Reprinted Articles

A car accident in Mexico is much more of a hassle than having an incident take place at home - especially if you are an American tourist, as Mr. Bill K. explains. Mr. K. has recounted his experiences of an accident that took place in Mexico and the following week he experienced with the Mexican police. It is his hope that he will encourage all Americans to come prepared when driving a car in Mexico.

After reading the story about his encounter, you will understand why he puts Mexican car insurance at the top of his list of essentials. He was driving a friend’s truck at the time of his accident near San Vincente, Mexico. Bill Kitto had driven in Mexico before, so he was not a first time driver there.

Bill is a very cautious driver and, since the road conditions were getting very bad because of a rain storm that was moving in, he was at the wheel. This meant he was dependent on the coverage of his friend’s Mexican insurance being adequate.

Bill and his friend were traveling at a cautious 30 MPH hour when they rounded a corner to find a Mexican military hurtling towards them partly on their side of the road. Unable to avoid the crash, the two vehicles impacted head-on left, sending the personnel scattered down an embankment and Bill and his friend into the cliff wall on the opposite side.

The Mexican police came very quickly. While his friend was left standing on the side of the road, Bill, who was injured, was taken hastily to another location that was not know to either Bill or his friend. You are guilty until proven innocent in Mexico, unlike in the US.

Because he did not know if his friend had Mexican car insurance, Bill was put in a Mexican jail cell, not knowing what would happen to him and with no contact with anyone outside.

Hours pass and the guards come to take him back to the scene of the accident. At this time, he is able to join his friend and his friend’s Mexico car insurance policy. In the United States, there are usually no further complications, but in Mexico - this is not the case. There is much more to deal with.

The entire story of Bill is lengthy and quite upsetting. He actually spends a week in a Mexican hospital without anyone by his side. Bill attempts to prolong his injuries so that he will avoid seeing the inside of a Mexican prison. He is completely at the mercy of the local government; an archaic technology; and shady legal counsel. At first it seemed that paying his way out of the situation is clearly not an option.

Much of the time, Bill was not sure if he could get free of this mess or if he would be able to afford the ‘fines’ to get out. Eventually, Bill was able to regain his liberty but it cost him in excess of $28,000 US. Fortunately for Bill, he was able to get the money to buy his freedom. This is not the case, though, for many Americans. They just don’t have access to that much money.

Because of the mountains of red tape and the corrupt officials he dealt with, Bill is not sure if he will ever see any of his money back. Using the lessons he learned from his experience, Bill works to educate Americans planning to travel in Mexico.

Bring a cell (or satellite) phone into Mexico and learn how to place a phone call while in the country.

Keep in contact with family at home who can send money quickly when needed and keep close contact with your Mexican Insurance company since you may not be able to reach them yourself.

And most importantly -

BE CERTAIN YOU HAVE GOOD COVERAGE MEXICO CAR INSURANCE- It needs to cover ALL personal injury and property damage that you are deemed to have caused.

Verify that your Mexico auto insurance is from a quality insurance company.

Make certain that you have proof of Mexico Insurance within the car and at hand all the time! (Should you be away from the vehicle, have the Mexican auto insurance ID cards on your person!)

Bill Kitto’s long and trying ordeal proved one thing to him-money makes the Mexican world go round. Down there, they care little about where that money comes from, but whether you can pay the tab or not is what determines your innocence and ultimate freedom.

Since getting your hands on $30,000 in a flash is too far-fetched for many of us to imagine, the best way to prevent this kind of incident from occurring is to drive in Mexico with quality Mexico automobile insurance and adequate limits.

Last 5 posts by Linden Gray

• Mexican Insurance - The KEY to Your Protection - April 9th, 2008

Tags: Insurance