NBC 7’s Claudia Simones explains why a San Diego driver had to reach out to NBC 7 Responds for help.
He was involved in a crash and even though he had a police report stating the other driver was at fault, that person's insurance company refused to pay up.
It was a long and frustrating process for Alfredo Lopez. He was left without a car for several months, but now he can finally feel relieved knowing his case has been resolved.
Lopez described what happened the evening of Oct. 24 of last year when he was driving in San Bernardino County after a long day at work.
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“Some lady didn't see a red light and she just went straight forward and crashed into me,” Alfredo Lopez said.
Police were called to the scene. His car, he says, was not drivable and had to be towed away. He says the police report showed what the investigation revealed.
“That I didn't cause the accident; that she was at fault,” Lopez said.
So he reached out to the other driver’s insurance company – Kemper. Despite the police report showing the other driver was at fault, they denied his claim.
“They still didn't want to pay me out or say that her insured driver was at fault,” Lopez said.
He struggled for weeks with no car, no money to buy a new one, and was unable to go to work. Lopez said he was about to give up.
“After, like, two months, I had already told myself that I'm not going to get a resolved situation about my car," Lopez added.
His mother was frustrated and wanted to give it a final shot. She finally convinced him to contact NBC 7 Responds. After we contacted Kemper, the insurance reached out to Lopez.
“I felt relieved. I felt amazed," Lopez said.
Kemper never explained why they thought Alfredo was at fault and said they couldn’t discuss the case with us due to privacy.
Lopez not only received the total his car was worth but also received a reimbursement for the tow truck and all the days he missed work due to not having a car. He received a total of nearly $8,000.
