The Incident

It was a rainy night in October of last year, when one of our insureds, a trucking company that specialized in refrigerated goods, was involved in a serious accident on Interstate 95 near Baltimore, Maryland. The driver of the truck, who had been working for over 5 years now, was driving south bound carrying a load of “luxury seafood” valued at $150,000. As he approached a construction zone, where traffic was slowed down to lane closures, he noticed the car in front of him braking extremely hard. Out of natural driver instinct he immediately applied his break, however his brakes were not working properly so he was not able to make a full stop in time. This led to him rear-ending the car in front of him which caused a chain-crash involving four other vehicles. The crash was very severe, causing the trailer to detach and roll over, and even worse, the driver and the drivers of the other vehicles had various injuries ranging from small cuts to broken bones. The highway was then closed for several hours as the emergency crews arrived, and the debris were cleared.

The Claim

When the insured reach out to us regarding the incident, we expressed our sympathy and support and assured them that we would be with them every step of the way to ensure their claim was handled quickly and smoothly. Our first step in the claims process was to contact their insurance carrier, who at the time was Progressive, and file a claim on our their behalf. We then contacted the adjuster assigned to their case and provided them with all relevant information and documents such as:

• The driver’s license, medical certificate, and HOS records
• The vehicle registration, insurance card, and inspection report
• The cargo manifest, invoice, and bill of lading
• The police report, witness statements, and photos from the scene
• The estimates for repairing or replacing the tractor, trailer, and cargo

It was also extremely important that we communicated with the other parties involved in the accident and their insurance companies so that we could resolve any liability or subrogation issues. In doing so, we made sure that our insured’s interests were protected and that they were not held responsible for more than their fair share of the damages.

Final Outcome

Thanks to our in-house team of claims specialists and their deep understanding of our insureds policy, we were able to manage their claim efficiently and effectively. We knew exactly what coverages they had and what deductibles had to be paid. On top of this, we knew what exclusions and limitations they had to be aware of and what endorsements they had to benefit from. With all this information at hand, we were able to negotiate with Progressive and the insurance companies of the other parties involved to settle for a reasonable amount that satisfied everyone. We then continuously supported our insured and helped them obtain a rental vehicle and arranged for the repair of their tractor and trailer. Our insured, who preferred not to be named, was extremely grateful and impressed by the way we were able to service them.