Triumph!

You may remember that about four months ago Dave and I were in a minor car accident. Dave talked with our insurance company and the other driver's insurance company. Because we did not want our insurance rates to go up, he decided to deal directly with the other driver's insurance agent. What a HASSLE this has been! After giving his statement (back in December) and waiting for about a month for the other driver to give her statement, we were told what the insurance company would offer us: 70% her fault and 30% Dave's fault.

This did not settle well for either of us. Why should we be faulted? So Dave took it upon himself to fight this thing. And fight (in a professional and courteous manor) he did! After talking to the agent over and over again and presenting all these facts that the company didn't bother investigating, after finally talking to me (in March - they didn't ask for my statement originally) they came back with an offer yesterday: 70%/30%. Nothing changed!

Dave, again professionally, told the agent that he disagreed - one of their major claims was that Dave should have anticipated that the other driver was going to do a u-turn in the middle of the street right in front of him - he countered with the company was holding him to a standard of perfection, not what a reasonable person would do. So, if they are going to hold him to that, they should hold her to that as well - what reasonable person does a u-turn in front of oncoming traffic?

After more discussion - Dave proving his point - agent defending hers and saying "I wish there was something that I could do . . . " Dave finally says, "Well, the next step for me is court." After a little discussion (agent trying to dissuade him) she says "What's the lowest you'll take?" Dave responds with "80%/20%" (the whole time he was asking 85%/15%, that was what he was willing to compromise). As soon as Dave said this she said "OK". Really, I thought that there was "nothing you could do"? I told Dave that he should have said 83%/17%. :)

Dave settled with that and feels good about the outcome. I guess all those lunch breaks watching The People's Court have paid off. He knew his stuff and as he sang on the way home "He fought the law and he won!"