How does one keep auto insurance $$$?

zod · Oct 27, 2004

Just hope she really has insurance........last time I got hit like this I called up the other drivers ins. company and they said she hadn't paid for like 3 months and had been dropped.

gschuette · Oct 27, 2004

Crashby said:
So I was just driving along....

Actually, I was at a dead stop on the highway after fackers were stopping to look at an accident on the side of the road when WHAM... I get clocked in the ace by a soon be sobbing and blubbering idiot fatty of woman. My head hits the headrest pretty hard; CD's flyin' all over the place and my coffee cup holder is full up with java.

So, I graciously decline a ride to the hospital and chill by the side of the road while fatty gets a ticket for 'inattentive driver'. So I will have a police report stating that its HER fault (freakin fatty)...

Anywhoo... I drive home and my next door neighbor (self proclaimed street smart super genius) looks at my Accord and states that the 'bumper posts" are bent and there is easily $2500 clams worth of damage. The trunk lid closes fine and to the untrained eye - there is almost NO damage except for a dime sized puncture in the bumper (amazing seeing how hard I got hit).

..... Hmmm... wonder if a building blood clot is making me ramble on....

Ok - cut to the chase - how do I get a fatty induced fatty check from my insurance company and pocket said fatty cash? Is it up to the insurance company to pay only my chosen collision shop or can I submit estimates and get a cha-ching-check-for-my-new-wide-screen-TV?

Oh... and I got a fatty Trojan on my laptop today and I go in for surgery at 6:15 tomorrow morning (cripes what a day...)

Sometimes body damage is minimal but suspension members or the frame is tweaked. Same thing happened to my mom a long time ago and it would go through new rear tires in 500 miles no matter how many times it was aligned. Make sure the shop checks that stuff out so you don't get screwed on a fender bender.

Wumpus · Oct 27, 2004

As stated, make sure her insurance is good. There is no reason you need to report it to your insurance company unless she doesn't have coverage or her insurance decides to try to dispute it. Your company, even though she is at fault, may decide to pay it and then jack your rates or even cancel you.

Echo · Oct 27, 2004

Depends who her insurance company is. If if's someone big like Progressive, they really try to make you use one of their "preffered" collision shops.

Don't even tell your insurance co about it.

Glad to hear you're okay homie.

zod · Oct 27, 2004

Wumpus said:
As stated, make sure her insurance is good. There is no reason you need to report it to your insurance company unless she doesn't have coverage or her insurance decides to try to dispute it. Your company, even though she is at fault, may decide to pay it and then jack your rates or even cancel you.

Most states require you to carry uninsured motorist insurance on your policy. If somebody hits you and is not insured you insurance will take care of your damages AND by law are not allowed to increase or cancel on you. They will even do things they would not otherwise......say for instance you do not pay for rental insurance you will still get a rental regardless under the uninsured motorist portion of your policy

Oh yea, don't use a preferred body shop, they are in with the insurance company and get kickbacks to do a ****ty-job. Find the most expensive/hightech body shop in town and take it to them........it's a bonus if they hate insurance companies.

berkshire_rider · Oct 27, 2004

In NYS, insurance companies can not tell you where to get your car fixed. It's illegal. The decision is up to you. Did you get her insurance info after she drilled the back of your car? Call whoever her carrier is IMMEDIATELY and file a claim. They will setup an appointment to go to their estimator who will survey the damage, consult the industry books for parts and labor, and you should leave with a check. What you do after this is up to you. Fix the car, or go buy a Sony.

neaky:

dan-o · Oct 27, 2004

Also insist on genuine honda replacement parts. I'd get an estimate for a good, independent shop before seeing the insurance estimator. That way you can compare and have a written document if there are any differences. Never use a body shop recommended by any insurance company unless you know the place is good, always get the car fixed where you want it done.

johnbryanpeters · Oct 28, 2004

The bumper posts are one of the things that kept fatty from seriously injuring you. Sort of like your helmet...

Get the car repaired correctly and establish your protection from the next fool.

J

zod · Oct 28, 2004

As dan-o said, make sure they don't put OEM parts on your car........demand new (as in non-salvage) Honda retail parts.

The appraiser will come of with his numbers by using OEM/Salvage estimates and the number he comes up should be GROSSLY less than the Body Shops estimate.

