• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

My vehicle was hit, any tips? edit: UPDATE

S

SAWYER

Lifer
I was in a parking lot waiting to pull out and a lady turns in and swipes the side of my vehicle. I fill a report and call Gieco(the lady's insurance company) and file a claim. They gave me the name of the body shop they use in town, should I get multiple estimate? How does getting multiple estimates work?
img0057s.jpg

img0058p.jpg

img0059rue.jpg

img0060od.jpg


edit: The insurance guy came over today and cut me a check for 1680, 1580 plus a 100 for a car rental.
 
Last edited:
yes, also go to a body shop you trust. all estimates should be very close or someone is trying to rip you off. Some insurance companies also try to reduce your check by claiming 'pre-existing' damage.
 
I think this may vary a bit state to state, but here's my experience in Ohio.

I got rear ended, not at fault. Called police, got a report, had the lady's insurance people calling me before I even left the scene. They gave me a body shop to go to.

I took it there, as well as two other shops (including one that was considerably closer to where I lived). I asked all three shops to quote original parts only, no third party junk and definitely no "junkyard parts" (I have heard of this happening to people).

The two shops I chose were more than happy to quote it that way. The shop the insurance company sent me to balked at quoting parts directly from Subaru, but eventually did it for me saying "There's no way they will approve this".

The estimates from my two shops were almost exactly the same (one shop included a tail-light assembly that looked fine to me). The insurance company's recommended shop was the cheapest (of course) - because they had 8 hours of labor less than the other two guys.

The insurance company said I could take it wherever I wanted and they would pay it (even if it was above their preferred shop's estimate). Any charges over the cheapest estimate would be paid, the body shop just had to submit a supplemental estimate for them. They arranged a rental car for me. I took it to the most expensive shop (the closest to me plus I know they do great work) and in a few weeks I had my car back.

In hind sight, I probably got really lucky with a very accommodating insurance company. I called my agent and she said we wouldn't file a claim under my insurance unless there was a problem with the repairs or they refused to pay the difference between the cheapest estimate and the place where I ended up taking it. I had none of those problems, so I never had to file a claim myself.
 
Will they just give me a check and I can then take it to someone I know to do repairs if I wanted and save some cash in my pocket?
 
Insurance company will have their own list of recommended shops. You have the right to chose your own shop if you wish. Every insurance company is different. Some will cut you the check based on the initial estimates while others will pay the shop directly.
 
That's what Safeco did for me. They cut me a check for the amount of the estimate from their preferred body shop and called it good. I could have cashed the check and never even took it to a shop if I was so inclined.

The body shop handled all of the supplemental estimates and I never saw those checks.
 
SAWYER said:
Will they just give me a check and I can then take it to someone I know to do repairs if I wanted and save some cash in my pocket?
Click to expand...

Sure you could do that but then you would have to make sure your friend does it right or be out of that money.
 
Gieco is a reputable company. I would check out the reputation of the shop but generally speaking they use pretty good shops.
 
Take it to the Geico shop. Get an estimate. Pay your deductible and get it fixed. If you value your car's finish - LET GEICO shops handle the work. If you are unhappy, they HAVE to fix it, even if you have to go to another one of their shops. DO NOT go to your own shop or you lose this guarantee.

After that, head to court, and file a suit against the woman to regain your deductible + diminished value on the vehicle. Depending on the value of the car before, you may be able to sue her for the full deductible + 18% of the car's new value in "diminished value."

The insurance will tell you that you won't be able to sue them directly, but you can sue her personally to regain your loss.
 
SAWYER said:
I was in a parking lot waiting to pull out and a lady turns in and swipes the side of my vehicle. I fill a report and call Gieco(the lady's insurance company) and file a claim. They gave me the name of the body shop they use in town, should I get multiple estimate? How does getting multiple estimates work?
Click to expand...

NO!

Call *your* insurance company, and let them direct you with what to do. It's not your responsibility to find the best price for the damage someone else did.

You are entitled to the best repairs on the damage this lady did, and your insurance company is far more skilled than you are in making Geico cover those costs.
 
Last edited:
amdhunter said:
Take it to the Geico shop. Get an estimate. Pay your deductible and get it fixed.

After that, head to court, and file a suit against the woman for your deductible + diminished value on the vehicle. Depending on the value of the car before, you may be able to sue her for the full deductible + 18% of the car's new value in "diminished value."

