‘Killed it’: Homeowner says driver obliterated mailbox and insurance gave him the runaround

CHARLOTTE — John Kurkowski says someone drove through his mailbox at his Denver home, and “killed it.” He says it was a hit-and-run crash, but that neighbors got a good look at the car.

“Got the tag number and the description of the vehicle. Got back to the state highway patrol,” Kurkowski said.

He was able to file a claim with that driver’s insurance.

“It was just the runaround. But I got their attention when I told them I’d made contact with you,” he told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke. “About two days later, everything changed.”

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He says insurance agreed to cover the tab and gave him $800 for the damage. After all, he says it was a fancy mailbox.

“When you have a situation like this, be persistent. Be proactive. Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel. That’s what they want you to do,” he said. “And then, if you’re not getting anywhere, call Action 9. Get a hold of Jason.”

The company, Erie, emailed Action 9, and said: “We began investigating immediately upon receiving notice of the claim and the claimant was kept informed throughout the process. Once the necessary information and police reports were provided, liability was determined, and the claim was resolved and paid within a matter of days.”

Stoogenke says if a driver damages your property:

• If it’s their fault: their car insurance should foot the bill.
• If they’re not at fault or don’t have insurance: you could file a claim with your ‘homeowners’ insurance. (So ‘auto’ for them. ‘Homeowners’ for you.)
• Your company may go after them (called ‘subrogation’).
• Be careful about filing too many claims even if you’re not at fault. Insurance may drop you.
• If all else fails, you can always consider suing, but it may not be worth it.

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