Insurance companies cracking down on modified cars

A woman was just awarded 5.2 million dollars when she sued the ins company of her boyfriend, (Geico) she had sex in his car and he gave her an STD.
Geico appealed and lost, the 5.2 million award to the woman stands.
You never know, one day they may ask you if you have a STD !
No wonder why Berkshire Hathaway hiked up the price up on Benjamin Moore paints and Duracell batteries recently. Geico and DQ is their loss leader.
 
It's usually not a question they ask, but is intentionally hidden in the fine print of some policies.

True that most don't ask but some do and if asked you'll have to be honest. Insurance companies are sensitive to suspension mods and power mods which many times figure into an increase in accident claims. So naturally they want to assess risk correctly or decline. Now if there were mods, and you now have a claim with small print in a policy (there always is,) they can deny your claim partially or fully at their discretion. Asked a long time Farmer's friend. However, it is not illegal or fraud to not disclose, but like I say they have their ways to decline a claim regardless.
 
A woman was just awarded 5.2 million dollars when she sued the ins company of her boyfriend, (Geico) she had sex in his car and he gave her an STD.
Geico appealed and lost, the 5.2 million award to the woman stands.
You never know, one day they may ask you if you have a STD !
Going into Federal Court system and along the long way it will eventually get thrown out as it should. That is like me eating some take out in the car, getting food poisoning, and then suing AAA because I was in a car instead of the restaurant. Ridiculous.
 
I’m
Going into Federal Court system and along the long way it will eventually get thrown out as it should. That is like me eating some take out in the car, getting food poisoning, and then suing AAA because I was in a car instead of the restaurant. Ridiculous.
Im not saying I disagree with you at face value, I agree how crazy this is but this is todays world and the award was not from some jury, it was from an arbitration panel that Geico forces you use when a suit against them!
Furthermore when Geico objected to the settlement, a court ruled that Geico has no right to object, arbitration forced by Geico can not be contested by either party. More or less you as a customer are forced into arbitration and the ruling is final, what gives Geico the right to contest when that is their own rules?

Ok, here is what I find interesting, the analogy that you use with getting food poisoning isnt the same situation. The car wasnt owned by the restaurant and the restaurant wasnt knowingly providing you with food poisoning.

In this case, the person with the STD whom is insured by Geico used his car which is insured by Geico to have sex with a woman knowing he had an STD.
So we have three things here against Geico;
1. the car AND the boyfriend are insured by Geico.
2. the arbitration panel Geico forced the woman to use made its ruling and that ruling is final according to Geicos owns rules.
 
Last verbiage I recall from my insurance was that mods were not covered and any damaged modifications would be put back oem. I remember something about being able to pay more to cover the upgraded parts.
This makes sense as they are insuring the car as stock not with 5k in upgraded equipment
 
I was in an accident (not my fault) with a car I had modified. The insurance company I was with totaled the car and was only going to give me a certain amount of money for it, $3600. I told them I had many modifications on it and they said send them the receipts. I sent them every receipt for it and while they still totaled it they gave me $8360 for it instead of $3600.
 
Snitches get stitches

Are ins co out there denying claims for every car that has a cold air intake/k&n filter or a tune in it? I'm sure you see the jacked up trucks with with bumper heights of car trunks
 
Snitches get stitches

Are ins co out there denying claims for every car that has a cold air intake/k&n filter or a tune in it? I'm sure you see the jacked up trucks with with bumper heights of car trunks

Would the fact that the state has a bumper height law and the jacked up truck is in violation of it be enough to deny a claim?
 
So!!! I checked a third company just for fun.

ZERO issues. She said no problem, give me a list and part numbers....asked me about value and if they impacted power.

I honestly do feel better I did more digging
 
In all this musing I haven't heard anyone mention if a state's inspection plays into this.
I'll gladly admit to not knowing any established practices of insurance industry. It reads like only a few on this thread do.
If your stupidly modified vehicle contributes to, say, a destroyed school bus and many injured kids, you can bet your Hess Gasoline Truck collection on the fact that any insurance company will look for a reason to deny the resulting sheaf of claims. Get real.

