Call your insurance company and tell them. They'll take those clowns to the cleaners. Companies do this pretty consistently. They want to see if you'll do anything about it, but they'll pay up.

Police report says plows at fault, an adjuster told me my shits totaled, there is no insurance policy for the DPW plow truck, it’s just “city of Manchester” that’s who pays out, the driver used no directional didn’t look and wiped out my front end on Beech st I was heading toward a willow to go to work, I was left at the scene by an officer Clark with a yellow paper that says “city of Manchester” on the top and my name and the other drivers but left on the side of the road lol, I owe 13,000 on my car, I walked to the station to get my own report that says “plows at fault” on it, court gives me extreme anxiety and I don’t even know how to take someone to court and even if it’s only like 30 bucks to file that’s a lot of money to me right now because of the situation I’m in, I lost my job and home and everything because this plow truck totaled my car, can I sue the city of Manchester?

I left out a HUGE detail. My insurance lapsed three days before this happened. Which my financed vehicle is supposed to have for me to even get it in the first place cause I done OWN it, am I fucked because of this

Unfortunately yes, there was no coverage on the vehicle at the time of loss

This is an answer I literally couldn’t find on google or by asking lol thank you for that clarity, BUT does it matter that it wasn’t my fault? And if an insurance company won’t fight them for me, I have to myself? Because it seems as soon as they saw I don’t have an insurance company they sent this 51% letter to me but I just don’t see why I can’t be honest with a judge and say sir I didn’t make my insurance payment and I didn’t have insurance when I was hit and that’s irresponsible but the accident wasn’t my fault I was trying to go from one end of beech street to the other to work and only work genuinely just waiting for my next paycheck to get insurance back because that’s the truth and I just don’t think it’s fair I I ruined my life because I missed my payment and got hit

Don’t take legal advice from people on Reddit. This is something for a lawyer.

Consult with a lawyer on this one

I believe you would need a lawyer to contest the letter. I would start there. Who knows who you are talking to on reddit

Call Robert Moses in Amherst. A 75 dollar letter from his ass will get your point across.

Your insurance company should be helping you out in this situation. Call them before you agree to anything.

I'd listen to advice from insurance company before reddit commenters

I agree with you 100% it’s just that people here will be brutally realistic, and I’m really fucked up over this so any of this is simply what it is “advice from people on Reddit” because I’ve never done any legal stuff before and an above comment has already dropped what could be a reputable lawyer I could try to save for I otherwise wouldn’t know who to ask or where to look

“Hi your honor I’m representing myself based on information I learned from a Reddit user, please make them fix my car” no lol, but in all seriousness of course I need to consult a lawyer but I guess what I’m looking for is do you mfs think a lawyer is just going to say lol pay for your insurance idiot

I didn’t have insurance

There might be a way to appeal that letter saying it was ur fault, you aren’t really clear on where/who that even came from, usually insurance companies will cover if it was 51% not your fault, so I’m assuming that came from the other vehicle’s insurance? Idk why you would sue when you already say 30$ is a lot to you, suing costs money at it will probably go no where.

>I agree with you 100% it’s just that people here will be brutally realistic

The kids on the internet are brutally unrealistic.

Do you have insurance? Direct it to them. If you don't, then a lawyer. Keep your original copy of the police report to yourself, only hand out copies of it. Good luck.

Then you must be financially capable of covering the loss, according to state law. What was your plan if you were in an accident and were legitimately at fault? You wouldn't compensate the other party?

Do you have insurance? If so, this is what you pay them for. They'll fight the battle for you.

Insurance is who fights for you (in theory) in cases like this. Without insurance, you're on your own. You chose to take that risk. You'll have to argue this in the courts now, there's no other way if the city doesn't want to pay out. I don't blame them either, they know you don't have insurance, so they assume they can save money by not paying out the full amount. More often than not, they probably get away with it since court takes both time and money. That's part of the reason why it's important to carry insurance.