For instance, I was in an accident back in the summer. The appraiser said my truck had $5000 worth of damage. My Body Shop however came up with a number over $13,500 and that totalled my truck so I got a new one. Had I gone with my appraiser and used a "preferred" bodyshop they would have "fixed" it for 5K and I'd be driving a truck with a bent frame that was worth nothing if I wanted to resell it.

Read up @ this site....

http://www.ican2000.com

JRB · Oct 28, 2004

If you own the car, you can get a check. If you do not, the check can go to you and the lein holder. The lein holder will make you fix the car. That is their interest. If it's your car, that is up to you. Have your neck and what not checked or watch it closely. I got owned in a wreck 7 years ago and it ended my days as a horse shoer. I could no longer do it full time.

MTB_Rob_NC · Oct 28, 2004

zod said:
Oh yea, don't use a preferred body shop, they are in with the insurance company and get kickbacks to do a ****ty-job. Find the most expensive/hightech body shop in town and take it to them........it's a bonus if they hate insurance companies.

That is the biggest bunch of Poo I have ever heard in a long time. Where are YOU getting your information from? "Someone you know," you "heard" or you are just blowing that out of your a$$?

To become a preferred/pro whatever the insurance companies' designation is called has nothing to do with being "IN" with the insurance company. It has to do with having certain equiptment, certified technicians, financially stable operations and a track record of good customer service. Where I work we are a certified repair center for most major Insurance companies. We do that so we can get the VOLUME from the insurance company referrals, because unlike doing a customer repair we have to fight with the insurance companies NOT to cut corners, buy NEW parts instead of used and then paint the car properly instead of just "blending" certain areas. They usually fight us tooth and nail to cut out repair sections on estimates, to get the job done inexpensively instead of completely. The insurance companies also pay a lower labor rate and often want to supply their own (usually aftermarket) parts to save themselves and hopefully in the long run their insureds some $.

Also Unisured motorists is NOT required in most states, but required to be offered. It is a value added policy because if you already have comp and collision and someone else without insurance damages your car, your insurance company would pay under the comp/collision portion anyway. Of course your deductible would then apply, you should always do the math to see if the cost of the Uninsured motorist portion of your policy is greater than your deductible.

zod · Oct 28, 2004

loco-gringo said:
If you own the car, you can get a check. If you do not, the check can go to you and the lein holder. The lein holder will make you fix the car. That is their interest..

The lein holder can only make you fix the car if damages are below a certain % of the value of the car otherwise by law they have to total it.

PonySoldier · Oct 28, 2004

"Lien"

JRB · Oct 28, 2004

zod said:
The lein holder can only make you fix the car if damages are below a certain % of the value of the car otherwise by law they have to total it.

I meant that it had to be restored to the value.

JRB · Oct 28, 2004

PonySoldier said:
"Lien"

For some reason it is lein from my skating days. Hrrmmm :think:

zod · Oct 28, 2004

Mtb_Rob_FL said:
That is the biggest bunch of Poo I have ever heard in a long time. Where are YOU getting your information from? "Someone you know," you "heard" or you are just blowing that out of your a$$?

To become a preferred/pro whatever the insurance companies' designation is called has nothing to do with being "IN" with the insurance company. It has to do with having certain equiptment, certified technicians, financially stable operations and a track record of good customer service. Where I work we are a certified repair center for most major Insurance companies. We do that so we can get the VOLUME from the insurance company referrals, because unlike doing a customer repair we have to fight with the insurance companies NOT to cut corners, buy NEW parts instead of used and then paint the car properly instead of just "blending" certain areas. They usually fight us tooth and nail to cut out repair sections on estimates, to get the job done inexpensively instead of completely. The insurance companies also pay a lower labor rate and often want to supply their own (usually aftermarket) parts to save themselves and hopefully in the long run their insureds some $.

Great, ya'll run a good shop and are the exception.......I still would never take my vehicle where my insurance company preferred, from personal and family experience I know that will usually get you screwed. Insurance companies are only looking out for their best intrest not the owners. It sounds like you work at a shop that looks out for the owner and will fight the insurance company tooth and nail to make sure the job is done right. That is not always the case with preferred body shops is all I am saying. The body shop I use now would rather total my car than make money fixing it if that is what they feel is the right thing to do, they've taken major insurance companies to court, they look out for my well being. When you tell the Insurance Co. you wanna have your vehicle towed to this particular Body Shop you can hear them getting instantly annoyed over the telephone b/c they know they have lost any/all leverage to dick you. That's what you want in a Body Shop and MOST OFTEN the Body Shop your insurance company is going to send you to is one that will look out for their best intrest.

