In 2022, my family and I purchased a home in Westchester County, New York. As part of our due diligence during the buying process, we hired a professional tank testing company, U.S. Tank Tech, to inspect the underground oil tank. They issued a written “PASS” report. Based on that assurance, we moved forward with the purchase, believing there were no environmental risks.

In 2023, during a renovation, we removed the tank as a precaution. What we discovered was alarming. The tank had over 45 holes and had been leaking petroleum into the soil for approximately 20 years. This was confirmed through a soil age dating test. The contamination was extensive and had spread beneath our driveway, walkway, and much of our front landscape, requiring environmental remediation and full reconstruction of affected areas.

Images: https://imgur.com/a/wo6118L

We have spent heavily on cleanup and repair. This includes the cost of removing the tank, installing a new one (which had to be filled before remediation could begin per our tank insurance), environmental remediation (only partially covered by tank insurance), complete replacement of our front walkway, driveway, landscaping, and more. We are also on a private well, so we have begun ongoing groundwater testing at our own expense, which we will need to continue for the foreseeable future. In addition, due to New York’s 2023 disclosure law, we are now legally obligated to disclose this environmental issue when we eventually sell the home. That brings a serious risk of long-term property value loss.

Our total out-of-pocket cost to date is over $80k, and that figure continues to rise.

When we turned to U.S. Tank Tech, they immediately referred us to their insurer, Chubb (via Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Co.). I submitted a complete claim package to Chubb that included photos, receipts, lab reports, environmental assessments, and even legal precedent including Navigation Law §181 (which outlines strict liability for environmental discharges) and Sommer v. Federal Signal Corp. (which speaks to negligence beyond standard disclaimers).

After a long period of silence, Chubb finally responded. They denied the claim outright, stating:

“The test followed protocol. No evidence of negligence. Claim denied.”

Their main defense was that the contract I signed with the tank testing company clearly stated their results are “only 95% accurate” and doesn’t guarantee anything. At one point, Chubb floated the idea that “clay in the soil may have interfered with the test.” However, they never provided any documentation or evidence to support this theory, even after I requested it multiple times. Also they have yet to explain where the 95% comes from and only said “unfortunately I’m one of the 5%”.

Here’s what’s broken: The EPA approves the tank testing protocols, but the testing company disclaims liability when the test fails catastrophically. Chubb, as the insurer, relies on the argument that “protocol was followed,” even if the test result was clearly wrong. And the homeowner (me) who relied on a professional service to ensure the property was safe, is left absorbing the full financial burden.

This is a complete systems failure. And unless you pursue litigation or take the story public, there appears to be no recourse for people in our position. I have filed formal complaints with the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I’ve remained professional throughout, but at this point, I’ve exhausted every internal channel.

What I’m asking this community, particularly those who work in insurance, claims, environmental regulation, or legal fields, is this: If I want a resolution that does not rely solely on expensive and prolonged litigation, how do I get a company like Chubb to take this seriously? Is there a reputational or regulatory pressure point that actually compels them to act?

I’ve consulted with multiple attorneys and have now formally retained one. We are preparing to file a legal claim in New York, and I understand the path ahead will not be quick or easy. But I felt compelled to share this experience. If this post helps even one other homeowner avoid going through what we have, then at least it serves some purpose.

Thank you for reading! and I welcome any thoughts, feedback, or insight.

Hi so I recently crashed my car so I got 12000 dollars from my insurance only problem is that I am linked though my parents insurance they refuse to give me any of the money is there anything I can do or am I out 12000 dollars? I am the titled owner and paid my parents monthly for the bill. I'm not sure if because my parents were the named insureds they would be entitled to the proceeds of the policy, but as an owner of the vehicle shouldn’t the payment have gone to me but I guess they would have no way to send it too me because I don’t have access to it. Location: California

List and Description of 8 claims

Please bear with me, just need best advice or if there's anything I can do. Been with Arbella since 2022, and have had some horrible luck. Because of this, there are 8 claims in my CLUE report and my renewal rate is almost $11k, up from $5500 last year. Geico and Traveler's denied me online, so I'm going to go to an independent agent, but hoping you guys have any advice on how to approach the issue. If you look at the chart in the link above, there are only two at fault accidents, one mine one the wife's, 5 and 6 years old. All other accidents were bad luck, specially those 6 months in 2023, and needed to be reported because of the amount of damage. Though, now I know better than to report that last glass claim.

