Car insurance company

[jake57]

What are other peoples experiences with car insurance co. with denied claims and how did you handle it. Here is my deal. On Monday Sept. 11th we had a thunder storm in Bismarck at about 4 p.m. It started to rain so I got up out of my easy chair to watch and just like that a bolt of lightning hit right in the middle of my driveway, scared the living crap out of me. On Wednesday morning I go to get in my pickup setting in street ( 2014 Dodge Ram with less than 50,000 miles on it ) and the door remote does not work, use key to get in and pickup is dead. Pickup is still at dealer waiting for parts BO, all electrical is gone starting at the switch. There is no sign of lightning hit but the dealer and I'm saying it took a charge from the lightning strike so close. Insurance ( the one on your side ) denied my claim because I can't prove it was lightning that killed my truck. Thoughts, HELP

 

[Pheasant 54]

Go to your insurance company one more time and tell them if they won't work with you , you will have to go the the ND Insurance Department and file a complaint , then do so if they still bow their backs.

 

[guywhofishes]

Gather some weather data or storm reports to prove that the problems documented by the mechanic were caused by the thunderstorm. This added information may make it easier to get your claim approved.

 

[Pheasant 54]

Also is the dealership willing to help you out in writing saying they believe it was an excess electrical hit

 

[SDMF]

What are other peoples experiences with car insurance co. with denied claims and how did you handle it. Here is my deal. On Monday Sept. 11th we had a thunder storm in Bismarck at about 4 p.m. It started to rain so I got up out of my easy chair to watch and just like that a bolt of lightning hit right in the middle of my driveway, scared the living crap out of me. On Wednesday morning I go to get in my pickup setting in street ( 2014 Dodge Ram with less than 50,000 miles on it ) and the door remote does not work, use key to get in and pickup is dead. Pickup is still at dealer waiting for parts BO, all electrical is gone starting at the switch. There is no sign of lightning hit but the dealer and I'm saying it took a charge from the lightning strike so close. Insurance ( the one on your side ) denied my claim because I can't prove it was lightning that killed my truck. Thoughts, HELP

1. Is there any warrantee left?

2. Will the dealer diagnose lightning strike on paper?

 

[guywhofishes]

Also is the dealership willing to help you out in writing saying they believe it was an excess electrical hit

Right?... what the hell ELSE could kill an e system without leaving a clue behind???

 

[Fester]

To me all dealer would need to do is indicate on work that it was lightning strike...problem would be solved. Insurance company isn't going to pay for something that isn't there. They need a professional to indicate lightning and it shouldn't be a problem. I would also think it would not need to be a direct strike either. Just needs to indicate on the paperwork cause by lightning 🌩
Insurance just need something to say it for them to justify the payment.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

I called the ND Insurance Commission one time many years ago for their help and they did help. Insurance company paid the claim within 2 days after the call.
Wish you luck.
What insurance company is denying the claim?

 

[johnr]

Start it on fire

 

[lunkerslayer]

There should be a spot on your truck I'm thinking that shows where the lightning struck your truck. Maybe I have been watching to many movies and think that there has to be burnt wires that traveled to the computer system. If you can show physical evidence should be a easy case to win. JMTC

 

[risingsun]

What insurance company is denying the claim?

"The one on your side"............ Peyton Manning /Brad Paisley

 

[Davey Crockett]

1982 I had a new IH Scout diesel that went haywire coming home from work one day while driving through a nasty thunderstorm. All of a sudden the radio made a super loud screech and the windshield wipers started going way faster than normal and all the gauges quit working. Out of curiosity I turned on the dome light and it flashed like a camera flash bulb and burned out. Those old diesels had a manual cable fuel shutoff so it still ran and drove fine but all the electrical was dead. It had manual transmission so I could get it moving and pop the clutch to start it. Brought it to the dealer and they replaced the battery , It had boiled over, alternator and all sorts of other electrical stuff. I remember it was in the shop a long time and when I went to pick it up and they told me warranty won't cover it because it was caused from lightning. I argued and got nowhere so I paid the huge bill and turned it into my insurance and they paid everything, no questions asked. At the time I had Nodak Mutual ins.
Keep us posted and let us know what Ins. Co. if they refuse the claim so we can shy away from the dirty buggers.

 

[eyexer]

Insurance commissioners office is very helpful in manners like this

 

[eyexer]

lightning strikes are extremely high voltage. Over voltage is far worse on components than an amperage issue

 

[BrokenBackJack]

There should be a spot on your truck I'm thinking that shows where the lightning struck your truck. Maybe I have been watching to many movies and think that there has to be burnt wires that traveled to the computer system. If you can show physical evidence should be a easy case to win. JMTC

It didn't strike the pickup. It struck his driveway and the pickup was parked close by on the street.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

"The one on your side"............ Peyton Manning /Brad Paisley

I reckon they aren't on his side now, by the sound of things.

 

[guywhofishes]

It didn't strike the pickup. It struck his driveway and the pickup was parked close by on the street.

It could easily have struck the pickup too - but he didn't witness that visually. In fact, the evidence suggests it did.

 

[LBrandt]

Had lighting hit transformer across the road from the farm and it fried a lot of electronics plugged in or not. LB

 

[lunkerslayer]

It didn't strike the pickup. It struck his driveway and the pickup was parked close by on the street.

I'm confused by your reply how did the lightning do any damage causing electrical failure if the energy of the lightning didn't hit his truck. Clearly some sort of electrical surge traveled across the ground and theoretically jumped to the body of the pickup shorting out the pickups electrical system. That's basically what the posters trying to solve here, that lightning caused damage to his pickup.

 

[johnr]

I was under the understanding that the rubber tires would prevent the transfer of this energy, being it was not grounded so to speak