The city solicitor responsible for paying out the damages Tammy Denver sent me a letter saying they won’t pay for the damages and it is 51% my fault, she called my phone and asked me questions three days after the accident, I answered honestly, said it was idiotic of me to be near a plow with its service lights on, I said I was in my own lane and there weren’t any service lights on and I was struck by the plow blade in it’s up position and driven off of beech at are there traffic cameras anywhere or anything, she said she didn’t have anymore questions and she hung up, no bullshit, one of the questions was if I had an insurance policy I answered honestly I told her no I actually failed to pay on time and it expired which I felt idiotic for saying because the correct term was lapsed apparently and I really don’t even care about money I just want to know if they’ll pay for the car because the dude was literally not looking and wiped me and admitted to it wether I didn’t pay my bill or not and it just blows

If you’re looking for what a lawyer might say, then ask r/legaladvice . But maybe explain ur situation alittle more clean and more detail that how you did on this post

Post on Reddit.

You’re absolutely right, while my shit was lapsed me I was commuting to work four minutes away or not, I was risking being sued and financially demolished if I hit anyone anyways, I went four days with no insurance, Irresponsible of me but I literally just couldn’t afford it at the time I don’t drink alcohol or do drugs or smoke anything at all I try hard to make ends meet

Then contact someone about that letter to appeal. There must be a number or contact or something.

And insured or not I would never endanger people on the road I just don’t play that shit road safety is important to me this is my first accident of any kind ever too actually

Exactly

I'm not going to go down that road of blame and hindsight 20/20.

OP, they sent you that letter because you don't have insurance and they know they're a lot less likely to have to pay you. First, I would come up with a realistic number of what your car is worth to replace, then call them back.

"I received this letter. According to my lawyer on retainer, this will cost $x to replace. If we have to litigate, this will cost $x plus his fees $y plus court costs $z for you. The police report already states your driver is a fault. So either you're going to pay $x or you're going to pay $xyz. Let's save some time, pay me $x for the car, and we can all move on."

Actual lawyers aren't posting there

I didn’t say they were actual lawyers, it is legal advice. Probably find more people that would know more legally than on a New Hampshire page

Important detail - did it lapse 3 days before, or 33 days before? You have a grace period with insurance to get square. Do whatever you need to to get square with insurance if it wasn't outside the grace period!

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So this actually explained quite a bit to me, I was wondering if I could even approach or try to level with anyone because that’s truly all I’m looking for is payment for the damages not some big thing or lawsuit I’m not hurt I work everyday, but that car was like all I ever saved for to get for a very long time I literally come from shit I work and try very hard I’m not a fucking bum I don’t even need the whole value of my car if it’s inflated now versus when I got it I’ll take less and get a perfectly used decent awd or 4x4 to take care of like I originally intended

Call your insurance company - they will go to bat for you.

See other comment. How far out of insurance are you right now? Can you call your insurance company, tell them you forgot to pay but had this accident, and see if you can square up to have them take care of it? Worse that happens is they tell you to pound sand.

Awesome and noticed detail, I missed the short grace period they offered by 2 days I told them the truth about everything too and they said they can’t help me I had geico

Oh they did tell me to pound sand

... I think you're only option is to approach them like I suggested before, or to sue. You're on the hook for the $13k you owe on the car as well.

Thats the answer

OP, you need to contact a lawyers office. Give them a call and explain your issue. They will either intake you as a client or refer you to someone who can help.

Since you didn't have insurance coverage you need to get another form of representation or go it alone.

Call a lawyer. They will have to file a claim against the city. Lawyers love clear liability cases. Then the argument is just over damages. Most lawyers will take the case on a contingency but I’m not sure if any will take it for just property damage and no personal injury.

It's the city, not an individual or a business. There's no downside for them refusing to pay. OP can try, but court is likely to be the only recourse.

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I know an attorney that can help with this. Feel free to DM me.

If they have full coverage, if they don't then insurance won't do anything and they will have to sue

Call your insurance company. That’s why you pay them.

You made a huge mistake by answering her questions.

Get a dash cam and don't rely on police for anything. Ask people around the location of the accident if they have camera footage; ring doorbells, business security cams, pursue all leads to try and prove your case. Cops suck at accident reconstruction at best; and won't investigate at all generally. I got rear-ended AFTER putting my car in drive after backing out of my driveway. Speeding nitwit was clearly not paying attention and made zero effort to brake; my truck was totaled. Guess who was found 100% at fault because cops in this state are LAZY AF...

I wish I had more help to offer, but unless you can definitively prove your innocence and have the police amend your report this will sadly be a hard lesson learned; as it was for me.