Question1, you see most of them are subrogation. I follow the general advice in this sub of "just call your insurance, that's what you pay them for", and reported to my agent instead of the other party. Would going through the other party directly have kept these from my CLUE report?

Question2, Is there ANYTHING I can do, say, show at all to the insurance agencies to mitigate the impact of these claims, since most of them were not our fault and we weren't even in the cars for some of them?

In the mean time, I'm dropping my car to liability only, maybe add uninsured. Is a 2011 Mazda with 180k, and comprehensive and collision alone are $3,000 dollars. Any advice on this?

Thank you for reading this far and any insight you may provide.

Hi everyone,

I hit a parked car a few weeks back and left a note on their windshield. The owner contacted me and said they would be ok with paying a shop directly to avoid insurance and I asked for estimates. I was driving my father's Tesla (I think we're on a family plan) and the car I hit was a Range Rover. I think the costs of my own repairs will be about $2k. My question is at what price point will paying for the repairs directly be a worse option than just going through our insurances and paying the increased premiums for awhile. My father is saying because the car was parked there shouldn't be too big of an increase on premiums but we would like a second opinion. Our insurance plan is through Wawanesa. Thanks!

Hello. I have mapfre insurance. I had a minor accident 2 weeks ago and submitted a claim on March 27th. They had me take pics of the damage(front bumper damage) I got my estimate from their electronic appraisal. I dropped off the car at an in network shop on Sunday, March 31st.

That Monday the shop submitted a supplemental appraisal to have someone to check the car to approve more funds to get the car fixed from insurance. Since then there has not been an appraiser to come check my car at the shop. It’s been a week and it’s beginning to get frustrating. I was told many different stories on when an appraiser will come up until on Thursday an appraiser told me there was an issue in their system that prevented them from assigning an appraiser. I was told this past Friday that one has been assigned and will call the shop to schedule an appointment.

The damage is minimal and the shop can fix the car in 2 days but can’t proceed without insurance. What are my options to make sure they have someone come on Monday? I’ve been without a car for a week and it’s been difficult to get around. Would love some advice on this issue!

Canceled my house insurance with old company, got sent a letter with a bunch of different things I have to pay. I already paid everything. What is it?

Hello, just wanted to advice in regards to lowering my auto insurance. I am currently paying 670 per month for two cars in NYC. Both cars are under my mom’s name and she is the primary policy holder. My car was a gift 5 years ago after graduating college but it is under her name but I am listed as the primary driver.

I wanted to know if I should change my car to be under my name and switch the primary policy holder to me. Reason why is because my mom’s driving history isn’t so great (license suspension and a recent insurance claim) and I have a clean record.

Aside from switch my car’s name and the policy holder name, are there any other ways I can lower my car insurance?

Hey everyone, I’m hoping someone here has experience with this kind of situation.

I bought something on my credit card within the last 90 days, and it got stolen. The item was worth around $900 after taxes. My home insurance deductible is $1,000, so it’s under that threshold and not really worth going through home insurance.

But I’m wondering—would the credit card insurance company still expect me to contact my home insurance provider anyway? Like, would they want proof that I tried to file a claim there first, even if the amount is below the deductible? Or would they just accept that it’s under the deductible and proceed with the credit card protection claim?

I’m a bit nervous about even calling my home insurance company, because I’ve heard that just making them aware something happened—even if no official claim is filed—can still affect your future premiums. Like, just mentioning that something was stolen could end up on your record and potentially lead to higher rates.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I’m just not sure how these things usually play out, and I don’t want to accidentally shoot myself in the foot.

Appreciate any advice, thanks!

I bought a car rental through Kayak/Priceline in November and was offered rental insurance through RentalCover. Purchased the rental insurance and got a policy. During the trip I caused some damage to the bumper and it had to be replaced so I started a claim with RentalCover, but it's been sitting at the status "under assessment" for over two months.

