by daveyzus » Tue May 19, 2009 01:14 am
Hi, my car got damaged by another driver. His insurance company, Farmers, had an adjuster come and inspect my car. They sent me a check of $2400 the same day. I haven’t cashed it. I took my car to 2 body shop repairs to get my own estimates. The first shop estimated the damages to double the amount ($4800) of the auto insurance claim check and the second to even more ($5000). I called the insurance company and they want me to take the car to a shop to get it repaired and they will send somebody there to make arrangements. However, I do not want to repair the car because I am thinking about selling it as is to a friend and buying another one. Do I have the right to ask the insurance company to send me an adjustment check?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 01:30 am Post Subject: well..
Only if you were to repair the vehicle they will readjust the claim amount if the place of repair is not trying to rip them off. They do reserve the right to refuse to pay you more if you in fact do have no intentions of actually repairing the vehicle. If you do tell them that you want to repair the vehicle the only way they will pay out the difference is AFTER the work is done. You do not have to repair the vehicle but it may be in your best interest to re shop around and see who will do the work for the cheapest price. Since you are selling the vehicle if you do not repair it you will probably not get much money with damage to it. At this point it is really up to you.
~Do you want to keep the auto insurance claim check and the vehicle.
~Keep the check and sell the can and get almost no money for it.
~Or repair the vehicle and then refile the claim with the insurance company to get the vehicle fixed 100%
I think you should probably keep the vehicle, shop around for a better price, and get the insurance company to fix the rest. Since now thevehicle has been in an accident it will decrease the overall value of the vehicle dramaticly...remmeber just because the vehicle is worth a lot to you does not mean it is not worth a lot to a buyer. YOU MUST DISCLOSE THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT if you sel it.
Good luck
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 04:55 am Post Subject:
Agent007,
They sent me a check of $2400 the same day. I haven’t cashed it. I took my car to 2 body shop repairs to get my own estimates. The first shop estimated the damages to double the amount ($4800) of the check and the second to even more ($5000).
Doesn't that make one wonder that the insurance companies are more interested in getting rid of the claims than compensating the claimant appropriately?
It seems that proper evaluation wasn't done before writing the auto insurance claim check. Agent007, what do you think could be the reason for the adjuster to write the check in haste?
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:59 am Post Subject:
Do I have the right to ask the insurance company to send me an adjustment check?
An adjustment for your auto insurance claim check would depend on what these differences are...many times when an estimate is written in the field (opposed to being in a shop and torn down)...many things can be missed...also an adjuster can only write what they can see...a shop tends to write anything that 'might' be wrong even if they can't see it...many times they are correct, but in ins..if you can't see (and take a picture) of the damaged part we can't pay for it...I need to correct a few things by some other posters then will get back to this.....
They do reserve the right to refuse to pay you more if you in fact do have no intentions of actually repairing the vehicle.
Sorry Agent but this is untrue and against the fair claims practice laws...the can refuse to pay for the additional if they cannot see the damage...but not because he's not repairing, no company can force anyone to repair their vehicle. that in no way obsolves them from compensating the 'injured' party their damage..
If you do tell them that you want to repair the vehicle the only way they will pay out the difference is AFTER the work is done
again, sorry this is incorrect..they most certainly will not pay AFTER it's repaired, because they need to see the supplemental damaged parts..prior to them being replaced or repaired...Or repair the vehicle and then refile the claim with the insurance company to get the vehicle fixed 100%
I can all but guarantee if you try this they won't pay a dime, and you'll be stuck with the supplement...only 'possible' exception would be if repaired in one of this carriers direct repair shops...Since now thevehicle has been in an accident it will decrease the overall value of the vehicle dramaticly
Not necessarily it depends on the vehicle, and the repair...and if your state allows diminished value, (which you most certainly won't have a claim for if you do not repair)....YOU MUST DISCLOSE THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT if you sel it
not in my state unless your a dealer...Ok dave, back to you...are you able to read the estimates to see what the actual differences are? if not and you are able to post of link them I'd be happy to look at them to see the difference... Could be that the adjuster wrote used or aftermarket parts the shops wrote new oem....
Another thing you might try...is ask a shop what they would charge you to tear your vehicle down (and put it back together remember to tell them that...makes a huge difference in how they dis-assemble it)...after tear down you can get the adjuster back to the shop to write a supplement and pay for what they missed...The difference are pretty drastic in the estimates from the shop and the adjuster...I'd really like to see those, or know what the differences are..
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 05:01 pm Post Subject: Lori
In my state California that is how this works...
the adjuster will inspect the vehicle prior to complete repair I just skipped that though because of what the poster said....
and no she does not have the right to get a larger auto insurance claim check if she is not fixing the vehicle. Maybe in your state this is the practice but in my state and other states that I have worked in what I stated is the practice.
The reason they cut the check In haste is to shut her up....flat out
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 11:29 pm Post Subject:
and no she does not have the right to get a larger check if she is not fixing the vehicle. Maybe in your state this is the practice but in my state and other states that I have worked in what I stated is the practice.
I'm sorry, but anyone, first or third party is entitled to be compensated for the damages they suffered...period...makes no difference if the vehicle is repaired or not...i'll review CA's fair claims practice laws tomorrow am, but I can gaurantee you that, no insurance company can refuse to pay their auto insurance claim check for known damages to a vehicle because the party is not repairing them.Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 11:54 pm Post Subject:
Thanks for your answers. I added links to my car damages, the insurance estimate and my estimate.
Car Damages
http://s384.photobucket.com/albums/oo289/daveyzus/Damages/
Insurance Estimate
http://s384.photobucket.com/albums/oo289/daveyzus/Insurance%20Estimate/
Body Shop Repair Estimate
http://s384.photobucket.com/albums/oo289/daveyzus/My%20Estimate/
Hope this will be enough for you to decide on the true worth of my Auto insurance claim check now.
Thanks,
David
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 03:07 am Post Subject:
I forgot to mention the accident occurred in Seattle, Washington
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 03:43 am Post Subject:
The reason they cut the check In haste is to shut herup....flat out
Well, doesn't it then go against the 'fair claim practice act'? This would make one feel that whenever the adjuster is writing an auto insurance claim check on the spot you are being low balled.
You always then have to take the vehicle of the bodyshop for the estimate even when you could have easily saved the trouble if the adjuster been honest at compensating you.
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 06:54 am Post Subject:
Something that hasn't been mentioned here is that Farmers Insurance does not owe you any money. The at fault driver is who owes you for the repairs and the contract of insurance is between the at fault party and Farmers. The policy normally reads that the insurance company will pay the insured for any damages they become liable for. Farmers has no right to even inspect your car. Send a demand letter to the at fault party for whatever the repair cost is at your preferred repair facility
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 08:50 am Post Subject: insurance
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of different views in THIS one. Ok.....so, should the ask her Insurance company for more money OR should she sue the OTHER driver? OP, how did the Insurance company come up with an amount of $2400.00 on the auto insurance claim check ? ..just by looking at it ( hopefully they looked at the frame AND the outside of it). Would the repairs to the car 'outweigh' the car's value? Just alot for you to think about.
Add your comment