Help! Is it too late to claim car damage? And...

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

I really need help with this situation. Not sure what to do. My husband died recently and I'm trying to figure out a lot of things that he normally took care of. He became very ill before his death and a lot of things had to be placed aside...one of which a situation with our car.

Six months before my husband's death, our car (2004 ford escape) was struck while parked in the street. We found it damaged and no note was left..and no witnesses. We did not report it to the police. The damage was all cosmetic. Not horrible and not something we would have to fix to drive or anything like this. My guess is it would be about $1000 to $2000 to fix and have repainted, etc....but that is just a guess.

So...our car was and still is fully covered by Geico because I am still making payments on it. The car will be paid off in March. My deductible is $1000 and we could not afford it then....nor can I now. What are my options here?

1. Even though this was just damage we found and this happened six months ago, can I even report the damage at this point?
2. What about the fact it was not reported to police and no witnesses?
3. Can I report it and then just take a check for now and deal with damage later?

I'm very confused..but if someone can help me understand my options, I would appreciate it. The car is in excellent condition mechanically and worth keeping for many years..especially since I almost have it paid off. I have a family member who can possibly fix damages for me cheap..if I choose to do that later. But not sure if I trust them and would like to know my options.

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

You can file the claim now but you will still be responsible to pay the deductible.

Dumb question.....

Sorry if this is a dumb question.....but I've never dealt with car insurance claims.

If I file the claim with geico and get an estimate....but choose to take a check to cover damages and deal with it myself, is there a way I can just get a check from them and avoid having to come up with the deductible?

I somehow think I heard this somewhere...but I obviously wasn't getting all the info. I think it was actually on some insurance forum and it was totally legal...ect. But perhaps I mis-read or misunderstood this option, I guess.

Does this make any sense to anyone?

Since you have a lein, they can't make the check out to just you. It will either be to you and the shop, or you and the bank.

But if I wait until March....

my car will be paid off. Does that change anything?

BlueSun1967 said:

my car will be paid off. Does that change anything?

Click to expand...

Not till after it's paid off and the creditor releases the lein.

There is also a requirement that you make claims to your insurance company in a "timely" manner. They may feel that waiting 6, 9, or 12 months to report a hit and run may very well be not timely.

You're not going to get away with not "paying" the deductible.

If the claim is accepted (a very big if) then let's say that it is determined there it $1,200 in damages. The check you get will be for $200. Not $1,200.00.

I don't think the insurance company is going to accept your claim...

They will probably accept it now, especially with the extenuating circumstances in OP's life. They might not in another 6 months.