CINCINNATI — Getting into a car accident, even a fender bender, can be an insurance nightmare.
David Emery, who lives in North Avondale, said he was driving on Avondale Road, about to turn left on Glen Lyon Avenue, when a Cincinnati police officer ran through a stop sign and almost hit him.
Emery said the officer's sirens were not on.
He swerved, and they luckily avoided a collision. But that's when, he said, the officer put the car in reverse and backed into his car, now sat still in the middle of the intersection.
"I was kind of panicked," Emery said.
See the damages left behind on Emery's car in the video below:
A police report of the accident confirmed the officer "improperly backed into" Emery. In the report, the box for "type of use" was checked for "government" use and not "in emergency response."
Emery said roughly eight to 10 officers arrived on the scene to investigate what happened. He said after about half an hour, he was told the officer admitted fault.
"So then I asked them 'What's my next step'?" Emery said.
Normally, the next steps include both parties exchanging insurance information. But, since the police car was a government vehicle, Emery said filing and getting his claim approved became a headache he never wanted to deal with.
Emery said it took months for the Cincinnati Police Department to respond to his insurance company. Even when they did, he said he was sent from person to person, trying to figure out how to properly file the claim.
"It was just frustrating," Emery said. "It was like all of these gauntlets."
He said after nine months CPD finally sent a response this week. His claim was denied.
A letter sent to Emery said the officer was responding to a call for service. It also said the department is "sensitive" to his loss, but under Ohio Revised Code, they are not liable to repair the damages.
"I thought I did everything I should," Emery said.
Emery said he's not upset with CPD, but he is worried about how they handled his situation.
"I'm very fortunate and happy that I can handle this financially, but I'm certain that there are certain people that couldn't," Emery said.
Emery said he feels CPD changed the narrative of what happened, leaving him to pay for the $500 in damages on his own. He understands what the law says, but feels police may point to it in situations where it doesn't apply just to get out of paying for damages.
Emery said the long wait and difficulty with filing the claim is something he hopes CPD looks at changing.
"I think nine months for me to get a response on something of this nature seems a little bit unnecessary," said Emery.
