Should We Pay Out of Pocket When We Have Insurance?
Yesterday, my fiancé and I were in a bit of a rush at Walmart with our toddler, who was fussy and ready for bed. While we were putting the shopping cart away, it accidentally rolled away and bumped into another car. We immediately apologized and provided our insurance information. The owner of the car was understandably upset and took our details before leaving.
Today, we received a message from them saying:
“I don’t want my insurance covering this because it will raise my rates, and I doubt your insurance will pay either. Can I get an estimate, and then you pay for it?”
I’m not sure how to respond. I feel like we should let insurance handle it since that’s what it’s for, but I also don’t want to come across as unhelpful. What do you think? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
It sounds like you’re in a tough situation. While it’s understandable that the other party is concerned about their insurance rates increasing, you are correct that insurance is meant to cover these types of incidents.
You could consider having an open conversation with them to explain your perspective—let them know that you appreciate their concern but that you believe it’s appropriate to go through your insurance for this type of claim. You can offer to cooperate with the process by providing all necessary information to your insurance company, which should help alleviate their worries about potential rate increases.
However, if they insist on wanting you to pay out of pocket, you also have every right to stand by the decision to let your insurance handle it. It could be a good idea to check with your own insurance provider about how this situation would be handled before making any decisions. They can also provide guidance on the best way to proceed. Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance between being considerate of the other party’s feelings and standing firm on using your insurance.