He did not take an accurate report from me or my witness. He also has never called the friend that I was with that night. When I did sign the statement saying my car was stolen, he again told me I was lying and grabbed the paper out of my hand. He then said that another police dept. would be coming to my house to talk wtih me and that I would probably be arrested.
Because of this, my car insurance company is taking their time. I've gotten different stories from several people there about whether I can get my things out of the car, where the car is, what got hit in this accident, etc. The adjuster also did not respond to me for about 3 weeks and took 7 weeks to get a phone statement from me. He has since claimed that he was out sick a few days.
I've been so stressed out over this and I am still paying my car payment (never once been late) and my insurance payments each month. I've started having problems related to the stress like getting migraines, etc.
Do I have a claim against the insurance company or the better yet, the police dept? When I tried to file a complaint the police chief said the officer did nothing wrong.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

So much more to this story.
Guilt must weigh heavy on the soul, otheriwse why so much anguish?

[ecmst12]

You do realize how common it is to get drunk, hit someone, flee on foot, and THEN report the car stolen, right? Happens ALL THE TIME. The police and the insurance company are RIGHT to be suspicious. If you are innocent and followed proper procedures, it will come out all right in the end. But if you didn't report the theft until after the accident, it doesn't look good for you.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by ecmst12

You do realize how common it is to get drunk, hit someone, flee on foot, and THEN report the car stolen, right? Happens ALL THE TIME. The police and the insurance company are RIGHT to be suspicious. If you are innocent and followed proper procedures, it will come out all right in the end. But if you didn't report the theft until after the accident, it doesn't look good for you.

**A: that's right. People like that should report the theft before getting into an accident.

[dave33]

I am not sure about the department in your district, but usually you do not need the chief to file a complaint. It is possible he said this to discourage you from filing a formal complaint. It is common that several things must be done after a complaint is filed and is not unusual to be discouraged from filing, especially from a fellow officer. Aquire appropriate paperwork and file complaint if you feel the need. goodluck.