Automotive Collision Center Inc.

An auto accident can cause you a lot of anxiety. This is especially true if you suffer injuries and/or damage to your vehicle. Treating any injuries you experience is your first course of action. After that, you want to tend to damages to your vehicle. This article provides important information about auto accident property damage claims.

Overview of Auto Accident Property Damage

When your car becomes damaged in an auto accident, the insurance company of the responsible party will usually pay for the damages. Regardless if the responsible party is you or another driver, the type of auto insurance will determine your course of action.

Basic Liability Insurance: Basic liability insurance typically covers damage to another individual’s vehicle as well as injuries suffered by anyone in the vehicle. Many states require that all drivers carry at least this form of auto insurance with a minimum amount of coverage. Auto insurance coverage is based on certain limits. Basic liability usually does not cover expensive vehicles. If the responsible party in your case only has basic liability coverage, you may have to seek other means, such as filing a civil case, to recover damages to your vehicle. If you are the responsible party and you only carry basic liability insurance, you do not have sufficient coverage to pay for your property damages. In this case you will have to pay for the damages out of your own pocket.

Collision Insurance: Collision insurance is usually an elective form of automobile insurance. The amounts of coverage for this type of coverage are usually higher than basic liability. In addition, if you caused the auto accident, this type of insurance covers property damage to any car (including your own).

Recovering property damage resulting from an auto accident is not always an easy task. Unfortunately, you can run into roadblocks when working with an insurance company to recover property damages. Hiring an attorney may be ideal to obtain a fair settlement.

Important Considerations of Auto Accident Property Damage

The most important decision you will have to make when having your automobile repaired after an auto accident is the company that will perform the repairs. It is a good idea to obtain a minimum of two estimates for the damage to your vehicle. Depending on the insurance company you work with, they may have a body shop that they work with. In this case, you should ensure that the repair shop makes the repairs that your automobile requires. You can accomplish this by simply requesting a copy of the repair report.

Types of Auto Property Damage

When there is property damage in an auto accident, the insurance company will generally assign a claims adjuster to the case to determine how much you should recover for damage to your vehicle. After receiving an estimate from an auto shop, the claims adjuster will decide if the insurance company will pay to repair your car or pay you’re a lump sum for the total loss of your vehicle.

Repairs: If your car can be repaired, the damages will usually include charges associated with making those repairs. If you modified your car before the accident, you will probably not be able to claim these costs unless you can prove that the modifications increased the fair market value of your car. The auto shop has the option of using parts that are new or used. If they choose used parts, you want to be sure that the components are Original Equipment Manufactured (OEM).

Total Loss: An auto body shop may determine that your car is considered “totaled.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that it cannot be repaired. A determination that a car is considered a total loss can also indicate that the repair costs are close to 75% more than the fair value of the car. In this case, the claims adjuster will usually consider the option of paying you cash value for your car. If you’re interested in keeping the car, the insurance company may allow you to buy it back as part of the property damage settlement. The amount you will pay for the car in this situation is equal to the amount that it would render in a salvage auction.

The ideal situation is that your automobile is towed to an auto body shop. If your car is otherwise towed to an auto storage facility, you will have to pay for the storage costs. You may be able to recover this cost in your property damage claim.

While your car is being repaired you may need to rent a vehicle. This cost may or may not be reimbursable through the property damage claim. If it is not and you have coverage, your auto insurance may recover the cost.

Steps to Take When Your Vehicle Sustains Property Damage

The initial steps to claim property damage are not dissimilar to claims following an auto accident. The main difference with this claim is that you should attempt to provide as much evidence as you possibly can of the property damage.

1. Swap information with the driver of the other vehicle(s). At a minimum, it is recommended that you obtain their name, address, driver’s license number, and license plate.
2. Obtain evidence of the damage to your car. This includes taking pictures and keeping any components that fall off your car.
3. In auto accidents involving significant property damage, you must call a police office to the accident or report the accident within a certain number of days. The exact property damage amount and time limit varies from state-to-state.
4. Notify your insurance company. If you have sufficient coverage, you may be able to recover charges for towing your vehicle to a auto body shop. You may also be able to use your auto insurance to pay for a rental car while your car is being repaired.
5. If your insurance company does not commence claim processing, contact the insurance company of the responsible party and start a claim for property damage to your vehicle.
6. If applicable, obtain a copy of the police report.
7. Contact an attorney if you are unable to receive a fair deal when working with an insurance company.

Your Rights

Automobiles are often integral parts of our livelihood. If you’re like most people, you rely on your vehicle to get you to work. When your vehicle becomes impaired during an auto accident, you want the process to repair your vehicle to be as speedy as possible. If you’re communicating with the insurance company of the responsible party and the process isn’t moving along as fast as you like, you have the right to use your own insurance company and get reimbursed from the responsible party at a later date.

In many cases, insurance companies are associated with a particular repair shop. You have the right to request a detailed report of the repairs that the repair shop performed. In addition, you may feel it more advantageous to use a auto body shot other than the one recommended by the insurance company. State laws do not usually require that victims use the insurance company auto body shop. In most cases, it is to your advantage to use the recommended body shop because it will probably hasten the settlement of your case. If, however, you have a friend or relative that owns an auto body shop, you may trust their services more than you would a stranger.