Progressive Denied My Claim Until I Invoked Appraisal

I was driving down Interstate 90 in my 2013 Subaru Outback when I hit a semi-truck tire lying in the middle of the roadway. Thankfully, I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and make it safely home to Billings.

When I got home, I noticed damage to the bumper, fog light, and fender liner. At first glance, that appeared to be the extent of the damage. Once the vehicle was taken to the repair shop and torn down for inspection, additional damage was discovered and a supplement was submitted to Progressive. At that point, everything was being handled and covered without issue.

After the body repairs were completed, the vehicle was sent to the Subaru dealership for an alignment and to inspect a power steering issue that I noticed immediately after striking the tire. Every time I turned the steering wheel, the power steering made a loud humming noise that had never been present before the accident.

Subaru diagnosed the issue and determined that the internal pump inside the power steering system had been damaged from the impact. According to Subaru, a sudden impact like striking a large object in the roadway can create a pressure spike inside the pump, which can cause internal damage requiring replacement.

Despite Subaru's diagnosis, Progressive denied the power steering pump claim and stated the damage was not related to the accident.

Fortunately, my policy included an appraisal clause, and I hired a public adjuster to handle the dispute. After the appraisal process began and my claim was professionally represented, Progressive ultimately covered the entire loss, including the power steering pump they originally denied.

If I had not had the appraisal clause available to me, I would have been forced to pay nearly $1,000 out of pocket for repairs that Subaru directly linked to the accident.

This experience showed me how important it is for consumers to understand their rights under their insurance policy and to push back when legitimate damages are denied.