You can't be honest with a judge because this is America. Our judges don't care a bit about the truth. All the care about is having easy days where they hardly do a thing. You are trying to get money from the government. The same government that employs the judge. That means if the judge doesn't completely screw you over at every opportunity, they are acting against the best interest of their employer and will be punished. Get a lawyer. It's your best shot of getting anything from these criminals.

Not suggesting you would, but you can end up with an at-fault through no fault of your own. Been there, done that. Unless you have video evidence or an army of witnesses, cops will assign blame according to however they feel was most likely the cause, regardless of what actually happened.

For example, if you were in reverse at the time of a collision, you're almost certainly at fault regardless of what the other motorist was doing. Which is insane.

OP, please do the following:

Step 1. Obtain a copy of the accident report if you don't already have one

Step 2. Print the letter that says they will pay nothing

Step 3. Bring these with you to a lawyer

If you lack insurance you are probably screwed. If they know you don't have insurance they probably think you can't afford a lawyer either. Take it as blessing they're insurance isn't going after you for damage to the plow truck

This, 100%

Sorry to tell you, but the likelihood is very high that you fucked yourself by trying to be a good guy and answer her questions

I made this same mistake myself once

I was struck by another driver making a turn and coming out of their lane and hitting my car in the parking lane on the side of the road - Cops showed up, police report was written up as them being at fault, with a whole fucking drawn up visual of the accident, their car coming out of the lane and striking mine, shit was circled, the whole ordeal

A day or two later, I get a call from an insurance agent - their insurance agent - claiming he wanted to go over the accident and get an idea of what happened, the whole good guy bit

I answered the questions and explained the situation honestly

They proceeded to somehow get an amended police report that stated they were actually not at fault - My insurance company said they had never seen it happen before

She was absolutely not calling you to be your friend and chat - Her job is to, in a very strategic, calculated and predatory manner, determine your level of legal capability, the level of their own exposure, and how likely it is they are going to being held liable and made to pay out

By telling her that where you were parked was, even potentially, stupid on your part you admitted that your own actions put your car at risk, and by telling her that you have no insurance or concrete evidence of them being at fault, you exposed that your means of recourse are pretty limited

Unfortunately, they're probably chalking this one up as pretty low priority - In my relatively meaningless opinion, pursuing a lawyer is probably the right move

Manchester traffic cops are the most incompetent people I’ve ever dealt with

Your backing up your at fault 💯 u should have been paying attention I’ve been in this situation on the other end in a parking lot pulling out of spot and was backed into laid on horn and all they still backed into be

If you want to gripe to her boss, Ms Denver appears to work for Kevin O'Neil, Manchester's risk manager (the city's self insured). Otherwise you'll probably want to find a lawyer, with the police report in hand. The downside is that if they think (and the court agrees) that you're 51% at fault, they can come after you for damage to the plow. If you don't have insurance and can't cover the damages, it can trigger a "must carry insurance" requirement and/or suspension of license and registration.

You're not going to find any useable recorded traffic cameras; they're generally illegal in New Hampshire except in specific locations.

Are you some lady in an office?

This is why you should ALWAYS back into a parking spot or driveway, if possible. You have to back up at some point, better to do it when the person behind you can clearly see your intention, you can clearly see the road, and you aren't in a rush. Very rarely do you hear about accidents involving people backing into a driveway, always the other way around. Play the numbers.

Take it to court

I thought the person who hits you is automatically at fault? (Go easy on me I don't know anything about this thankfully never had to deal with it)

It is always possible to consult with a lawyer at no cost and let that person help you decide if you have a case worth pursuing.

Ideally, but she said I backed into her to get out of responsibility and sadly it worked.

I had finished backing up and was in drive when she hit me. I established right of way and she was not paying attention. Re-read what I wrote.

Unfortunately I live on a state highway and it's as dangerous backing in as it is to back out due to the lack of shoulder. Speed limit is never enforced either. It sucks.

This is why you should pay a lawyer.

Every state's bar association will refer you: https://www.nhbar.org/lawyer-referral-service

I agree that backing into a spot is generally the way to go when feasible, but I still think it is folly to assume the person behind you will intuit your intent.

