Honesty not always the best policy?

[Fidatelo]

I got rear-ended coming home from a social on friday night. Totally the other driver's fault, she admitted it, we exchanged info, she felt really bad, yada yada.

This morning I phoned in to report and they asked if I'd had anything to drink within 12 hours of the accident. I answered honestly, saying I'd had 1 drink about 3 hours before. Now I have to go and make a statement to the claims guy and my wife thinks they will try to revoke our insurance.

Was I an idiot for being honest? There is NO WAY ON EARTH that I was inebriated from one drink 3 hours before, I'd even had a sandwich after so it wasn't an empty stomach or anything. I'm also almost 200 pounds.

Our province's blood-alcohol level limit is .08, which I'm positive I'd have been under so I didn't worry about it. But I never considered that perhaps there is a law that you can't have had anything to drink, and the .08 is just to catch people that try to lie? Perhaps by admitting to the one drink i've just admitted to breaking a law?

It never even crossed my mind that what I did was wrong, 1 drink 3 hours before driving seemed quite responsible to me and I so no reason to lie about it. Now I'm worried that I'd be better off being a lying drunk than an honest guy. :(

[Cringer]

Rough one. It clearly would have been easier to lie, but I would hope that you would walk away ok from this because it probably had no effect on you. Unless that one drink was in a 55 gallon drum. Next time just leave out the things you don't feel are relevant. ;) Best of luck to you.

[miked]

I've learned one thing. Always call the police and get a report. People cannot be trusted, insurance companies cannot be trusted, but a police report is nearly irrefutable.

[MikeVic]

I know I'd be scared to lie, because I'd be thinking of the scenario that it's somehow proven I drank that night. Good luck, and I hope our province isn't stupid!

[Barkeep49]

I've learned one thing. Always call the police and get a report. People cannot be trusted, insurance companies cannot be trusted, but a police report is nearly irrefutable.
I second this thought. Plus while people might be honest at first their stories can change over time. By having the police report you have a credible recording of their admission of guilt on the record, with an independent third party there to support it.

[Fidatelo]

I'm not worried about her story, I'm pretty sure she reported correctly (there was no indication otherwise from the woman on the phone, and she did indicate that the woman had reported). Even if she disputes, with 'no fault' insurance at worst I'd be paying my deductible (and so would she). She really doesn't have anything to gain by lying other than 1 merit on her license.

I'm mostly worried about MPI (our insurance company) seeing a nice way of avoiding a payout.

Also, I have to make a police report if the damage is over $1000 (which it certainly will be), but I'll find out for sure tomorrow when the adjuster looks at the car.

[FrogMan]

and why would they revoke your insurance? Do you have some "no drinking" clause in it?

I mean, you never got charged for drunk driving or anything so I don't see why you would need to be worried about it.

FM

[MrBug708]

Your blood alcohol level should have been 0.00 by that time. 3 hours and one drink? Unless you chugged a bottle Grey Goose and that was your "drink".

[MrBug708]

and why would they revoke your insurance? Do you have some "no drinking" clause in it?

I mean, you never got charged for drunk driving or anything so I don't see why you would need to be worried about it.

FM

Depends on how "cheap" the insurance plan is. If it was something like AAA, Farmers, 21st Centruy et al then it wouldn't be much of a big deal. If it's Joe's Insurance Company, they might have some lame ass clause in really small print

[Atocep]

I would guess that the statement is just standard procedure when someone answers yes to that question. As he gathers evidence on the claim he'll have your statement there that clearly shows that although you said you had a drink, it was 3 hours prior.

I really wouldn't worry too much about it.

[Fidatelo]

I don't know of any clauses but I'm also not the most details-oriented person alive.

That said, we have Provincially-run auto insurance, so there is no choice (ie "cheap"), you get what you get. The only choices you can make are liability and deductible values.


I wasn't worried at all until my wife mentioned it, she works at an insurance company and says it has made her paranoid about claims being revoked (I guess she sees enough of 'em).

[B & B]

http://www.beerquest1k.com/Assets/Lets%20have%20one%20more-big%20beers.jpg


Tjhere is nuthing wrong wiff havin a beer ahfter work.

