BajaNomad

Our motorvehicle accident in Mexico

Pharmbouy - 5-14-2009 at 09:43 AM

Motor Vehicle Accident in Mexico. Have you ever had one? Read about our minor accident, our dealings with the police, adjustors, lawyers and the final outcome with our insurance company. We insured through Vagabundos and had their best plan, the “Diamond Plan”.
Link to our website page below:
http://travelwithlarryandbetty.com/2008mainland/2008MexAccid...
Or:
Click Here

Barry A. - 5-14-2009 at 10:31 AM

What a fantastic report-----------thankyou very much----very helpful and informative.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. , is a visit to "Mexico" worth the hassle?????

--------a decision only each of us individually can make.

Barry

Bajahowodd - 5-14-2009 at 10:44 AM

There's at least two brokers who deal with Mexican insurance on this board. I would like to see them chime in on this.

My two observations are first that it is commonly understood that bearing proof of Mexican insurance prevented the impounding of a vehicle. Second, as someone who spend 3 1/2 decades in the biz, I have to find great fault with your broker.

Woooosh - 5-14-2009 at 10:52 AM

So that's as good as this system gets? ever? How much more innocent could these people have been? A speeding motorcycle runs a stop sign and t-bones them and it still cost them three days time and a couple hundred hours of work. Traveling is Mexico is fun and exciting until something easily resolved stateside happens in Mexico and your world collapses around you- even with complete insurance coverage.

shari - 5-14-2009 at 12:42 PM

Wow...make sure you make some popcorn and pop a beer before you sit down to read this classic keystone kops style story. Sadly to say...it all sounded perfectly normal for a gringo accident.

But looking at the bright side...it was a great story they will be telling for a long time and they probably met some interesting characters made friends, learned alot...experienced a true mexican adventure adn it could have been much worse.
I sure hope they looked after their translator well.

Oh yeah...welcome to nomadlandia Pharmboy..thanks for this contribution paisano.

[Edited on 5-14-2009 by shari]

wilderone - 5-14-2009 at 01:17 PM

Yeah, I think Jaime is the hero here.

rpleger - 5-14-2009 at 01:25 PM

Great report....Thats my insurance company...hmmmmm

BajaGeoff - 5-14-2009 at 01:47 PM

Bajahowodd......my guess is that the car was impounded because the adjuster initially believed the towed car was not covered by the insurance. Why it took three and a half days to get the car out is beyond me. Glad to see that at the end of the day the car got fixed and they got paid though.

Bajahowodd - 5-14-2009 at 02:36 PM

I knew you'd show up sooner or later, Geoff. :bounce:

sourdough - 5-14-2009 at 03:41 PM

This is a good example of why I purchase the liability only. Insurance in Mexico is to keep you out of jail. If I get in an accident, I'll cover my own vehicle damages. As far as bodily injury, my family is covered. Too many Mex insurance companies offer the moon ubtil you submit a claim.

BajaGeoff - 5-14-2009 at 04:11 PM

You either have a really inexpensive car or really deep pockets sourdough.....and what if your car was stolen? Just buy another one?

preston - 5-14-2009 at 04:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sourdough
This is a good example of why I purchase the liability only. Insurance in Mexico is to keep you out of jail. If I get in an accident, I'll cover my own vehicle damages. As far as bodily injury, my family is covered. Too many Mex insurance companies offer the moon ubtil you submit a claim.


Agreed completely. Liability only is the best way to go and just accept that you might lose your vehicle on your trip. When I see people driving brand new Hummers into Baja ... I think ... what an ....

Regarding the adjuster: IMHO he was just looking for a bribe. In my 20 years of doing business in Mexico, I have become extremely cynical about what makes things move in Mexico ($$$). I don't lose sleep over it, I just accept it. If I was in that position, I would have taken the adjuster out for a beer and offered him a bribe to move things along. $50 or $100 is worth less to me than losing 2 or 3 days of my precious Baja vacations.

This is exactly what Mexicans do (only they pay less).

Having said that, I still love Baja!

Let the flaming begin!

sourdough - 5-14-2009 at 04:33 PM

I have neither. I'm just at that point in my life when material things can always be replaced, even if it's something of lesser value. Time is precious and aggravations should be avoided at all costs. Marilyn and husband were way more patient than I would have been.

thebajarunner - 5-14-2009 at 04:37 PM

The late Jack McCoy, NASCAR champ, and I wrote a book about his racing career which some of you have read.
In the book we recount the story of Jack killing a pedestrian on the carreterra just outside Los Mochis, and the ensuing fiasco relative to Mexican insurance.
For the full version you need to read the whole chapter we devoted to this episode.
In brief,
the victim was retarded, had been run over on previous occasions, Jack was not ever held to be "guilty" but in the opening round the local adjuster for Oscar Padilla Insurance tried to shake him down, Jack refused, and ended up spending 8 days in the local calaboose.
Later he returned, sued the insurance company and actually collected, but he never felt the award was equal to the time spent.....
and, truth be told, he always talked about his lockup time as a positive experience.... well, until sundown each night when the 'ratas' came out and ran around the premises.

