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Insurance Carrier Shorts Accident Victim on Total Loss

Joseph Coupal - Thursday, March 27, 2014

Texas! The great big state that claims to "take care of it's own"! The state where you can shoot first and ask questions later! Where else can someone shoot and kill a repossession agent in their driveway with a high powered rifle and claim "I was protecting my property"? Here is something almost as absurd…

DamageMAX found a nice little loophole in the Texas Insurance Regulations this week that allow their drivers to get hosed by insurance companies!

Sherry R. had a nice 2011 BMW 328i Convertible with low mileage. She was minding her own business when an individual blew through a red light and smashed into her pristine BMW. Sherry purchased comprehensive insurance coverage and of course had "uninsured motorist" coverage as well, but as her luck would have it she didn't have enough insurance. The individual that hit Sherry was 100% at fault and had basic liability insurance only. Because the other driver was at fault, their insurance carrier took over the settlement of Sherry's claim. What they told Sherry was shocking….while Sherry's car was a "total loss", the most that they could give her was $25,000 because that was the maximum that their policy holder had for property damage? That's right folks! Too bad on Sherry! She had a $32,000 vehicle that is a total loss that she will only get paid $25,000 for it ! To add insult to injury, this company told her that she had to pay the tow from the scene of the accident and all the storage associated with her vehicle. She even had to eat the bill for her own rental vehicle! They basically wrote her a check for $25,000 and left her to clean up the mess created by their policy holder.

DamageMAX came to her rescue and purchased her wrecked BMW for $7,000 and paid to haul it off, but Sherry lost money on the deal as she battled for 6 weeks with the responsible party's insurance carrier.

Somehow it seems wrong that her insurance company didn't see fit to make up the difference and total her car when she had premium coverage. It also seems ridiculous that the state of Texas would allow a resident of their Great State to get hosed by an insurance carrier.

If you have been in an automobile accident, and you are not sure things are going your way please call (888) 629-2137. DamageMAX.com will give you free advice on how to handle an accident claim. If we can help you out of your damaged vehicle, or even get a better settlement we will be happy to do so.

DamageMAX is the leading buyer of damaged vehicles, nationwide.


Insurance Companies Play Hard Ball with Policy Holders

Joseph Coupal - Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Here is a great article by CNN that addresses how the Top 2 insurance companies treat claimants with respect to compensation for particular types of injuries.

This type of Machiavellian behavior is not limited to injury claims. DamageMAX talks to hundreds of customers each month that receive similar treatment with respect to collision repair reimbursement and total loss settlements. It's basically a "take it or leave it" attitude.

Insurance companies will typically lead the claimant through a very regimented process. This process if foreign to the policy holder and there is a general tendency to "follow" and trust the claims handler. "Don't expect to get paid what's fair, you will get paid what you negotiate" states Michael Lasini, Founder of DamageMAX.com. "Insurance carriers will oil the squeaky wheels and if you behave like a sheep in their process, you will be lead to slaughter". The key to getting a fair settlement after an accident is to do your homework, leverage all resources and let your insurance adjuster know you are well-informed. Always ask questions, document all discussions and get back up for what your are told. If the adjuster presents a total loss settlement figure, tell him/her that you want to see the complete market analysis. If it came from Mitchell, then request a comparable analysis from CCC and Audatex and compare those figures to NADA Average Retail. Guidebooks don't write checks for cars, they never will. They are simply a resource and they don't guarantee the figures they publish.

DamageMAX is the leading buyer of damaged cars, trucks and equipment in the USA. We do not charge for price quotes or advice and our knowledgeable and courteous staff is ready to assist.

For more information or to speak to a live agent please call (888) 629-2137.


How to Handle your Insurance Company after an Accident

Joseph Coupal - Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Most people have an accident and succumb to the insurance company's process. Whether it's yours or the person's that hit you, get ready for a real treat. It's called "Hurry Up & Wait"!

Your job is to let them know you have had the accident pronto, they will give you a claim number and a new toll free number to call for information regarding your claim. Then, you have to wait to hear from an "adjuster". I wonder why they call them "adjusters' anyway, do they adjust your claim up from what it's supposed to be? Or downward to save their company money? Once you report the claim, they will have the damage estimate performed. If you are lucky, that will be done at the shop it was towed to, otherwise the adjuster will ask you to move it to a shop that is in his/her network. They will suggest that it will be done faster, better and of course they offer "free towing". If you agree, Congratulations! You just got "steered" to a DRP (Direct Repair Program) Collision Shop. Does it really matter to you? Yes, because steering is illegal in most states! Plus, it's fairly certain now that you will not be getting a total loss settlement. You see friends, insurance companies are pretty good at triage which is a fancy name for knowing (at a quick glance) whether your car is repairable or will be totaled. The insurance company will keep you in the dark while they make the best decision for them–not for you and your family. They lead you where they want you to go and you are powerless.

