Advise Needed on Handling Auto Body Insurance Adjusters

I do not know your Insurance Co. or policy, BUT..
Florida is a no-fault State.
They just passed the law requiring people that want do not want the coverage to provide a written request to opt out. It can be expensive.

In other words, YOUR insurance company covers your vehicle, and their insurance company covers theirs.
It all depends on the type of coverage you have and the amount $$$ of coverage you chose.

That is why you can elect to use "aftermarket parts" to stay in you $$ coverage zone and get the needed repairs.
If your damage is $5000 and you have $15,000 in coverage (your deductible is the same) GET OEM PARTS you must pay the deductible regardless of the end amount.

Your insurance company ALWAYS recommends cheaper parts and labor the reason is simple, they are paying for it!
The aftermarket part option is for your choosing and benefit if need to stay within the lines.

Each insurance company covering its own insured vehicle under policy is for their protection.

For instance,
Dolly buys a VW and has it insured for $150 a month.

Jack is driving his $5000 a month insured Bently


There is NO WAY that Dolly's insurance company will know the cost of Dolly's future accident, BUT they do know the cost "her car" is insured for.
But Jacks insurance does as well,.... thats how it works.

If your insurance covered my car and my insurance covered your car,..... we better be driving either the same car or we need to pay the same insurance rate.
Tell your insurance company to fix it with OEM if you're within the $Lines$ and fix it now....please.

 

So many experts….


https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/understandingCoverage/Guides/documents/AutoToolkit.pdf

 

with the new pricing structures on the oem side, through CCC, and Collision link, and toyota parts bridge, the estimate may say a/m part but, the shop will buy and install oem (this is a conversation for your shop). understand, toyota does not make parts, they assemble parts to make vehicles. they have tiered suppliers that provide parts. many times the same supplier is supplying the same exact item to the oem, as the aftermarket vendor. people read into the aftermarket part thing too much sometimes. and I love all the people bagging on aftermarket parts when someone else is footing the bill... need a battery, starter, waterpump, brakes and paying for it themselves... oh, I am buying the cheapest thing I can get. LOL.

supplements are part of the collision industry. 90% or more estimates have supplements. it is what it is, you cant write everything, without missing some items. and the new "Snapsheet" or by photo estimating is a JOKE. they cant see dents well, miss lots of damage, and write an initial estimate 50% or less of the actual damage. this causes slow downs when the car is at the shop for repairs, waiting on the adjuster to approve found, hidden, missed damages.

there are pluses and minuses for going through your insurance, or the at fault parties. understand in most cases now, whether you are at fault or not, and you go through your provider, your rates, or discounts will be effected for turning in a claim.

the other adjuster in here (turbosix), is trying to steer you right but, some are not listening to what they dont want to hear. and he is right about the injury/medical issue... the auto adjuster doesnt care because, the BI (bodily injury/medical) adjuster handles that portion, and they are separate.

30 years in the collision industry, 15+ years as an auto claims adjuster. I bailed too, asked to do more with less, understaffed, no overtime pay (salary), shops, insureds and claimants calling you 24/7, 365... yes I was called on Christmas, and while on vacation. glad I got out. Ski

 

I do not know the law in Florida, but in North Carolina you can have it fixed at any shop you chose and the liable party's insurance has to cover it. Mine is being fixed at Toyota using factory parts and the Toyota labor rates. Good Luck!

 

Always always always go through your own insurance company. Bring it to the Toyota dealership collision center and only accept OEM parts.

Your insurance company will go get reimbursement from the other party’s insurance company. Let your insurance company do the leg work.

Again, never ever talk to the other insurance company. Why would they look out for your best interest when you’re not even a customer of theirs.

I went through this 2 months ago and my insurance company paid me quickly (about 7 days) since my vehicle was totaled, and they’re going after the other party for reimbursement. I can’t imagine waiting 3 months like someone else posted because they went through the other person’s insurance. Screw that…

 

I really appreciate all the feedback this thread has generated. It is helping me a lot. So now I’m in the point where I’ve already contacted the other company, work with they have excepted liability. I also have the Toyota dealership willing to work with your quote and they told me they do pretty good at matching prices and getting OEM parts.

I also understand what everyone’s saying about going through my own company. Especially since Florida is, as mentioned by @EarthCruzn, a no fault state—meaning each party goes through their own insurance and seeks reimbursement accordingly.