Hook - 5-14-2009 at 04:51 PM

Agree completely with sourdough. Doesnt matter who sells you the policy, you are at the mercy of the vulture adjusters from the insurance company and their lawyers as well as the judges and police, in some cases.

Your policy says you are covered? So what. We can grind you down over time gringo.

I had an insurance company contracted through Vagabundos go completely belly up on me and many other members; Seguros Noroeste, I believe. Fortunately, Oscar Padilla paid me but the contingency money ran out on many other Vags.

"Diamond" coverage, indeed. Simple liability for me, now. I'll fix it out of pocket and be on my way while I wave the vultures goodbye.

IMagine if the victims in this story weren't retirees? Weren't seasoned Mexico travelers? Imagine they were in a rented car and had a plane to catch back to jobs????

[Edited on 5-14-2009 by Hook]

preston - 5-14-2009 at 04:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by thebajarunner
The late Jack McCoy, NASCAR champ, and I wrote a book about his racing career which some of you have read.
In the book we recount the story of Jack killing a pedestrian on the carreterra just outside Los Mochis, and the ensuing fiasco relative to Mexican insurance.
For the full version you need to read the whole chapter we devoted to this episode.
In brief,
the victim was retarded, had been run over on previous occasions, Jack was not ever held to be "guilty" but in the opening round the local adjuster for Oscar Padilla Insurance tried to shake him down, Jack refused, and ended up spending 8 days in the local calaboose.
Later he returned, sued the insurance company and actually collected, but he never felt the award was equal to the time spent.....
and, truth be told, he always talked about his lockup time as a positive experience.... well, until sundown each night when the 'ratas' came out and ran around the premises.


BINGO!

Jack apparently didn't care about 8 days in jail. Me, I would have paid off the adjuster and moved on. As I said, I have accepted the corruption in Mexico as part of the culture ... but I still love Mexico!

Hook - 5-14-2009 at 04:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by preston
Jack apparently didn't care about 8 days in jail. Me, I would have paid off the adjuster and moved on. As I said, I have accepted the corruption in Mexico as part of the culture ... but I still love Mexico!


BINGO!!! There's your insurance "premium" payment. Why make one to the insurance company when you might have to pay their adjuster anyway?

Or spend days by the side of the road................

[Edited on 5-14-2009 by Hook]

Udo - 5-14-2009 at 05:11 PM

Is TECOMAN in Baja somewhere?

ILikeMex - 5-14-2009 at 05:11 PM

I had the misfortune of having to try and use my (tripple A - AAA) auto insurance in Mexico once.

We were in Todos Santos BCS. Going up the street after that stop sign at the bottom of the hill, we took a left towards the park. As we were turning left a car behind us tried to pass and we T-bone him and his car is pushed into a brick type wall.

Police come, impound both cars, send folks to hospital to be evaluated etc. (our car 1975 Blazer) had no damage, the other (Oldsmobile had blown tire, side windows and body damage).

We call insurance and get routed to people in La Paz. They say, "we will send someone out tomorrow and meet you at the police station in the morning."

OK, I'm thinking I'm glad I got insurance to help me with this. I show up to police station the next day, wait for 3-4 hrs and call finally AAA again - "Where are you?"
They say, "we're sorry, we will be there tomorrow". This happens for 3 days and I finally figure they are not comming.

Police tell me that if I can get the other guy to sign their report (which states he is at fault) they will give me my car back.

So they direct me to a bldg in town where this guy is located and I ask him to sign the papers.
Nope, he says. This is a company car and I need to have it replaced.

Humm, I'm thinking comapny car in Baja - pretty good deal. Turns out the guy is the district attorney for Todos Santos.

I'm thinking I'm screwed. Go back to camp at Pescador and decide it is time to call Dad for advise.

Oh, I forgot to mention. In-between town and camp they had a military check point, stopping and throughly searching every car. While in the District Attorney office, these guys come in with Machine guns - plain clothes guys that I later recognized as also being at the check points.

So now I'm thinking I'm really screwed - they are going to plan drugs on me and really put the squeeze on me.:?:

So I call Dad and tell him what up. He says, OK let me see what I can do (he used to work for Mattel Toys in Mexicalli and Mattel (at the time) still had other manufacturing operation in Mex.

So anyway, the next day I do my daily journey into town. It has been at least 5 days now and I needed to get back to the states for the upcomming college semester.

Into the District Attorney office, guys with guns show up and mull around in the background. I'm trying to talk to him in Spanish and have him sign the papers so I can take to Police and they will release my car.

I'm on one side of his office desk, he on the other.
Phone rings......he answers and talks a bit, then hands it to me.
Confused, I say "hello", and the guy on the other end starts talking to me in Spanish. I say "What?" Then in perfect english he says "Is this "my name"?

Yes. I say.

