After a Car Wreck in Texas an Insurance Tracking Device Might Hurt
We all love a good discount, so why not install an insurance tracking device to help monitor your driving behavior? It could mean as much as 25% off your rates, which adds up over the years.
Those devices, however, might be monitoring a whole lot more than you expect. And if you’re involved in a wreck, they could have a negative effect on your car accident claim. Take a look at how the Car Crash Captain explains these devices and what could happen.
What does a Tracking Device Claim to Track?
These telematics devices are designed to collect data on how safe of a driver you are. Many of them plug into your vehicle, but there are some that connect through Bluetooth on your phone. They look at driving habits such as:
- Speed
- Braking habits
- Time of driving
- Miles driven
- Location
- Phone use
Using their algorithms, they determine your discount based on how many dings you get. For example, if you speed up too quickly, that’s a ding and can lower your discount. If you brake hard, that’s a ding and can lower your discount. Driving in the wee hours of the morning, driving in “bad” neighborhoods, and excessive phone use could all have negative effects on your potential discount.
The insurance company wants you to believe the goal is to reward you for being a safe driver and lower the risk of them paying a claim.
In reality, however, there’s likely a whole lot more going on.
What does a Tracking Device Actually Track?
Hidden in your terms and conditions the company outlines all the information that they will actually collect with these tracking devices. They are certainly recording all that GPS data, but there are some that can be collecting records of your phone calls, text messages, and anything else they can monitor through Bluetooth.
There are not very many reports on how secure your data is, whether they sell it to a third party, or even what it’s all used for (outside of the readily disclosed discount opportunity). There is, however, one looming issue with these insurance tracking devices.
Why Should I Care about an Insurance Tracking Device?
Every time you’re in the vehicle, the insurance company is recording your data. They know where you are, how fast you’re going, when you stop and for how long. That means it’s acting like a black box device.
Let’s suppose you’re driving five miles per hour over the speed limit. You cruise through an intersection where you have a green light. Another vehicle isn’t paying attention, and they run the red light slamming into the side of you.
Using the data on your tracking device, the insurance company can claim that if you were following the speed limit, you wouldn’t have been in the intersection when the other vehicle ran the light. They can then deny your claim based on the idea that you put yourself in harm’s way.
Fortunately, the legal team at Herbert Law Group knows how to handle situations like this.
Herbert Law Group Handles Tough Car Wreck Situations
The bottom line is that you were injured due to someone else’s negligence. When that happens, you shouldn’t have to worry about any financial impact that it may have on you.
When this happens, you need the guidance of Herbert Law Group. Call us at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll get things figured out so that you can focus on healing from your injuries.