Last year an underage driver without a license stole their parents car and drove into my house, destroying the porch and also side swiped our car right before also hitting and destroying a car with a pregnant woman inside. Police did nothing, kid had no consequences, we ate shit. Uninsured car/parents, the moment that made me realize why the fuck it is not required in this backwards state. I just felt like sharing that wholesome Manchester experience. Best you can do is deal with your own insurance, very hopefully you have it. Possibly a lawyer like others have said.

Police report says it’s entirely their fault? Does this woman work in the office if the plow company and their insurance? What’s the basis for their assertion that you’re 51% at fault? Do they refer to the police report?

Talk to a lawyer on a free consult. Insurance companies and potential defendants will often do this as a matter of course because if it succeeds (folks don’t pursue it or agree to lower settlement), they win, and there’s no real harm to them in trying it. A lawyer will be able to help you. Even seeing that you’ve retained a lawyer armed with the police report will usually soften their stance

I thought in order to opt out of car insurance in New Hampshire you had to provide documentation that you were self ensuring that you had the funds on hand to do so I would be suing everybody

I believe the car simply cannot be under a loan, etc. so if you have a paid off shit box, you’re all set to drive uninsured. At least that was the case a decade ago when I couldn’t afford insurance

Your joking right? Your logic is 🙃

We got her boys

You shouldn’t have to get a lawyer if op has insurance. They have lawyers that handle this. OP shouldn’t really even be talking to the plow company. Send insurance the police report and they’ll take it from there.

This is correct. Idk I just assumed he didn’t have insurance because, you’re right, he shouldn’t be talking about this to the plow company if he does

My wife was dating a guy a few decades back that canceled his insurance and then drove it to the shop he was selling it to. Got into an accident on the way there (his fault) and was responsible for the entire cost of the accident. He lost his license for two years until he could pay it. Letting insurance lapse is too risky, but I know the struggle. Hindsight's always clearer. Not ragging on you, just sharing.

You are correct. As long as you have no note on the car you can drive uninsured. Car hit mine and wife had to come pick him up as the car was a total loss. Wife offhandedly makes a comment about insurance covering it when he admitted that it lapsed and he no longer has any on it. Thought the cop was going to have to deescalate the situation.

This is accurate. It typically ends up being the lawyers for one insurance company vs the lawyers for the other insurance company. The person with no insurance will typically have no representation at all and will get fucked by the courts. OP will end up with the bill and an SR-22 to go with it.

I strongly recommend consulting with a lawyer to evaluate real options.

If there isn't an injury it's usually not something that an attorney will do on contingency.

Lawyer

Lawyer

He's right. I'm an attorney and r/legaladvice is basically a meme.

Insurance in Nh is optional If it is the Plow trucks fault you can still receive a settlement Lawyer !

No uninsured motorist coverage on your policy in NH?

Only if OP has collision coverage on their car. If they only carry liability then their insurance company will tell them to kick rocks.

You already tried to work directly with the city department, so...

1. Your Insurance Co. No joy, then
2. Your selectman. No joy, then
3. lawyer

Are they under contract to a town, city or county? If so, that government agency may be of some help as they are responsible for any damage their contractors cause while working on their behalf.

If you have insurance, call your agent and send them the police report and give them the contact of the lady who called.

If no insurance, lawyer

This is the way.

Yes many times just having a lawyer send a letter will do it. They don't want a legal battle. They're counting on you being a poor who wouldn't get a lawyer since you don't even have insurance.

Definitely probably do not call them and tell them that now that you have been in an accident with a state vehicle, and fault is in question, you'd like to get your lapsed insurance squared up

They're going to express how absolutely fucking elated that they are to hear that your insurance lapsed before you got assblasted by a plow truck, and that's about it

You might (NotLegalOrIllegalAdvice) have better luck, if you're not too far outside of coverage, calling and trying to get your shit reinstated without mentioning the accident

Considering that as soon as you submit that claim, they're going to fucking eagle-eye your entire shit, and that you are going to be getting into it with the State, I'm not entirely sure how deep you want to get into trying to submit a claim under lapsed insurance in that circumstance

Obviously it's the lawyer, doctor, insurance, then have lawyer handle it from there... once they hear you have a lawyer, they will move their feet..

