# Post car accident fire truck bill



## scientist (Feb 14, 2015)

hi guys,

So I was involved in a car accident last year. Everything was sorted out, but recently I got a bill for $410 for the fire truck that attended that day when 911 was called...Has anyone had this before? It is giving me the option of paying myself or paying through the insurance. At this point, if I go through insurance, is there any chance my premium will go up even more? Advice?

Cheers
scientist


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

If you (or if the other car owner's insurance co.) are making a claim on your insurance for the accident anyway, I would add it to your insurance claim. If not, suggest you consult your insurance agent as to what would be better.

I hadn't personally heard of specific cases of such response charges by fire departments. But I live in a fairly large city with a full-time fire department. But some years ago I read that small municipalities with busy highways running through them either had, or were going to, start charging for accident responses, because their municipal tax base simply couldn't bear the cost.


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## OurBigFatWallet (Jan 20, 2014)

I got into a car accident last year and my insurance agent explained that once an accident gets reported it has no affect on insurance rates whether its a $1M claim or a $100 claim. Luckily it didn't matter as I was not at fault. But my point is that if there is already a claim made I can't see how adding the fire truck bit would increase your rates (based on that alone) assuming there is already a claim in progress. That being said I am no insurance expert and only have one experience to draw on so you may want to ask your insurance company directly


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

If you are found to be less than 25% at fault, then your insurance rates won't be affected whether you claim the additional $410 or not. At least this is how things work in Ontario (since 2010). If you're at fault (more than 25% at fault), your rates will likely be affected whether you claim an additional $410 or not. A good question for your agent or broker would be - "If I'm at fault and there's no payouts from any vehicles involved in the accident (which is highly unlikely), will the accident negatively impact my rates?" If the answer is no and there has been no payouts, then you have your answer - don't claim the $410 under your insurance. However, who's to say the other driver doesn't decide to put in a claim 4-6 months from now for injuries, etc.? We don't have enough information. Has there been a payout already, there must be a deductible attached to your policy, what province, etc.

I think you are asking, will my insurance rates go up even more if I claim an "additional" $410. My understanding is that the answer would be no, your rates won't go up any further but your agent / broker is the only one that can answer that question for you.


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## houska (Feb 6, 2010)

I'm curious -- is it legit for the fire service (or whoever) to be billing for this? Don't get me wrong, I'm not against paying for what is fair and appropriate. I'm pretty sure if you do have your insurance pay for it, they will ask the right questions and possibly negotiate the amount. But if you do decide not to submit to insurance, I would do some investigating who sets and decides on the amount to charge, and under what authority this is being done, before paying out of pocket. 

My thinking is coloured by the following experience, which is not directly related but still relevant. While I am now again a resident of Canada (Ontario), for some years I lived and worked, and had health insurance in, the US. While visiting friends at a cottage in Quebec, I tripped and fell and needed stitches. The local rural mini-hospital/clinic dealt with it swiftly, but were not set up for billing foreign insurance or even patients. So I left them my contact info and a copy of my insurance card. About 9 mos later, I got an official-looking but rather large bill which mentioned all sorts of unfamiliar stuff and was clearly intended for me to just send to my insco. However, I followed up and called the Quebec doctor's office (I had written down his name), and after some checking discovered that only about 1/2 of the items on the bill were something he or the hospitall had entered as procedure codes, and those were being billed to me at a significant markup to their fees. It turns out they had outsourced the 3rd party billing to an agency that had cheerfully paid them in full immediately and was now attempting to recover much more from me. I assume the idea was some people/US inscos would just pay up, and others would negotiate it down a bit with the agency who would still come out ahead. The doctor/hospital cheerfully faxed me their bill, I sent it to my insco, who paid them direct. They promised to pay back the agency the original amount and I never head from the agency again. Moral of the story: it's good to pay (or have paid) what you should be responsible for, but be careful who is getting involved -- and under what authority and what benefit -- in the process.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

You'd have to check with the MTO but I recall $410 being the standard hourly rate per truck. I think all this rolled out back in 2010 or so.

Don't we pay enough property taxes already? Firefighters don't have to work all that hard and they often make a very good living. There's not all that much work for them in my neck of the woods so they are now being trained and called out to emergency 911 calls such as cardiac distress, slip and falls, etc. Something about having better response times then a paramedic. But, taking out a big shinny truck for an old lady who slipped and fell is a little bit much. Why not have a small car, truck or van to respond to these types of calls? I normally see the fire and paramedics arriving around the same time - often 4-6 people standing around. Seems a little excess to me. The OPP and the Fire crews often fight back and forth over who deserves more pay, benefits, facilities, etc. Getting off topic:biggrin:


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

houska said:


> Moral of the story: it's good to pay (or have paid) what you should be responsible for, but be careful who is getting involved -- and under what authority and what benefit -- in the process.


Exactly, question everything! This happens more than you'd think...


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