Not sure if this is the best place to ask or maybe someone can direct me to the right area.
Anyways I was involved in a accident recently. I’m not at fault. However collision shop advised my estimate would need to be redone under my insurance company guidelines . There was a estimate previously by the at fault parties insurance.
Does anyone know how the guidelines can vary? Can one insurance estimate more damages than the other or can one insurance total a car and the other not total the car ?
I know the ACV comes into play when determining if a vehicle is a total loss or not . The other parties insurance told me the ACV on my car which I didn’t agree with, I feel like my car is worth less even prior to the accident due to other things I’m aware of with my vehicle (not related to the accident). I also had deer damage a few years back that was repaired. Also since this accident, I don’t feel safe in my vehicle due to a issue that arose following the accident.
You now have 3 threads about this insurance problem . One choice is to talk to your agent as they know the law and guidelines for your area . The other is if the thing looks decent just trade it off since you are concerned about driving it. Internet advice about insurance is not something I would rely on.
The body shop should know how to write an estimate and contact the insurance company, this is standard procedure. After your vehicle is disassembled the body shop may submit an amendment for hidden damage, the insurance company might choose to declare the vehicle a total loss, remove all of your possessions before you drop the vehicle off.
None of this is your responsibility, any professional body shop should be able to handle this.
How do you keep up with this, you must be a super observtive person, I was going to respond but seeing your post think I might hae responded already. I hate typing, thanks
If they are talking about having a second assessment by your insurance, you must have collision on the car. In that case, you should not be lifting a finger or talking to the other person’s insurance company at all. You deal strictly with your insurance company. They will work with the body shop to get the car either repaired or totaled. You do not have to accept their initial judgement and can negotiate with them. They will go after the other guy’s insurance to recoup their costs. If the other person was at fault, your insurance may even recoup your deductible from the other company depending on the prevailing laws in your area. In my estimation a lawyer would be an unnecessary expense. If you had personal injury, that would be different but for property damage, that will just cost you money…
@TwinTurbo , This is all new to me, as I’ve never been in a accident before involving another party and their insurance. I had a accident a few years back involving a deer and the insurance process was easy and simple. This process has seemed to be more hectic, which is why I’ve asked multiple questions in hopes to get some insight on what I should do or ask. The other persons insurance reached out to me to get my side…and things have just been chaotic ever since. I have chosen at this point not to speak with the at fault parties insurance anymore and let my insurance handle everything. I just feel that my concern with my vehicle not being safe is going to be overlooked by the insurance company and then I’m going to have pay something out of pocket for a issue that came about after being involved in the accident when it wasn’t there before .
I understand. In the future, one thing you should never do is to speak with the other person’s insurance if you have your own. They can use things you say against you. Same is true of the accident scene. Do not say anything regarding fault of the accident, just exchange information.
Just one point about this- who do you think is likely to be more on your side, your insurance or their’s? I fully understand your concern about getting it repaired properly so it’s safe going forward. But you should work with your insurance only to voice any concerns you may have in that regard. The other insurance company is even more motivated to minimize costs and not care about the quality of the work. Your insurance will go after the other company to get their costs back so they will tend to work more for you than anyone else.
Just be sure to check out your car carefully after the work is done. Anything you notice should be pointed out to the repair shop. If they balk, call your insurance to report the issue and they should help to get it fixed.
Too late now, but you should not have talked to the other insurance company, referring them to your own agent. You do have an agent, right? I hope it’s not a money saving e-gent.
I am insured in a “no fault” state.I know with my insurance that I will be able to proceed with getting my car repaired and my company will worry about recovering their money (not mine) from the other one. Not my problem!
As far as getting the vehicle repaired correctly and having it be safe, that is the repair facility’s responsibility, and choosing a quality, reputable shop can make that happen. Do a little homework to find that shop. Don’t let anybody’s insurance steer you to a crappy shop. It’s your car and you choose where to have it repaired. You can tell the agent where it will be repaired.
One other thing, check the shop’s warranty for their repair work. My insurance company offers, not requires, a short list of there “preferred shops” and vehicles repaired there get a lifetime warranty on repairs. CSA
Those insurance companies call promptly to try and get you to take some fault in the collision, but mainly to get you to tell them that you were not injured.
Injuries and deaths are what costs them the most money. Problem is that in collisions, injuries don’t always surface until days, weeks later, but can last a lifetime. CSA
