Property Damage Claims Resulting From A Motor Vehicle Collision
Our society increasingly relies on automobiles to function
. Automobiles effects society's quality of life, service and convenience. In short, society cannot be without automobiles. When one's vehicle is damaged in an accident, great inconvenience occurs. This is why it is very important for individuals involved in automobile accidents to have their automobiles repaired or compensated as quickly as possible without significant costs.Question: How long should the insurance company have to complete their property damage investigation?
Answer: WAC 284-30-390 requires insurance companies to complete their claim investigation within thirty days after a claim has been notified. An exception to this is only if the investigation cannot be reasonably completed within thirty days. If you have questions regarding this matter, Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC is a Renton law firm that can help answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:Who pays for the property damage repair if liability is clear?
Answer: If liability is clear, you can have either your insurance pay (if you have collision coverage) for the repair or have the at fault party's insurance pay for the repair. If liability is clear and you decide to have your insurance company pay for the repair, depending on your policy, usually your insurance company will pay the amount of the repair but less the deductible. Your insurance company will then go after the at fault party's insurance company to subrogate the amount your insurance company paid out and your deductible. Once your insurance company receives full payment of the value it paid out and your deductible, your insurance company will send you a check to reimburse you for your deductible. If liability is clear and accepted by the at fault party, you will most likely get your deductible back if the at fault party is insured. If the at fault party is not insured, you will only get your deductible back once your insurance company collects the amount from the at fault party.
If liability is clear, you can also have the at fault party's insurance pay for your repair. This may be more desirable because you can avoid the deductible assessed by your own insurance. And because the reimbursement of a deductible can take quite some time, having the at fault party's insurance pay for your repair will allow to avoid having to wait for the deductible to be reimbursed. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a Renton lawyer or a Kent lawyer at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:Who pays for the property damage repair if liability is not clear?
Answer:If liability is not clear, the at fault party's insurance will likely not pay for the repair until liability is determined and admitted to by the at fault party's insurance. You may choose to wait until liability is clear to have the at fault party pay for your repair but generally there is a requirement for you to mitigate damages. Otherwise, you can have your first party insurance pay if you have collision coverage. As discussed above, although a deductible is assessed, you will likely be reimbursed for the deductible once the at faulty party's insurance admits liability. If liability is determined and you are 100% at fault, then you will not receive reimbursement for your deductible. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a auto accident lawyer in Renton or a Kent auto accident lawyer at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:What should one do if the at fault party is uninsured?
Answer:If your policy is includes coverage for uninsured motorist and depending on your policy, it may be preferable to submit an uninsured motorist claim for property damage rather than a collision coverage claim. Uninsured motorist claims usually have lower deductibles than a collision coverage claim. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact aKent auto accident attorney at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:When is a car considered totaled?
Answer:A car is considered totaled when the cost of repairing it exceeds the cost of its fair market value. Insurance companies will not pay for the cost of repairing a car if it cost more to repair it than the car is worth. Most insurance companies will "total" out a car when the repair costs estimate reaches a certain percentage, sometimes 60% to 70% of its fair market value and sometimes less. Insurance companies will refuse to pay for a repair when it reaches near the fair market value for fear that the repair will be more than what was anticipated when initially estimated and that it may end up costing more than the fair market value. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a lawyer in Renton at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:What happens when one disagrees with the insurance company on what the fair market value is?
Answer:You have to be willing to do some research and homework. You should search and scan newspapers and other publications for asking prices of cars that are comparable to yours. You should also obtain written appraisals or evaluation from dealers or mechanics for similar vehicles. You may also search the internet for vehicle valuation. Websites recommended are Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book allows you to input information specific to your car to obtain a fairly accurate valuation of your vehicle. You can also obtain a professional automobile appraiser to appraise the value of your car. Any upgrades to your car should also be documented. All of these suggestions are aimed at documenting the market value of your damaged car. To win against the insurance company, you need to willing to put major effort into documenting the condition of your damaged car prior to the collision. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a Kent car accident lawyer at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:How should one obtain an estimate for the damaged vehicle?
Answer:You should have at least two estimates of your car, if not more. Generally an insurance adjustor will over to drive by to the location of your car to do an estimate. This is generally not advisable because an adjustor whom visits your car for a quick estimate cannot discover underlying damages without taking the car apart. For this reason, its recommended that your bring your car to a shop to have it estimated. A shop is more likely able to do a more thorough evaluation of your damages and estimate your damaged car. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact aRenton auto accident lawyer at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:Where should one have their car repaired?
Answer:You can have your car repaired at a shop recommended by the insurance company or at a shop of your own choice. However, if you do have your car repaired at the insurance company's recommended shop, then you should always try to obtain a second estimate to determine whether the recommended shop's estimate is fair. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a Renton auto accident lawyer at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Question:Could a repair estimate or the value of repairing one's car effect one's bodily injury claim?
Answer:A car repair estimate or the value of repairing one's car may affect one's bodily injury claim. Some adjustors will equate smaller property damage with less bodily injury. For this reason, and for the sake of keeping money in its pocket, insurance companies have incentive to under value the damage to your car. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a Renton auto accident attorney at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500.
Final Tip: It is important to review your insurance policy carefully when dealing with your insurance. If a dispute arises as to some aspect of your claim, it is important to obtain your policy and to review it thoroughly as it will likely determine the outcome of your dispute. If you have questions regarding this matter, contact a Renton car accident lawyer at Beetham Tran Law Firm, PLLC to help you answer this question further at (425)229-1500
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