Absolutely 💯

Insurance in NH is only optional if you own your vehicle. If you have payments it needs to have insurance on it

Insurance always split fault 50/50 for parking lot accidents.

You don't even have to be in your car when it happens. But if you're not present when the accident happens, good luck finding whoever hit you.

that’s not a requirement by the state, it’s a requirement by the bank and applies in every state.

Only a jury can determine your percentage of fault in a comparative negligence determination. Talk to a personal injury lawyer. Almost all of them work on contingency, so that means you pay $0 up front, and just pay around a third or less of any settlement or damages award you ultimately get.

If your dpw is anything like my town’s dpw, that plow driver was probably under the influence, and they may be hoping you get discouraged and give up.

I'm no lawyer, but it would probably be worth suing the parents. While you probably won't get the money if you win, it will completely screw their ability to get a loan for a car or house.

This is the value of dash cams, but neither of the incidents being referenced happened in a parking lot. Context matters.

No joke, seen it before, primex protects who they insure if you don't have insurance to protect yourself they look at you as easy picking

Next time try to see if you can ride in the gutter. Otherwise those fucks will do that every time. Fuck them

Further down this branch of replies to your post mentioned a parking lot accident.

I use an old phone with a dash cam app to record my commutes. I wanted to get an actual dashcam but was having trouble picking one that did everything I wanted. Since I had an old android phone collecting dust I figured I'd install a dashboard cam app and use that while I shopped around for an actual dashcam. That was two years ago, lol. The old phone with the dashcam app does everything I want so I haven't bothered replacing it.

What lady in what office???

World’s stupidest cop, apparently. What town?

The fat one in the claims office.

Heck no it's usually just a telephone call between the insurance companies office people as long as there are no injuries.They don't like to pay for lawyers either.

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I sat on a jury for an auto accident in Connecticut and I found out you can get away with the most stupid things if you have your emergency blinkers on.

Call up the Fat Lady and ask her for the form to declare dizziness, loss of balance, and loss of sensation in toes due to the accident.

The plow drivers supervisor will need to do an investigation to protect his (supervisors) job and you will start a nice paper trail for discovery.

50% chance the plow driver gets thrown under the bus?

Hey op, might want to post this in r/legaladvice

Any cameras near where you got hit?

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Police report shows you’re not at fault. Get a lawyer and go after them.

The police report is just words said by the people involved.Its nothing, unless the cop was there to actually witness the accident.Insurance company is the judge and jury,not the police report.

Wow, your town sounds stereotype.I bet all the cops hang out at the donut shop.Do all the pedophiles drive white vans?

There’s an independent arbitration inside of all insurance companies. You need to appeal their decision

That's only true if the lawyer feels he can win the case.51%..take your loss! The insurance company has more time and money than you and that work for free lawyer.

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Not required in NH

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I missed that part? My bad

Get a lawyer

The rejection came from someone in the City of Manchester's Risk Management department. They're self insured so there's no insurance company to talk to there. The OP has no insurance, so ditto. The next steps would be those to the superior courthouse where the OP (or their lawyer) would go against the city's, ($DEITY knows when given the court is likely still working through the backlog), which runs the risk of the OP being found at fault by the judge/jury in spite of what the officer put in the accident report.

Hate uninsured drivers in NH. What the hell is wrong with you? Just because it’s legal because NH is assbackwards with freestaters doesn’t mean you should do it.

He doesn’t have insurance of course. Typical. Worst part of NH.

True, you have to assume everyone on the road is an idiot. But still, coming to a complete stop, and then putting on your blinker, followed by backup lights is usually a pretty clear indication of intent.

Once you figure this out and are back on the road, pay for the minimum level of insurance. Now you have learned.

Not in new hampshire

If your not insured you must be able to provide proof that you are able to supply funds in case of an at fault accident.just get insurance.you are correct,but why wouldn't you have insurance? Seems foolish unless your super rich.