The rental company has a claim specialist asking me for an update every week. I've tried contacting RentalCover multiple times through email, chat, and the contact form but I've never heard back for an update on what's going on. They have no phone number available to speak with a person.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid the rental company will demand payment, but the rental insurance is completely unresponsive. Do I just keep waiting? Get a lawyer? Try to claim with my normal insurance?

Edit: the accident occured in Colorado.

Is this auto insurance premium reasonable? ($1,208.10/year for two cars)

Vehicle 1: 2008 Lexus IS 250 – $715.48 Vehicle 2: 2008 Honda Civic LX – $494.38

I'm in California and just renewed my auto insurance. I've been with GEICO for a while, but the premium keeps going up every year.

Is this normal?

We had some water damage in our kitchen causing us to have to tear out the flooring in our house. The kitchen area had tile and the remainder of the floor was laminate. Because the laminate was old and can't be matched the entire flooring was covered to be replaced. Because the flooring was all ripped out, we would like to replace with hardwood throughout (knowing we'll have some out of pocket cost). If we replace the tiled area with hardwood instead, and the replacement cost is more than the ACV of the tile, are we still able to claim the depreciation cost for the tile? Or are we only able to claim the depreciation cost if we replace with tile.

My companion and I will be sharing driving duties on an upcoming road trip. I have the legal minimum liability coverage and she has significantly higher level insurance. I understand that if I lent her my car, my insurance would pay first and her insurance would pay additional liability and medical expenses in case of accident, but not repairs to my vehicle. But does any of this change if I'm a passenger in my own car?

(We live in California but most of our travel will be out of state. We are not related, do not live together, and are not named on each other's policies in any way.)

Edited: I originally left out the part about my insurance being first. I mean to ask about her insurance kicking in after mine.

My wife and I are under the same policy. I was in an at-fault accident last year where the car was declared a total loss. Around 8 months later, my wife damaged the car's door and side view mirror while parking. My initial estimate for the fix is $2-3k.

Can the second claim result in my insurance to be revoked? Or since it was different drivers on each accident, there wouldn't be any impact on premiums/insurance status? Or should I pay for the fix out of pocket and not file a claim. I don't want to be uninsurable and am optimizing for long term premiums.

I accepted FEMA'a offer of NFIP insurance for three years with the stipulation that I am required to maintain flood insurance on my own dime for subsequent years. They sent me an acknowledgement form to sign and a glossy brochure with generic information about flood insurance. However, they never sent me a policy, declaration page, or policy number. I have no way to know if I am covered. It has been four months since I was "informed" that I have NFIP insurance. What is the best action to take at this point?

My son (M17) was driving my wife’s car and wrecked it. The car is paid off, has very high mileage but was in great shape and well maintained. It is likely totaled as the bluebook is around 6k on it. Our insurance with him and 3 cars is currently $700 a month. We will most likely drop him from the insurance and let him figure out rides to make up the payment for replacing the car. Does anyone know how it would effect our insurance payment if we claim the damage on his insurance (he is on our policy) to get the remaining value out of the car and then dropped him from our policy. Trying to decide if we should file the claim to get the money and put it down on a new car or if we should sell it for very little to whoever wants to pay for the damage out of pocket and repair it. Either way we will drop him from the insurance and not have him drive til he turns 18 and can figure out his own insurance.

Partner and I are on the same car insurance policy, I dented the car (non-accident, no other parties involved). I don't want his insurance premiums to rise. I made the mistake so I want to make sure if I am affected that he isn't as well. Will he be affected?

- Insurance: Geico
- Car: Toyota Rav 4 2016
- Damage: dent in rear back door and headlight, damage comes out to around 5k in repairs estimated so far. - Non accident meaning: I scraped the car into the an object that was not damaged.

I’m in GA and this would be for income approval purposes.

We've been with USAA for awhile with the last claim in 2017 when our car got stolen. They treated us well and things went smoothly. But I also recognize that was nearly 8 years ago now and life is different.

Pricing with auto is much better than USAA but pricing for renters is essentially the same (approx 40/month) -- would it be wild to have them separate?

