Ri$k Happens: Dash cam to the rescue

Oct. 02, 2022 - By Angela Cady, AIC - Loss Analyst, ARA Insurance

One blustery fall morning led to a rental store driver being very thankful for the dash cam.

It all started with an angry motorist flagging down a rental store’s delivery driver. The motorist alleged the rental store driver had hit his parked vehicle in the parking lot the delivery driver had recently exited. The rental store driver followed his accident reporting procedures exactly. He was polite but did not indicate fault one way or the other, simply stating insurance would be notified and would be in touch. The rental store manager filed a claim, so a claims adjuster could handle the matter. The other driver was being quite belligerent.

The rental store manager was able to provide the dash cam video of the incident. The video did not show any contact with the other vehicle. In a stroke of luck, the video did show the claimed damage was already there before the rental store’s vehicle even passed by. The other driver’s claim was denied, and the reason explained. That was the last they heard from him.

There are many reasons to use a dash cam system. It encourages your drivers to be on their best driving behavior. It can be a huge benefit in the case of accident. Occasionally it can even help prevent fraud. Of course, there are occasions where the dash cam does not catch the needed angle, but many times it proves invaluable.

This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.