[Chief Rum]

Why would your insurance have to pay out? Everyone seems to agree the woman is at fault. Her insurance should be paying out.

[sterlingice]

I'm not worried about her story, I'm pretty sure she reported correctly (there was no indication otherwise from the woman on the phone, and she did indicate that the woman had reported). Even if she disputes, with 'no fault' insurance at worst I'd be paying my deductible (and so would she). She really doesn't have anything to gain by lying other than 1 merit on her license.

Kindof curious how this plays out- it's an interesting quandry.

The one thing to be wary of is her changing her story. I know you trust her, but people get really weird around insurance. I've seen it happen too many times with friends and my insurance agent (well, the people who work in his office) really warn about this because it happens a lot.

SI

[Anthony]

why would you admit to something that can't be proven? unless time machines exist there's no way anyone can go back in time to give you an alchohol test. you deserve to have your insurance taken away, if you're stupid enough to admit to having a drink then you're stupid enough to put me at risk on the road. next time you want to do the right thing go find the cure for cancer, you fucking moron.

[sterlingice]

why would you admit to something that can't be proven? unless time machines exist there's no way anyone can go back in time to give you an alchohol test. you deserve to have your insurance taken away, if you're stupid enough to admit to having a drink then you're stupid enough to put me at risk on the road. next time you want to do the right thing go find the cure for cancer, you fucking moron.

Which is all well and good until they ask where he was before and try to uncover witnesses to worm out of paying and then he has an even bigger question to answer in "why did you lie about this". It's what insurance is good at.

SI

[Fidatelo]

Not to mention that being honest seems like, I don't know, the right thing to do? But maybe not (hence the post), maybe I'm naive and should be lying more often. Guess we'll find out tomorrow morning.

As for HA's comment about putting him at risk on the road, I'm not sure where that comes from... if you're trying to suggest that I did something irresponsible by driving you'd better have a mighty tall ladder to get off that horse, because a 12 year old girl wouldn't have been impaired 3 hours after one rye and coke...

[Anthony]

i'm trying to suggest only someone stupid of devoid of any intellect would admit to something that can't be proven. stupid people lack hand-eye coordination skills and make dumb decisions on the road.

[Fidatelo]

i'm trying to suggest only someone stupid of devoid of any intellect would admit to something that can't be proven. stupid people lack hand-eye coordination skills and make dumb decisions on the road.

Ah ok, fair enough I guess. :confused:

[Fidatelo]

So anyways, I went to the insurance place today, waited 20 minutes to speak with my adjuster, he went over the damage estimates and then told me the other driver was at fault and everything will be paid for. No mention of the alcohol at all.

Then I went to the Police to report the accident (damages were over $1000 so it has to be reported), and it never came up there either.

So it looks like I'm in the clear, and beign honest appears to have worked again. This is a nice, affirming kind of lesson for myself; I just wish I hadn't spent the last 24 hours worrying about it.

[chesapeake]

Character is what we do when no one else is watching.

[larrymcg421]

i'm trying to suggest only someone stupid of devoid of any intellect would admit to something that can't be proven. stupid people lack hand-eye coordination skills and make dumb decisions on the road.

Lying when you think something can't be proven is what gets people into trouble all the time.

[Huckleberry]

You absolutely did the right thing. Glad it worked out.

[MikeVic]

Good to hear!

[Passacaglia]

So anyways, I went to the insurance place today, waited 20 minutes to speak with my adjuster, he went over the damage estimates and then told me the other driver was at fault and everything will be paid for. No mention of the alcohol at all.

Then I went to the Police to report the accident (damages were over $1000 so it has to be reported), and it never came up there either.

So it looks like I'm in the clear, and beign honest appears to have worked again. This is a nice, affirming kind of lesson for myself; I just wish I hadn't spent the last 24 hours worrying about it.

Well now that you've filled your good-guy quota for the month, you can go home and bitch-slap your wife for getting you all worried. :D

[Pumpy Tudors]

What's funny is that the question was "Have you had any drinks in the last 12 hours?" Seriously, 12 hours? Somehow, I don't think answering "yes" to that specific question would automatically put somebody on the hook. I'm not surprised that the one drink 3 hours prior to the accident never came up in any further discussions.

I think you did the right thing, Fidatelo.