In the aftermath of auto accidents vehicle owners are often confused and, in many cases, unaware of all of the options available to them during the settlement of auto insurance claims. Many depend on the insurance company’s adjuster to guide them through the maze of decisions they face.
But, did you ever consider that your insurance company agent or adjuster might not have your best interest at heart when making recommendations about what to do with your damaged car?
Insurance companies are profit driven companies. As such, their agents and adjusters - those you may depend on to be straight with you - are often motivated to answer consumer’s questions with suggestions and strategies that benefit the company first and foremost without concern for losses car owners may experience. Thus, if you depend on your insurance company’s claims staff to give you all of the available options so you can make intelligent decisions on your own, you may be sorely disappointed when you finally realize how much money their advice actually costs you.
In the remainder of this article, you’ll learn seven options, some of which you might never have considered, for dealing with damaged vehicles after they have been crashed. You may:
1) Have all of the accident damage on your car repaired If you take this option make certain you pick a shop capable of delivering safe collision repairs. Avoid going to the insurance company’s direct repair shop unless you know them personally and have seen their work firsthand. Rather, pick a repair shop recommended by someone you know who is very picky about his or her car. Collector car club members almost always have a good eye for spotting high quality auto body repair shops, and many have friends in the business who do show quality paint and body work. You’ll find most of these guys and gals eager to help you make a smart choice.
2) Drive your car in its damaged condition without making any repairs provided you are not violating any laws by driving with inoperable lamps or impaired safety equipment. The insurance money is yours. Spend it as you see fit on your car or on something else. Except in cases where you have a bank loan and the car is serving as collateral, you are under no obligation to have repairs completed, unless, of course, you want to do so.
3) Choose to repair part of the damage but not all of it Again, the same rule applies. Drive your car only if it is safe and use the insurance money as you see fit. Sometimes consumers find it in their best interest to repair the most blatant accident damage, forgoing damage that is less obvious. For example a scratched aluminum wheel may cost $300 or more to replace. If you can live with the scratch you’ll have that money to put toward a new set of tires, college tuition, or something trendier like a collection of glow in the dark Spider-Man memorabilia.
4) Sell or trade your car in its damaged condition If you keep the insurance payments and rid yourself of the damaged vehicle quickly by auctioning it, trading it or selling it outright, with some savvy shopping you’ll probably have enough money to purchase a better car than you had. When you are shopping for a car with cash in hand, you’ll find it is a very favorable buyers market.
5) Donate your car to charity for a tax deduction and spend or invest the insurance proceeds. Most accountants and CPAs are familiar with the guidelines for charitable giving. They may even be able to suggest an industrious church or civic club that would be eager to fix the damage and distribute your gift to a needy family.
6) Sell parts from your car if you have the place to store the vehicle and the skills to dismantle it. But, please don’t put it on blocks in the front yard. Many communities and subdivisions won’t allow these eyesores to take up residence for more than a few days, and you can be sure your neighbors won’t like it either. E-bay and similar auction sites are good places to place your parts advertisements to attract enthusiastic buyers.
7) Put the burden on the insurance company to replace the auto Insurance companies, because of their mammoth size and tremendous buying clout, can often bargain with dealerships to get better deals for consumers than they can get themselves. We see this most often when a one or two year old car has suffered significant damage and its owner doesn’t want it repaired. Insurers will sometimes exert pressure on dealers to drop the price of a slightly newer or better equipped model, allowing a consumer to walk away with a somewhat better car without an increase in the monthly payments they were making. You won’t likely hear an insurer suggesting this option because of the extra work involved. But, if you press them or make it easy for them by locating a car you like, they will sometimes work their magic on the dealership finance guys to get you a deal. In cases where you upgrade to a newer car, you will only responsible to pay the difference in values between the car you had and the one you are getting.
Most insurance companies offer claimants one option - have the car fixed at one of their network shops where they have a partnering agreement so they can save some money. These partnering shops are known as direct repair provider shops or DRP shops. For the low down on why it isn’t in your best interest to have your car repaired in a direct repair facility, read, “Flaws Fraud and Limited Freedom: The Truth About Insurance Referrals to Network DRP Shops
Remember, your car is yours and nobody can make you do something with it that you don’t want to do. With few exceptions, you are owed full restitution for covered losses whether you choose to repair all of the damage, part of the damage, or none of the damage on your car.
This information is general in nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal or insurance advice. Readers are encouraged to consult specialists in these fields who have an understanding of legal and insurance issues on a local, state, and national level.