TAMPA, Fla. — A neighbor’s surveillance camera captured the minutes before and after an Amazon delivery van crashed into Scott Carrasquillo’s 2022 Nissan.
The 4-month-old sedan sat parked on the curb in front of his home when the Amazon driver plowed into the vehicle's rear end.
In the video, the driver gets out of the van and appears to take pictures of the damage. Accidents happen, right? But what happened next concerned the Carrasquillo family.
“Nobody came to our door, nobody left a note on the car," Carrasquillo told ABC Action News.
He didn’t even know about the damage until the next day when a neighbor told him.
“The whole back end was caved in and crushed,” Carrasquillo said.
The impact even partially disabled the Amazon vehicle. In the video, you can see the engine smoking and water pouring onto the ground.
The family called the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office. According to the report, a deputy tracked down the driver who had reported the crash to Amazon’s dispatch center. The deputy confirmed dispatch instructed the driver to take pictures of the damage and then leave.
Three days after the accident, Carrasquillo filed a claim with Amazon. The company admitted responsibility, offered to cover the cost of a rental car, and requested Carrasquillo submit an estimate for repairs. The estimate he submitted was nearly $15,000.
The Carrasquillo's didn’t file a claim with their insurance company in order to avoid paying the deductible. They also feared it would cause their insurance rates to rise.
When Amazon’s adjuster examined the Nissan, the estimate to repair the vehicle was $8,100, about $6,000 less than the estimate Carrasquillo received.
In comparing the two estimates, multiple repairs and parts on Carrasquillo’s estimate were not included in Amazon’s.
Insurance agent Daryl Patrick with the Tampa Bay Insurance Center said in cases where the other party is delaying or denying the claim, you may have to file with your own insurer.
“You will have to pay your own deductible, and then hopefully what will happen is then your insurance company should try to subrogate, which means go after the other person’s insurance company,” he said, referring to the money it costs to repair the vehicle.
ABC Action News contacted Amazon and asked about the claim.
The company responded in an email stating: “We’re very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused Mr. Carrasquillo and are doing what we can to make it right. The driver responsible for the crash is no longer delivering packages for Amazon.”
The company’s claims department also emailed Carrasquillo, apologized for the stressful experience, and stated the case was being escalated for further review.
If you ever run into a problem with an insurance claim, the Florida Department of Financial Services has an insurance help center that will mediate cases for consumers.