Additionally, Per Florida Statutes §626.9541, your car insurance should not go up after an accident unless you were “substantially at fault.” The statute states that insurers cannot raise liability, personal injury protection, medical payments, or collision premiums “solely because the insured was involved in a motor vehicle …(https://www.anidjarlevine.com/faqs/will-my-car-insurance-go-up-after-an-accident/)

But, when I called my insurance carrier, the agent was very nice the first gave me the answer she was “supposed to give” me, and then went on to tell me that payout is one of the large factors that an underwriter will look at it when I go to renew my policy. So, she said, not having them pay out any money was unofficially to my benefit.

So anyway this just further adds to the confusion. But at this point the other agent never called me back like he said he would, so come Monday morning if I haven’t heard anything from the other company I’ll definitely just be continuing to pursue this with my own company and get it done!

 

That agent doesn’t know what she’s talking about

 

Adjuster, not agent. You're overthinking it. Underwriting will do what it does. You're not going to be able to understand it.

Also, even if you're 100% not at fault but you've been in 10 accidents in a year (or whatever) your rates are probably gonna go up because UW is going to see that you fuckin suck at defensive driving and you're a liability.

Agents never know what the fuck they're talking about. They're salesmen. But he was talking to his adjuster.

 

The insurance adjusters first estimate is just basically a walk around inspection and a rough idea of what they will need, this gives the insurance company an idea of if the repair will be worsh it or to total the vehicle instead. When someone at fault hit my vehicle(they had Progressive, I have USAA) the insurance adjuster made a initial estimated quote then the truck went to a body shop I chose, the body shop made their own first estimate with their own labor rate and sent it to the insurance company who approved, the insurance is also aware that when the vehicle starts to be taken apart it is likely other parts will be found that were damaged but not visible originally.

 

Take that $644 they are paying for the rear bumper and put it towards one of these instead..

https://www.bayareametalfab.com/2016-to-2022-Tacoma-Standard-Rear-Bumper-NO-SWINGOUT-_p_159.html

 

@turbosix clearly knows the biz. IDK how you survive the FL insurance industry, that's orders of magnitude worse than most other states except MI.

Listen to @turbosix he speaks the truth.

 

Everyone has covered some aspect of everything except for diminished value. Get someone knowledgeable.

I recommend:

http://collisionsafetyconsultants.com/

 

Dv claims are a waste of time.

Here's how it usually goes, especially if you used SOC.

"So you were happy with the repairs your shop did?"
"Well, yeah."
"Ok cool, byeeeee"

Hope this helps.

 

Yes, they do. even though the law reads: rate "may not go up" if it is not your fault... they can lower your discounts, and that raises your premiums... still you pay in the end. Ski

 

Make sure your state has DV claims or not some (most) do not. DV is also an arbitrary number. was the vehicle fixed to preloss status? why would there be DV? Ski

 

why some of us are saying use the other insurance provider, instead of yours up front is, to prevent you from contacting your provider, showing your auto was in an incident. every incident, paid out or not, will effect your rate or discount down the road. yes, they track this. if the other party doesnt give you satisfaction, THEN YOU CALL YOUR PROVIDER. (not yelling, caps for emphasis).

call your provider for last resort only. you dont want them knowing your losses, or business. this keeps the underwriters off your policy, and doing a "recheck, or update" to your policy. same with late paying... if you pay on time, no flags, they dont look at your policy. make a claim, pay late, hmmmm... we havent looked at this person in a few years, lets see how we can profit from their policy. the providers have share holders, and profits to make, they WILL GET IT DONE, some how some way.

Ski

 

9 words of advice:
get depreciation $$$, get depreciation $$$, get depreciation $$$

 

If somebody else hits you, they are cited as being at fault, they are absolutely not a waste of time. Hire a company, pay the $500, get a couple of grand back.

 

Why would there be DV? Go to a dealer and ask for a trade in value before and after the accident. There's a difference, that's what DV is for. Don't accept a DV number from someone who owes you money, get a third party.

 

Yeah, not really. In 4 years I saw all of two DV claims actually get paid out. And they were like $750 and $500.

Also, you guys are really stuck on this "at fault" stuff.

Did you know adjusters don't care who the cop says is at fault? If he didn't witness it, it doesn't matter.

Liability can be split anytime as well. Did the guy drift into your lane cause he was on his phone? Sure. Did you fail to avoid the accident because you also weren't paying attention? Boom. You're also at fault.