It goes without saying that we are all doing our best to save money where we can which got us looking at different insurance rates.

USAA Auto
1043 for 6 months (approx 175/month)
Comprehensive deductible $0
Collison deductible $150
100/300 coverages

Progressive Auto
573 for 6 months (approx 95/month)
Comprehensive deductible $100
Collison deductible $100
100/300 coverages

So back in July 2024, my boyfriend was using my car to pick up his dogs medicine and got in an accident. He was driving straight and looked to the right for 3 seconds and BOOM the accident happened. Most of the damage was from the front divers side of my car (totaled btw) and the lady’s rear passenger side (not totaled). From my theory, I think my car went under hers which explains why my car got the most damage but whatever. My boyfriend took fault automatically because he knows he looked away for 3 seconds and doesn’t remember the actual accident. The lady’s son came and helped out with insurance exchange. While waiting there for the towtrucks the lady did say she didn’t feel good so the firefighters came and checked up on her but ultimately she didn’t go with them. The son explained to us that she is scared of hospitals. We didn’t know which insurance to give to the son so we gave both, my insurance for my car and my bf’s insurance cause he was driving it just to be safe and idk we just didn’t know. At the end the police did come and we did make a police report with them.

Fast forward to now, we got a letter in the mail saying that the because of my boyfriend rear ended her, she hit the truck in front of her. There was never a truck to begin with??? And they are also claiming that she couldn’t be taken to a medical facility because there was no ambulance?? But she was the one who denied going because they said she was scared of hospitals??

What can we do?

I was rear ended last night and the police deemed the other driver at fault. They do have insurance and I’ve already made a claim with their insurance. But I personally do not have insurance on my vehicle. After spending all night at the hospital they diagnosed me with a severe head injury ( concussion ) and a couple displaced discs in my back. My car is drivable but does have clear frame damage.

I guess what I’m asking is should I Laywer up for this case or should I try to fight it on my own ?

The location of this accident was in Illinois

I was in an accident May 2023 and my license was suspended on August 29,2023. I was at fault and I wasn’t insured (I know, totally my fault). I haven’t been called into court. So far I’ve only had debt collectors call me to have the accident paid for from State Farm for $15,322. I was searching on the Texas DMV site on ways to get my license reinstated and these were my options:

1. Notarized Installment agreement Form SR-19 OR
2. Notarized release Form SR11 OR
3. Proof of insurance covering date of accident OR
4. Security deposit with an SR-22 and SR-22A OR 5. Copy of Bankruptcy OR
5. Evidence of settlement OR
6. Form SR-60 if two years have elapsed from date of accident OR
7. Apply for an occupational driver license

I’m thinking about the SR-22 but I’m not sure on how much the security deposit would be. But I was also thinking since it’s about to be two years since the suspension went into effect. Would I need to wait ANOTHER 2 years if I decided to go with the SR-60?

Currently work for a top management liability carrier as a field underwriter. I manage a remote territory. I am on track to hit my NB goal, retaining renewals, traveling 2x a month and planning my travel to visit agents in a tight window. I get an annual salary of 85k. Bonus is 10%. Am I being undervalued? I want to be home with my family, just had first kid now 11 months. I feel I should be getting paid more as I do not have my territory in my backyard. I take the train 4 hours to get to my territory and it’s a pain trying to line up agents in the few days I’ll be there.

Please, any recommendations for Cottage Food Liability Insurance in Florida? I'm going to be attending farmer's market and insurance is require. Has anyone had insurance with Flip?

I was recently involved in a parking lot accident where I am at fault (I'm stupid, I know). My vehicle was undamaged, but the other vehicle was not so lucky and suffered $2000-$3000 worth of damage. I filed a claim with my insurance provider immediately after it happened, but both me and the other party are having second thoughts about the decision to involve insurance.

If I cancel the claim I filed, will my rates still go up? If so, will the increase be less than if I chose the other route? Do they keep these claims in their system even after they are cancelled? The whole reason I've decided against involving insurance is to keep my rates from tripling.

Edit: My insurance provider is Progressive, and I am insured in Nevada.