by Guest » Thu Mar 06, 2008 09:06 pm
Hi everyone... i was hoping for some advice on the following.
I was just in an accident, it was the other person's fault and her insurance is going to pay for it, 21st insurance i think. I have a body shop that is owned by my best friends father. I am new to the area and know he will do a good job. He is not on the list of preffered shops, but i trust him. The field inspector was originally going to come to my work to look at the car, but my friend said as this was not my own insurance i was dealing with, i should have them come to the car repair shop to make sure they are going to be fair. This seemed like a plausible idea, as i have never been involved in an accident before and have no idea what I'm doing.
Heres the wird part, after i called back to ask them to meet me at the shop, they stopped calling back. I havent heard anything about setting up an appointment, and then i got a call the other day from the other insurance saying they were looking into liability that i might share some fault (which i clearly don't).
What is going on, and what should i do? Their reaction was very wierd. Should i not have asked them to go to the mechanic and just meet me at work?
I was just in an accident, it was the other person's fault and her insurance is going to pay for it, 21st insurance i think. I have a body shop that is owned by my best friends father. I am new to the area and know he will do a good job. He is not on the list of preffered shops, but i trust him. The field inspector was originally going to come to my work to look at the car, but my friend said as this was not my own insurance i was dealing with, i should have them come to the car repair shop to make sure they are going to be fair. This seemed like a plausible idea, as i have never been involved in an accident before and have no idea what I'm doing.
Heres the wird part, after i called back to ask them to meet me at the shop, they stopped calling back. I havent heard anything about setting up an appointment, and then i got a call the other day from the other insurance saying they were looking into liability that i might share some fault (which i clearly don't).
What is going on, and what should i do? Their reaction was very wierd. Should i not have asked them to go to the mechanic and just meet me at work?
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 09:36 pm Post Subject:
I have no doubt that it is not related and it's also very probable that they were looking into liability the entire time and just commited to inspecting your vehicle.
To be honest, it won't really matter where the person looks at the vehicle but being at the shop can't hurt.
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 06:19 am Post Subject:
Yeah, it might take sometime for the adjuster to investigate into the matter, and you need to be patient during it. I personally see no problem in inspecting the vehicle at the body shop at it would hardly affect the evaluation.
then i got a call the other day from the other insurance saying they were looking into liability that i might share some fault (which i clearly don't).
This they would, as insures say now that no-one can be 100% at-fault. They might be looking into the facts if you have contributed to the accident to any extent. If you are not_at_all_at_fault , you have no reason to worry.
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 07:20 am Post Subject:
How long it has been since you have last spoken to the adjuster? Both the above posters were correct, the insurer may take sometime before acknowledging the claim. They must look into all the aspect of the incident to stop paying out for any damages not caused by their client.
What you can do is, call up the company to say that you are awaiting an appointment with their field inspector. Have you evaluated the scope of getting a rented vehicle from the insurance company for the time period?
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 01:03 pm Post Subject:
Good morning Shay and welcome
Heres the wird part, after i called back to ask them to meet me at the shop, they stopped calling back. I havent heard anything about setting up an appointment, and then i got a call the other day from the other insurance saying they were looking into liability that i might share some fault (which i clearly don't).
tcope is right these are unrelated....there is no trouble at in in having the vehicle inspected at the shop that is going to do the repair, in fact it's a best case scenerio for the inspection....if you'd like let us know the exact facts of loss and we can give our opinion re: liablity...I'd call the adjuster back, and say, 'just seeing how you are coming on this...have you determined liablity? Can I get my car in the shop to get it repaired now? what (basically) is going on on my claim?" You can have your vehicle repaired at any shop you wish...less work for the adjuster (in many companies) if you go to a preferred shop...but you certainly have the option of the shop of your choice...please let us know if we can be of further assistance to you in any way..Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 05:20 pm Post Subject: Something to consider on why you should use your coverage.
You have contractual rights with your insurance coverage and you have none with the at fault party. Most likely, the state in which you reside has a state code or statute that says your insurer must cause your vehicle to be restored to pre accident condition. If they fail you have remedies in your own policy such as appraisal and bad faith.
Tort law applies to the at fault party. Their insurer owes for all losses due to the negligence of their insured under the policy or contract they have with their insured. This may include loss of use and loss of value. Don't let people who owe you money give you advice on how much they owe you. Calculate your own losses or damages. Only you can authorize repairs to your vehicle.
You may feel you do not want to use your coverage because you fear they will raise your rates. Again this is most likely a veiled attempt to discourage you from using coverage you are entitled to and they are obligated to by terms and conditions of the policy. They most likely can not raise your rates because the accident was not due to your negligence. Most states do not allow an insurer to cancel you for using your coverage. They always have the right to non renew you at renewal time. But if you have an insurer that penalizes you at renewal, it's time to shop your policy and dollars around for a better carrier.
If the damage is excessive and the car is newer with low miles the loss in value alone could be subtantial. Let the at fault party know in advance that you are aware of this and that you may elect to collect any loss in value due to the quality of the repairs they want to pay for. If they know you may have a post repair inspection and loss of value claim, they may actually total your vehicle to avoid paying these losses. They will simply sell the vehicle at auction to recover some of their expense. The previous information may apply more likely if the loss is nearing the 50 to 65 percent threshold of repairs.
If your car is driveable and the repairs are not substantial, it would pay to be patient and attempt to negotiate your repairs with guidence from your repairer. Don't ask your repairer to negotiate your claim but pick a repairer you trust or that comes recommended by family and friends not because they were on an insurers preferred list.
Sometimes a letter to the tortfeasor (party at fault) letting them know you may have to collect on damages from them with the aid of an attorney or small claims because their insurer is delaying, denying, or underpaying your claim will move the claim along.
Google diminished value and you will find many helpful websites like this to help you with information which will empower you with knowledge on how to best handle your claim. There will be resources and information that may lead you to consumer advocate shops in your area and even attorneys that will help you collect any loss of use or loss of value on a contingency fee while at no expense to you.
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