MTB_Rob_NC · Oct 28, 2004

zod said:
The lein holder can only make you fix the car if damages are below a certain % of the value of the car otherwise by law they have to total it.

Zod... I am sorry but you do not have a complete grasp on how this works. The lein holder is usually the financial institution that lent you the money to buy the car. A lein holder is an additional insured on your auto insurance policy (unless your agent made a BIG mistake). Therefore if any money is being paid, the check will be issued in both parties names. If a repair is being made, the insurance company will issue the check, normally the insured will take the car to be inspected by the lein holder, or the lein holder will go look at the vehicle to make sure the repairs were made to the car, then endorse the check. The lein holder has no ability to declare a vehicle a total loss. That is what the insurance company does.

zod · Oct 28, 2004

Mtb_Rob_FL I understand exactly how it works and just got done dealing with it several months ago, just got myself mixed up between lien holder and insurance company....I'm on track with what you just said.

I meant to say that insurance companies (not lien holders) are only allowed to have a car fixed if repairs don't go over a certain percentage of value. Don't remember that percent but I'm sure you know it?? Somewhere around 35%?

MTB_Rob_NC · Oct 28, 2004

zod said:
Great, ya'll run a good shop and are the exception.......I still would never take my vehicle where my insurance company preferred, from personal and family experience I know that will usually get you screwed. Insurance companies are only looking out for their best intrest not the owners. ...........

Sorry you have had crappy experiences. Here is some advice. Always get more than 1 estimate. In addition if your vehicle is at a preferred repair facility, ask for an estimate FROM THEM, not JUST the insurance company's adjuster.
:thumb:

MTB_Rob_NC · Oct 28, 2004

zod said:
I meant to say that insurance companies (not lien holders) are only allowed to have a car fixed if repairs to do go over a certain percentage number. Don't remember that percent but I'm sure you know it?? Somewhere around 35%?

Different states have different laws, in general an insurance company can repair your vehicle at their discretion. However if the cost to repair is greater than the ACV (actual cash value) of your vehicle, obviously they are just going to declare it a total loss, cut a check and sell the scrap. There are other issues that often also lead to a total loss, such as severe frame damage, flooding and hail damage.

zod · Oct 28, 2004

The last shop I used was the best experience of my life and I will always use them from now on. Adjuster said 5K, Body Shop said that was incorrect and the numbers got up around 14K. They got the adjuster back out there and he submitted and my insurance company wrote me a check for 19K.

Of course my policy rolls over in January and that's when they'll rape me :dead:

MTB_Rob_NC · Oct 28, 2004

zod said:
The last shop I used was the best experience of my life and I will always use them from now on. Adjuster said 5K, Body Shop said that was incorrect and the numbers got up around 14K. They got the adjuster back out there and he submitted and my insurance company wrote me a check for 19K.

Of course my policy rolls over in January and that's when they'll rape me

lol... unfortunately you are dead right on this one. Sorry

Echo · Oct 28, 2004

Crashby's car is paid for...

JRB · Oct 28, 2004

Crashby said:
Funny thing... I woke up right in the middle of the surgery... thought about what I should say for a few seconds and then blurted out.... "Wakey, wakey. Eggs and bakey!"... they put me under again pretty quick

Having added this, you look like less of an idiot for calling your insurance co.

Speedy recovery for you. Not really worried about the car. :thumb:

Echo · Oct 28, 2004

Glad to hear the surgery went well! We'll miss ya at the ride tonight.

zod · Oct 28, 2004

Crashby said:
Funny thing... I woke up right in the middle of the surgery... thought about what I should say for a few seconds and then blurted out.... "Wakey, wakey. Eggs and bakey!"... they put me under again pretty quick

LOL

WestCoastHucker · Oct 28, 2004

i've had 3 ins claims (not my fault) and every time i got a check and didn't even bother to fix the car........
just take it to their estimator and they will send you a check....

all from different ins companies as well....

How does one keep auto insurance $$$?

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