In Twisdale’s case, NCDMV didn’t suspend his license until almost two years after his son’s crash. He said it followed just one attempt by the insurance agency, around the one-year anniversary of Evan’s death, to collect money.
Twisdale said at that time, he asked North Carolina Farm Bureau for grace in light of his extreme circumstance but never heard back.
“Nobody had tried to get in touch with me about any decision that had been made,” Twisdale said. “The agent that I spoke to retired. I didn’t have (the money). I had to reset my entire life after my son died in the accident.”
Twisdale said he only recently realized the state suspended his license. Reluctantly, with the help of his father, he paid the $20,000 at the end of January.
“Their legal team is a lot bigger than mine,” Twisdale said of North Carolina Farm Bureau. “They have a big legal department. I have a legal team of zero.”
The insurance company’s general counsel shared a statement with WCNC Charlotte.
“The tragic facts associated with this situation are truly heartbreaking. There is no doubt the underlying accident has severely impacted everyone involved, including Mr. Twisdale and our insured, who sustained property damage and physical injuries and may have experienced emotional distress knowing that a person died in the wreck,” North Carolina Farm Bureau Secretary & General Counsel Jake Parker said in an email. “North Carolina law requires that all motor vehicles that are registered in the State be insured. Consistent with this mandate, insurance companies may ask that DMV suspend a person’s driving privileges when the person is the owner of an uninsured vehicle and they refuse an insurance company’s request for repayment of amounts paid to resolve an uninsured motorist claim. Unfortunately, these scenarios arise frequently, and that’s what happened here.”
Parker noted Twisdale offered to repay a large portion of the amount he owed, so the company accepted his offer.
“As a result, we have asked that DMV reinstate Mr. Twisdale’s driving privileges and we now consider the matter closed,” Parker said.
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.