I'm so-and-so and I am a lawyer here at Mattel. Your Dad called me about your accident.

Great I say. I'm trying to get him to sigh the paper so I can get my car back. I tell him the police state it is was his fault.

What!? he says. Give the phone back to "dick head".

I hand it back and can hear the lawyer through the hand set. Dick head is nodding, but not saying a word.

Dick head hangs the phone up, signs the paper and hands it to me.

Yahoo, down the street to the poice station, grab my car and head to the beach and start packing. :biggrin:

Insurance was a big no help and wate of time and money.

woody with a view - 5-14-2009 at 05:18 PM

like i said to the nice young lady on the phone when i switched from lewis and lewis to bajabound, "i want to have a person (at bajabound) i can speak to directly if the adjuster/ins co tries to give me the shaft.

here's to never needing to call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wakemall - 5-14-2009 at 05:24 PM

Ilikemex,

It is always good to have friends in high places.

ILikeMex - 5-14-2009 at 05:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by wakemall
Ilikemex,

It is always good to have friends in high places.


Yes. It is not what you know, but who you know. My friends thought my Dad was a hero and had the connections. I kept that guys name and number in my glovebox for 20 years after that - never had to use it thankfully.

Also, Hooks comment is so true - "Your policy says you are covered? So what. We can grind you down over time gringo."

These guys knew we had to get back sooner than later. All they had to do was wait and they thought we would poney up. They did not count on us being poor college students - it would be lucky if we could of mustered $300 between us; and a lawer from a multi national company :lol:

shari - 5-14-2009 at 05:34 PM

this is a very good topic...Geoff...perhaps you can respond to this issue of the problem with the adjusters in the area where you have an accident.

I personally know the wonderful lady in GN who is the local adjuster and she is always running around responding to claims...which is why she might not be available the moment you want her to attend to you...there is only one woman as far as I know and she is one busy lady, but very honest, intelligent and not corrupt. Keep in mind she also has to deal with other officials who may not be as efficient or prompt.

It is very important to be able to get someone who speaks english to help you and this is where Bajabound insurance would sure be handy.

It appears there is a real lack of adjusters around...any way to get a decent one to help you when you need em? Is tthere maybe a list of some sort of good guys and the areas they work in?

Bajahowodd - 5-14-2009 at 11:15 PM

I wouldn't suppose to speak on behalf of Geoff, but from my own experience, chances are that in a sparsely populated area such as much of Baja, individual insurance companies could not afford to keep full time employees on the payroll. So, I surmise that in your case, Shari, an adjuster who shows up in Asuncion will be a self-employed independent who is available to many insurance companies. A potential problem of impartiality could arise in the case of a disputed accident, inasmuch as an independent adjuster could feel beholden to the company that sends them the most business.

Pharmbouy - 5-15-2009 at 05:59 AM

Tecoman is on the Mainland of Mexico.
In our case, if we had liability only, the time spent waiting probably would have been the same.

Santiago - 5-15-2009 at 06:10 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pharmbouy
Tecoman is on the Mainland of Mexico.
In our case, if we had liability only, the time spent waiting probably would have been the same.


That was exactly what I was thinking: the reason you spent the time was not to get your stuff fixed - it was the Mexican citizen agreeing to a settlement. This would have been the same if you had liablility only or full coverage.

I'm curious as to whether anyone has been in an accident with another visitor, no Mexican citizen involved. I suspect that the red tape would be a lot less?

[Edited on 5-15-2009 by Santiago]

sourdough - 5-15-2009 at 08:00 AM

Just curious. Does anyone have knowledge of a tourist with Mexican insurance receiving compensation for the damage to THEIR vehicle?

tripledigitken - 5-15-2009 at 08:12 AM

Awhile back a Nomad had his truck and boat stolen in Ensenada. He eventually was compensated. It was coverage through Discover Baja.

It sounded like it was a pain in the burro as you might expect.

Ken

BajaGeoff - 5-15-2009 at 09:30 AM

Bajahowodd you are correct....most of the adjusters are independent contractors.

Sourdough...people get compensated all the time for damage to their vehicle (provided they bought full coverage). Our agency gets claims reports at the end of every quarter that detail the nature of the loss and how much was paid out.

Hook - 5-15-2009 at 10:59 AM

One other question I have about full coverage in Mexico...................why are you required to have full coverage for your vehicle in the States in order to get it in Mexico?

BajaGeoff - 5-15-2009 at 12:47 PM

I think the two main reasons are to prevent fraud and for subrogation in the event of a loss.

However, you can get a full coverage "Resident Use" insurance policy if you are going to be in Mexico for longer than 6 months - no stateside insurance required....but it can be more expensive depending on the underwriter you choose.

BajaNuts - 5-15-2009 at 08:46 PM

thanks Pharmbouy for the post and link. Welcome to the forum, also.

It's good to read of others' detailed experiences. Kinda confirms our attitude.........nothing moves fast, but if you stick to it, you can get out of it.