What can you to prevent this? Be informed and be firm about what you expect. Here are a few good rules on how to handle your insurance company after an accident:

  1. Report the accident immediately – waiting serves no purpose other than to delay the whole process which is long enough already.
  2. Call whatever number you are provided and make first contact with your adjuster. If one is not assigned, keep calling until a name is provide.
  3. Do not give permission for them to move your vehicle. It can be estimated where it sits. If they move it, you have no leverage.
  4. Get a digital copy of the estimate emailed to you with all the photos. You can send that to other collision shops and agencies like DamageMAX that will buy the damaged vehicle on the spot for top dollar.

If your insurance adjuster gives you are hard time, remind them that you are the customer. Insurance companies are highly regulated and they have to be very cautious about pressuring policy holders into decisions.

If it turns out that your vehicle will be repaired because the damage is not significant enough for a total loss and you do not want the vehicle, DamageMAX will buy the vehicle from you and you can keep the repair check plus your deductible and apply it to something new.

The internet has empowered consumers with a wealth of information. You just got rear-ended by a distracted driver, don't let their insurance company take you down the same road!

For more information on selling a damaged vehicle please call (888) 629-2137 or visit damagemax.com for a free consultation.


How to Avoid Steering in the Collision Repair Industry

Joseph Coupal - Wednesday, March 05, 2014

If you are one of the 20M people involved in a car wreck this year, you will encounter "steering" in some way, shape or form. Steering in the collision industry is when the responsible insurance carrier pressures you into taking your vehicle to one of their network body shops. Why do they do this? For control and efficiency. "Steering" is illegal in many industries and a topic that is surrounded by controversy because it affects the pocket books of the consumer and vendors throughout the claims handling vertical.

When you're in an accident you rely on an insurance company, either yours or the person that ran into you, to return your vehicle to it's pre-damaged state. One would expect them to use quality parts and quality labor for the repairs, you want a quality repair you can trust! Years ago we saw the insurance industry turned on its head for trying to force inferior body parts on repair shops. The courts decided in favor of car owners, and now in most states they have to pay for OEM (original equipment) parts if you request it.

When you make a claim for a repair, historically you've been able to have the shop of your choice write up an estimate and make the repairs. Now, insurance companies are trying to restrict the shops you can use to a pre-approved list of facilities. In other words, they're telling you where to get your car repaired. The shops are probably quality establishments for the most part, but if they're getting steady income from insurance company business, who do you think they have on their minds when they're making decisions regarding your repair? Human nature and good business practices say you'll be number two on the list. Anti-steering legislation provides negative incentive for insurance companies to "steer" so they have learned to "Sell, instead of Tell". This means, they will "encourage" you to use one of their network shops. You may hear things like "We are swamped right now and I won't be able to even look at your car at Body Shop ABC until next week, but if you let me move the car to Body Shop XYZ, I can probably get the job started by Wednesday". Some people will follow the process and do exactly what the insurance adjuster tells them to do, because they have no idea how to handle it on their own. We want to change that game by changing the rules and empowering the consumer and giving them a new alternative – don't fix it at shop ABC or XYZ – sell your wreck and keep the insurance check!

That's right folks, this blog is a shameless attempt to enlighten you to what DamageMAX does, we buy wrecked vehicles and we want yours! What's in it for you?

  1. Peace of mind - you don't have to drive a wrecked vehicle
  2. Better financial decision – no depreciation or diminished value to deal with on repaired vehicle
  3. Reward - get something new to drive, you earned it!
  4. Time – don't wait for anybody, get paid and move on

You can also avoid steering altogether by just selling your wrecked vehicle for cash to DamageMAX. Don't get caught up in the claims handling game, make the best decision for you and break out of that damaged vehicle by selling it for cash. Damaged Cars and trucks are in demand, not just for the metal, for the replacement parts. It's a very green business and the reusable components from your wrecked vehicle will be remarketed and installed on another vehicle somewhere in your marketplace, perhaps even abroad.

For more information on anti-steering, or a cash offer on your damaged car or truck, please call (888) 629-2137.