The insurance will tell you that you won't be able to sue them directly, but you can sue her personally to regain your loss.
Click to expand...

lol I wouldn't do that!

cubby1223 said:
NO!

Call *your* insurance company, and let them direct you to do everything. It's not your responsibility to find the best price for the damage someone else did.
Click to expand...

I use State Farm
 
Capt Caveman said:
Have you contacted your insurance? I would only deal with them.
Click to expand...

I have Progressive and have been in two not-at-fault accidents in the past few years (one resulted in about $1k in damages and the other totaled my car). In both instances, my experiences went something like this:

1) Contact my insurance company, who asked if I wanted to file with them (i.e., pay my deductible up front, my ins co goes after the at-fault party's, and I eventually get my deductible back) or file with the at-fault party's insurance and have them handle it entirely; in both cases, at the suggestion of my insurance company, I filed directly with the at-fault party's company (SafeAuto for both accidents)

2) This might be a credit to SafeAuto, but in both accidents, they never hassled me. They told me which shops they preferred, but offered to pay at any site; they paid for my rental for as long as the work took; in the case of the second accident, they (unsolicited) sent me a check for "pain, suffering, and inconvenience"

Thus, I'd say definitely contact your insurance, but based on my experiences, they'll likely suggest you deal with the other company directly yourself first. If the other company gives you a hard time, that's when I would get back in touch with my company, tell them the issue, and have them battle it out on my behalf.
 
I've been in several not-at-fault accidents. I always handled them thru my insurance company and ignored any phone calls/mailings from the other person's insurance company.
 
You call your insurance company, and you do what they tell you to do. If the woman's insurance wants to balk, that's why you pay your insurance company so much money every year - they deal with the other company.

Also, if you have a local body shop you know, like, and trust, go get an estimate from them - can't hurt.
 
Yeah...make sure you call your insurance company. You pay them to handle these situations since it's YOUR car that's insured through them.

I typically have done business with the dealer bodyshops just because they have access to the factory paint colors, trim, etc...
 
cubby1223 said:
NO!

Call *your* insurance company, and let them direct you with what to do. It's not your responsibility to find the best price for the damage someone else did.

You are entitled to the best repairs on the damage this lady did, and your insurance company is far more skilled than you are in making Geico cover those costs.
Click to expand...

Insurance companies have set policies in how damages need to be handled. Of course, the OP can go to his own place, but Geico is still a safe choice. OP, just make sure wherever you go, you will get a lifetime warranty on the fix. All Geico-approved shops will lifetime warranty their work. (And most big name companies.)
 
cubby1223 said:
NO!

Call *your* insurance company, and let them direct you with what to do. It's not your responsibility to find the best price for the damage someone else did.

You are entitled to the best repairs on the damage this lady did, and your insurance company is far more skilled than you are in making Geico cover those costs.
Click to expand...

Depends on who he's insured with. If he's insured with The General or some other low cost/high risk insurer then he's probably better off dealing with Gieco.
 
no reason to contact your own insurance, I never understand why people feel the need to do that

get an estimate, get the money and pocket it

looks like a minor flesh wound on a boring econobox
 
SAWYER said:
State Farm
Click to expand...

I'd probably report it to them and let them handle it. That way you have someone representing you who has your best interests in mind. Gieco is on the up and up though. The only thing I would be worried about is if the person who hit you suddenly changes her story. Get it on record with State Farm and let them handle it.
 
Had a dude back into my car in the bank parking lot last year. Actually, he was about to plow into the back of my car, but someone saw what was about to happen, ran out (waving arms and yelling for him to stop!!), and he slammed on his brakes......which caused his obnoxious SUV's back bumper to scrape my car's rear end, instead of obliterate it.

I told him I'd get repair estimates and call him, and we traded info. Went to the dealership's body shop, and the most reputable shop in town, and the estimates came out to $450 and $500 (and I figured a day's worth of a rental car would run another $50), so I called him up and told him it was going to cost $500. He balked, thought that was way too much, and told me to go ahead and call his insurance company, State Farm.

When I called them, the adjuster called me back very quickly. I told her where I'd gone for estimates, and how much they were. She told me to pick which shop I wanted to use, and I decided to use the dealership's, since there's an Enterprise rental car place next door. She told me she'd call me back shortly, and a half hour later called, told me I could drop the car off the next morning, and my rental car would be ready for me too.

Didn't cost me a dime. :awe:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top