Asking about what's covered and what's not is a prudent thing to do in my estimation....so is reading your contract.

The advice of, "Don't say nothin' and everything will be alright" sounds juvenile to my ear.

If some neighbor maxed out his vehicle and an insurance company denied his claim asserting that his homemade 24" lift kit buckled under load and caused a catastrophe, you'd laugh at his misfortune and call him negligent. Then you'd dig out your policy and read it carefully if you have a modded vehicle.

My 2 cents
 
I’m

Im not saying I disagree with you at face value, I agree how crazy this is but this is todays world and the award was not from some jury, it was from an arbitration panel that Geico forces you use when a suit against them!
Furthermore when Geico objected to the settlement, a court ruled that Geico has no right to object, arbitration forced by Geico can not be contested by either party. More or less you as a customer are forced into arbitration and the ruling is final, what gives Geico the right to contest when that is their own rules?

Ok, here is what I find interesting, the analogy that you use with getting food poisoning isnt the same situation. The car wasnt owned by the restaurant and the restaurant wasnt knowingly providing you with food poisoning.

In this case, the person with the STD whom is insured by Geico used his car which is insured by Geico to have sex with a woman knowing he had an STD.
So we have three things here against Geico;
1. the car AND the boyfriend are insured by Geico.
2. the arbitration panel Geico forced the woman to use made its ruling and that ruling is final according to Geicos owns rules.
So, if it happened in his house his homeowner's policy would have to cover it?
 
I am in a different legislative environment than most posters. In recent years I've heard of some "crackdowns" more in terms of denial of coverage when something happens due to all of the fine print etc.... When I installed coilovers on my vehicle, I notified insurance including a description, pictures, invoice for the parts (they were expensive - KW v3s) and a statement on the net impact to ride height. I have a few other changes to my vehicle, but none would alter "driving dynamics" like this.

Now in my case as an old fart, my ride height was reduced only an inch or so, there's still fender gap, and it was set at 2/3 up the range of recommended ride heights when the coilovers were assembled off car. I pointed out that the suspension system is TUV approved as well, and that it was done for reasons of quality when I found that a spring needed replacing (mostly true). The side profile pictures confirm that it's not scraping the road, and that it is carrying factory-like alignment. My goal was to communicate that this is not a case where coilovers = slammed boy racer.

Insurance said "Noted. Thanks for letting us know!". And now I've been up front, the parts are covered in the "value" determination, and there shouldn't be any outright claim denial weasel business.
 
Hi guys,

I haven't even thought about upgrading a vehicle for over a decade.

I'm out search for a new provider, I casually asked about slightly lowering or Kona EV for a little extra range with Eibach Pro Kit.

They gave us a hard no and said they wouldn't be able to Insure us. And they were the second place I asked.

Were married, in our 40s and have near perfect records.

Is this a big change in the industry?

I do wonder how many people are running around with modified cars who's insurance wouldn't cover them.

Slightly annoying, considering our cars are meticulously maintained.

She wouldn't even comment on aftermarket brake pads....non OE.

Thoughts?

It seems a little strange.. car mods, they usually enhance a vehicle for the better but to volunteer the info? Not sure I understand why.

A woman was just awarded 5.2 million dollars when she sued the ins company of her boyfriend, (Geico) she had sex in his car and he gave her an STD.
Geico appealed and lost, the 5.2 million award to the woman stands.
You never know, one day they may ask you if you have a STD !

Was it an aftermarket STD?
 
It seems a little strange.. car mods, they usually enhance a vehicle for the better but to volunteer the info? Not sure I understand why.


It all depends on the modification. I’m sure insurance companies don’t have the time to check everything out so this is the decision they have made.

If Jimmy lowers his Civic way down low and one night drives over a speed bump at high speed that launches the car and propels his girlfriend into the roof thus biting off her tongue, who should be responsible?
 
I have the Trans Am insured for a guaranteed amount. The Caprice has minimal modifications. Cam swap, stock Chevy SS springs because it makes the car sit correct and ride smoother than the cop springs. It would be hard to replace but I have normal insurance on that.
 
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