Subrogation claim! Plow likely filed a claim with insurance, the insurance company has the right to collect monies paid out to their insured from the ‘responsible party’ and there are financial responsibility laws in every state; subject to them your driving privileges could be suspended for failure to satisfy it. It’s a tort claim not a consumer debt, but more often than not you can negotiate to settle as companies just want things to be resolved, also the balance could be subject to change with additional supplement payouts like rental cars, medical problems after the fact etc so that could affect the amount you ultimately end up paying

it was for three days because of lack of funds because of a terrible happening there’s nothing wrong with me angry dramatic mechanic

No you don’t. Not in New Hampshire. Texas yes. You can register a lawn mower in New Hampshire

I’m not saying this is a smart move. But New Hampshire has no insurance requirement. If you have a loan your bank probably does. But not everyone has a loan on their car.

Yeah, I am angry when people are uninsured because my pregnant friend was hit by an uninsured driver and left out to dry for all her medical expenses as well as her totaled car. “I was insured just two days ago!” says every uninsured driver who wrecks.

You are wrong, New Hampshire does require everyone to have financial ability to pay, and insurance is the most common way to do that

From nh.com nh.gov, “New Hampshire motor vehicle laws do not require you to carry auto insurance, but you must be able to demonstrate that you are able to provide sufficient funds to meet New Hampshire motor vehicle financial responsibility requirements in the event of an “at fault“ accident. If you are unable to meet these requirements, your driving privileges in New Hampshire may be suspended“

NH requires you have financial ability to resolve an at fault accident, and insurance is the easiest way to do that.

It’s a misconception that nothing is required, NH just doesn’t require an insurance policy.

Sue in superior court. I bet many lawyers would like to try this case, if for no other reason than to make the bureaucrats look bad.

Who do you demonstrate that to? I’ve registered a car without demonstrating crap and without first having insurance). Of course you are super fucked if you don’t have the money to cover yourself in the case of an incident.

They don’t require it when you register your car, it’s just something you have to do

You are quoting nh.com whatever that is. No one requires proof of jack up o register your car in NH and no one comes knocking on your door to demonstrate it. There is no requirement of insurance(self or otherwise). That’s it.

There are two other states like this but with additional rules. Texas for example requires you to have a $50k bond. Can’t remember the other one but it’s got rules as well.

If the car is financed, then it's in the contract that it must be insured regardless of state law. No bank will finance a car and let you drive it uninsured.

I meant nh.gov, my mistake. It’s this document here: https://www.nh.gov/insurance/consumers/documents/nh_auto_guide.pdf

Take to court, invest in some dashcams in the future

Contact the nh insurance commissioner. Call them and tell them you want them to review the claim. You will have to fill out some paperwork, but they will investigate

Agreed. Your insurance company should be handling this.

If you don't have insurance, good luck. Fighting an insurance company is going to be expensive.

Get a lawyer to review ASAP. Insurance companies will absolutely dick you around - especially when there is a high probability they are on the hook to pay out for person/property damage.

Common tactics are:

• Assign fault to you (arbitrarily) to avoid payout

• Deny initial claim(s)

• Low-ball you on a payout

• Defer/delay said payout (if agreed to)

• Transfer claim between agents, resetting the clock to address it. "Oh we're sooooo sooooorry, Tom/Dick/Jane/whoever isn't handling this anymore, let's start over."

Once you get a good attorney involved, they'll basically say "pay up or court". It's exponentially more expensive for insurance to contest a claim in court, especially if they/their insured can be shown liable.

Be upset all you want it’s legal then it’s legal. You can’t be upset that someone can’t get insurance. Don’t like NH? Don’t live or visit 😃, You’re taking the risk by driving either way. Judging someone who couldn’t get insurance isn’t going to help anyone.

Not required to have car insurance in NH, however if you are in an accident and it’s your fault you are then required to get car insurance to keep your DL, SR22, or lose your right to drive and your required to pay damages in full out of pocket. At the very least get liability insurance.

Lmao you are so ignorant if you don’t understand why basic liability insurance is a necessity for a functional society

I can see why you called yourself dramatic 😂 it’s a fitting name for you

You’re an immature moron

Does that include running while the car is off? I have a front/rear dash cam but it's only on when the car is on, so it missed it when my parked car was side-swiped and the other guy drove off.

The settings have multiple options. You can have it record when it detects power and shut off when the power shuts off or manually by pressing a record or stop button, or always recording. The app is called Droid Dashcam. It is full of options. It's very stable. There's too many options for me to list so here's a link to the app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.helge.droiddashcam

Dewey, Cheatem and Howe

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Heard good things coming from that law office