Root review: Denied my claim and pressing charges on ME nearly a year later. Absolutely repulsive company.

I had been with Root since 2023. I decided to upgrade from liability to full coverage on my vehicle the day my girlfriend told me her parked car had been hit in front of our home, 02/17/2024. My girlfriend and I observed a giant hole on the lower left side bumper of my vehicle on 02/26 after hearing a loud crashing noise outside of our window on the morning of 02/26 which awakened us from our sleep. I filed a hit and run claim after unsuccessfully attempting to reach someone on the non-emergency line to report the incident. Root never sent out an adjuster to inspect the damage yet the claims adjuster stated they were gathering estimates for the damage on the vehicle, then when they received the estimates, they said they’d be in touch to go over the next steps for payment. To my surprise, instead of arranging a payout and getting my car fixed as promised, they emailed me that I was the subject of an investigation out of the blue and they “speculated” the damage was there prior to me adding full coverage insurance to evade the responsibility of paying out for the claim. The claims adjuster stated she wanted to provide me good news and was eager to help get my car fixed so the investigation and claim denial was a slap to the face. I provided a police report, at the request of Root, as well as cooperated with providing a statement to the claims adjuster after the incident. I provided pictures of the damages, the police report, and attempted to contact the adjuster via email and phone multiple times and she was MIA. After telling me I was the subject of an investigation, she was completely non responsive. Root did not pay out a single cent for my incident, yet I am now being looked into for a fraudulent insurance act and a false police report? I submitted a legitimate claim and filed a police report at the request of the insurance company. Nearly 11 months after the incident, charges are being pressed against me as a result of my denied claim with Root which I never received any payout for. The vehicle did not have rust in the impacted areas at the time which showed the damage was fresh, now the areas have a layer of rust as a result of how much time has passed with the damage never getting fixed. Root did not drop me after denying the claim which I found strange so I voluntarily left and went to Direct Auto after feeling as though they did not sufficiently provide the coverage which I paid for. No claims adjuster was ever sent out to inspect the damages, I never spoke to any police officer or detective, I never received a payout from Root, Root did not communicate with me at all when I was calling/emailing with questions and confusions on the investigation and final decision to deny the claim and left me in the dark. I am now partnering with a lawyer to ensure I’m not charged with a crime I did not commit as a result of Root’s negligence. Root’s false and misleading statements granted me comfort that I was supported and would be taken care of. I am absolutely disgusted by this predatory company and after conducting research on the company’s multitude of run-ins with lawsuits and the company’s executive’s 10 million dollar embezzlement charges, I regret ever doing business with this shady company. When I went to the collision shop to receive an estimate on the damages, it didn’t even come out to $2000 and the collision specialist said he had multiple issues with Root not paying out for customers and their cars sitting in the parking lot for months as a result and noted their lack of communication to ensure repairs can be completed. He stated he speculated the company was in deep financial trouble with the denied claims and lack of checks provided to cover damages for his customers’ vehicles. When he asked me which company denied my claim and I answered, he chuckled and said “there’s your problem,” and reassured me a multitude of customers experienced similar situations to my own. This is absolutely unacceptable and I am at a loss for words experiencing reclaiming my life back nearly a year after the incident because I’m just now receiving news that Root is filing charges on ME. Disgusting.