If you own a car, just get a dash cam. Many videos circulating social media demonstrate just how handy they are in verifying a person’s claims: like this one man who was vindicated after nearly hitting a little girl who ran out into the middle of the street without warning. While opposing statements said that his vehicle did indeed strike the child, the dash cam proved that he was able to stop the car in the nick of time.
They can also be very handy tools when it comes to accident claims, as an insurance adjuster said in a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 21,000 views as of Friday.
Estrada (@mommaestradaa) relayed a tale that proves the efficacy of dash cams, even if she and her customer were the ones on the receiving end of the recording device’s justice.
Estrada begins her video by answering a question from another TikToker who asked, “What do you think about dash cams?”
“Very good,” she responds, before launching into a story time that exposed her feelings on the devices.
She shares how “a long time ago,” she had a claim from an insured customer that someone hit his parked car. She explains how she recorded his statement, checked his background and claims and all seemed fine so she applied coverage.
However, after around 30 days or so, Estrada learned that there was more to this case.
“Fast forward to like probably a month, I wanna say a month I got a subrogation demand. And those who don’t know what a subrogation demand is, it’s basically a demand for reimbursement from another person or a carrier,” Estrada explains. “In this case, it was another insurance carrier that was seeking reimbursement from our policy. And I was like, ‘Why are you seeking reimbursement from our policy if my poor, poor insured was involved in a hit and run?’”
Estrada says she decided to investigate the matter further and challenged the insurance company right back, insisting that their business was the one that was liable for the damage caused in the accident.
According to this rival insurance company, the “Insured” that Estrada was referring to, her client, was the one who committed the hit and run.
“So here’s the thing: as your insurance company, I’m gonna ride for you all right,” she says. “I’m gonna say, ‘Well my insured didn’t say so.’ I’m your insurance company I’m always to believe you.”
@mommaestradaa Replying to @Bunnylover #adjuster #adjustertok #autoadjuster ♬ original sound – mommmma
As part of her decision to stand up for her client, she asked the rival insurance company if they had any proof to back up their claims.
“I remember his tone he’s like, ‘hmmm, bet, I got dash cam.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, well send it. Send it. I wanna see it.,’” Estrada says, sharing that she then called her insured and asked them if there was something they needed to tell her.
She laughs again before continuing with her story, “I kid you not, he says, ‘No. No, I was involved in a hit and run,’ standing his post.”
Well, unless her client had a massive lapse in their memory or recalled the incident in a completely different light, it seems they were flat-out lying.
“Girl, when that dash cam footage comes in, it clearly shows my insured in a little Ford Fiesta back into their customer’s car and fleeing the scene,” Estrada says.
“The dash cam was as clear as day, caught us in 4K. We ended up accepting responsibility after that but to answer your question what do I think about dash cam?” she concludes. “Highly beneficial and will help you in the rarest case scenarios that you’ll probably never imagine yourself to be into because imagine if that other insurance company did not have a dash cam? I would’ve stood my post, I would’ve denied.”
Despite losing the case and assuming financial responsibility for the hit and run, some viewers who saw the video were impressed that Estrada immediately wanted to back her client up.
“I love how down you are! Sitting on that call like ‘HOW DARE YOU?!’” one wrote.
Someone else questioned why all new model cars just don’t come with dash cameras installed in them (there are several that do), writing, “Every car should just come with them installed at this point.”
Another insurance adjuster sounded off in the comments that dash cams are indeed a lifesaver.
“Even merging accidents – or red lights – SOOO MANY word vs word – I HAVE A DASH CAM – adjuster here lol,” they said.
While insurance companies will often cut monthly coverage costs in vehicles that have additional safety features, like blind spot monitoring backup cameras, and automatic emergency braking/accident detection, Progressive states that providers rarely give discounts to customers who have dash cams installed in their vehicles.
However, the company stated that dash cams can be invaluable tools in an instance where your version of events is being contested.
“They can help you avoid an increase in your insurance rate by providing evidence that you weren’t at fault in an accident,” a user wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Estrada via TikTok comment.
*First Published: Jan 19, 2024, 8:00 pm CST
Jack Alban
Jack Alban is a freelance journalist for the Daily Dot covering trending human interest/social media stories and the reactions real people have to them. He always seeks to incorporate evidence-based studies, current events, and facts pertinent to these stories to create your not-so-average viral post.
