Insurance protects you, but law saves you

Two months ago, I found myself in a situation that could easily pass for a Netflix drama.

It all started on a rainy Friday evening in Lagos. I was driving home from work, cruising slowly through the traffic on Third Mainland Bridge, when a flashy black Benz suddenly swerved into my lane and clipped the side of my car.

“Oh no, not today,” I muttered, pulling over as the rain blurred my windshield.

The Benz driver—a guy in his late 30s, dressed in a sharp navy-blue suit, gold wristwatch glistening—jumped out of his car angrily.

“Are you blind?! Do you even know how much this bumper costs?!” he barked, his voice loud enough to attract a small crowd.

I stepped out calmly. “Oga, you swerved into my lane. My dashcam caught everything.”

He froze for a second, then forced a smirk. “We’ll see about that.”

That’s when things escalated.

The next day, I filed a claim with my insurance company. I felt safe, confident even, because hey—I had evidence. My dashcam footage was crystal clear: he was the one at fault.

But Lagos had other plans for me.

Two days later, I got a call from my insurance agent, a soft-spoken woman named Amaka.

“Good afternoon, sir. I’ve reviewed your file… but we have a complication.”

“What complication?” I asked, already irritated.

“Well,” she sighed, “the other driver’s insurer has filed a counter-claim. They’re saying you were the reckless one. They also submitted CCTV footage from the bridge showing… a different angle.”

“Wait, WHAT?!” My voice cracked. “That footage is doctored. My dashcam doesn’t lie.”

Amaka tried to calm me down. “Sir, this may require legal intervention. The case could go to arbitration if both insurers can’t settle.”

That’s when it hit me—I wasn’t just in an insurance claim battle. I was stepping into a legal war zone.

I met my lawyer, Chike, at a café in Yaba. He was the definition of Gen Z professional—beard sharp, AirPods in, sipping iced coffee like it was his lifeline.

He adjusted his glasses and said, “Bro, let me be real with you. Insurance cases in Lagos? It’s not just about evidence. It’s about who has the stronger legal argument. And trust me, these guys play dirty.”

I leaned in. “So what do we do?”

He smiled faintly. “We fight. But first, don’t panic. Let’s review every document, every detail. Even the fine print in your insurance policy.”

That was the first time I realized how important reading insurance terms actually is.

A week later, we had a mediation meeting at the insurance office in Victoria Island. The Benz driver sat across from me, smirking confidently with his lawyer by his side.

His lawyer began, “Our client insists Mr. Narrator was negligent. The CCTV footage proves it.”

I was about to protest when Chike tapped my arm and whispered, “Relax. Watch this.”

He stood up, cleared his throat, and said, “We’d like to present an overlooked detail. The CCTV timestamp shows 7:42 PM. But according to LASTMA traffic logs, that section of the bridge was closed for ten minutes due to an accident at exactly 7:40 PM. Meaning—this footage couldn’t possibly be authentic.”

The room went silent.

Even Amaka gasped.

The Benz driver’s face shifted from smug to pale. His lawyer stammered, “Uh, we… we’ll need to double-check that.”

Chike sat down, smirking. “Check all you want. Fraud in insurance claims is a criminal offense. Should we escalate this?”

The Benz driver broke. “Fine! I’ll drop the claim.”

Walking out of that building, I felt like I had just won a Champions League final.

I turned to Chike. “Man, I thought I was done for.”

He chuckled, sliding his shades back on. “That’s why they pay lawyers. Insurance protects you, but law saves you.”

And that’s when it hit me—insurance isn’t just about covering damages. It’s about knowing your rights, reading the fine print, and sometimes, having the right legal backup.

So yeah, I won the case. But the real lesson? Insurance and legal issues are like Lagos traffic—you can’t predict the madness, but with the right guide, you’ll always find your way through.