Wrecked Vehicles
Millions of vehicles are damaged or wrecked in car accidents year after year. If you are unfortunately involved in a car accident that sees your car being wrecked, you need to either get your car repaired immediately or you need to replace your car. But you must be careful when you take either of these steps. Understanding how to deal with all the questions that will arise as you proceed further is of utmost importance.
What is the first step to get my vehicle repaired?
The first thing you need to do is to talk to your insurance agent who in turn will either send an adjuster to review your car for damages or he will ask you to bring the car to any of their estimate centers. The insurance company may also ask you to find your own estimates from other body shops.
Why do I need multiple damage estimates?
When the insurance company is asking you to get an estimate from your choice of body shops besides the estimate that they are coming up with, it is only to understand the best possible repair for your car. Hence 2 or 3 estimates can be expected.
Is it alright if I take my vehicle to a body shop that I choose?
While most insurance companies may not stop you from doing so, there is a possibility that certain insurance laws in some states may not allow it.
If the vehicle has more damage than what appeared at the first instance, who will pay for the extra repair work
It is quite common for a body shop to find hidden damage to a vehicle while it is being repaired. In such circumstances, the body shops ask the insurance adjuster to take a look and if he decides that the hidden damage is also because of the accident, then the insurance company will pay for this repair work also.
I want genuine parts to be put in my vehicle while it is being repaired, what should I do?
You can get the body shop to replace damaged parts of your vehicle with genuine replacement parts. Alternatively, you can take your car to the car dealer repair shop for genuine replacement parts for your car.
Is it necessary that I use the insurance check to repair my wrecked vehicle?
If you own the wrecked vehicle completely, and you do not wish to repair it, you are free to do whatever you wish with the check that you receive. However, if the wrecked vehicle belongs to you as well as a lending institution and the value of the repair work is less than that of the vehicle, it is obligatory that you repair the vehicle.
The insurance adjuster said that my vehicle is totaled. What did he mean by that?
This simply means that the repair cost for the wrecked vehicle is more than the present day value of the vehicle.
If my wrecked vehicle is totaled and I still need to pay the car loan guys, what do I do?
In this case, your insurance check is not enough to cover what you still owe the car loan company. You can either pay the car loan company the excess money required or you can get them to put the difference in the next vehicle purchase loan you will seek from them.
Is there any way to negotiate on the value of my vehicle?
If you have all the maintenance papers of the vehicle that you may have collected over the years when you upgraded your vehicle parts or added to its functionality, you can prove that your vehicle was in top condition before the accident and you can claim for a higher value from the insurance adjuster.
How is the present day value of my vehicle calculated?
The insurance industry uses either the Kelley Blue Book or the NADA, which are printed each quarter with information on each and every make and model of all vehicles made. You can find the present day value of your car by contacting a car accident lawyer today.