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View Full Version : How do I deal with someone else's insurance?


V
11-30-2010, 06:23 AM
This morning I came out to my car to see my grille pushed in, hood chrome trim cracked and a nice hit into the front edge of my hood. The grille and trim parts are not repairable, and the hood I want a new one since imo it isn't feasible to fix. the person who backed into me did come forward last night and I have all his info.(he lives in my barracks) So now though, what do I do? call his insurance up? call mine? I've never had to do this before.

I will only take GM parts.
grille is 385 shipped
trim is 60 plus shipping
and aluminum hoods on ebay are 500-800 so an oem gm one may be over a 1000.
then add in paint work of at least 1000....

so I'm looking at least 2-2.5k not including labor...

fml.....

Mark B
11-30-2010, 06:38 AM
Call your insurcance company. Tell them what happened. Its their job to go after the other guys insurance.

Do you have a repair shop that you trust? If not, I am sure someone on this board can suggest a good shop for you. Where are you located?

Anti_Rice_Guy
11-30-2010, 07:12 AM
Bah that sucks Paul

Call your insurcance company. Tell them what happened. Its their job to go after the other guys insurance.

Do you have a repair shop that you trust? If not, I am sure someone on this board can suggest a good shop for you. Where are you located?

He's stationed at Ft Drum in upstate NY right meow

Frosty
11-30-2010, 07:13 AM
Call them up and file a claim.

What year is your truck? You're entitled to be made whole but demanding GM parts might be out of the question depending on the age/mileage of your truck. They'll first offer aftermarket parts and you pay the difference for GM parts...but stand your ground if you're that serious about it(which you should be, most aftermarket sheet metal parts fit like garbage).

I would go get an estimate or two, be proactive in that, don't wait for them. They'll do one of two things. They'll either direct you to one of their repair facilities which you do NOT have to use, they CANNOT force you to use a specific shop, or they'll send out one of their own appraiser's or an independent appraiser. Either way they'll most likely write their own estimate. You can then take that estimate to the shop of your choice and then the shop can handle any supplemental damage directly with the insurance company or independent appraiser.

Anti_Rice_Guy
11-30-2010, 08:09 AM
This morning I came out to my car

Call them up and file a claim.

What year is your truck? You're entitled to be made whole but demanding GM parts might be out of the question depending on the age/mileage of your truck.

He has a CTS-V, hence "car" :wink:

Paul, will the V2 hood fit on your fenders?

V
11-30-2010, 08:11 AM
it my 2005 cts-v. not my winter beater s10. the oem hood is aluminum for the v at least. I've seen steel aftermarket hoods for like 300. being a V, I should be entitled to what type I had stock right? and the non gm grilles are weak and poor quality. gm grille is 345, aftermarket is like 225. the gm chrome trim piece is same price as aftermarket. I even thought about buying a mint used hood, but my color was a one year, v only option.

now I would go for a new ctsv style cowl hood for my car... lol

Frosty
11-30-2010, 08:14 AM
:rofl: FML. I had one of my techs standing next to me talking about his truck when I was typing this and I kept thinking truck truck truck :doh: :rofl:

With it being a CTS-V you have a little more leverage. I mean they may not try to screw you...what insurance company is it?

I'm sure you'll be fine.

V
11-30-2010, 08:23 AM
I didn't look at his info yet, pretty sure its usaa.

and the one cowl hood I like it the extreme composites non-vented hood for 795.
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u150/onebadcad/Darrens2cars014.jpg

or the specter hood but its 1295.


http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/img/specter/specter-hood2.jpg
http://www.spectergtr.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=3202010&Product_Code=SWS10409701&Category_Code=C393

I don't need a cowl hood I know, but if I can work it, why not.

also as for a shop... I have nothing I trust up here, maybe just for an estimate ill find a place but NOT to touch my car. only one shop was ever allowed to touch my cars, and they went out of business in 2004. luckily nothing happened since, till now.

I would like a shop just to paint to hood, in my dreams it would be close enough without blending needed, and then I could just install the hood and grille myself.

Anti_Rice_Guy
11-30-2010, 08:32 AM
I kind of like the Exteme Composites better. It would look sick without the vents.

V
11-30-2010, 09:53 AM
its usaa, just like me so that part should be pretty painless. I would go for the vent-less extreme composites hood. the gm hood is 800ish as well.

later today I'm calling the local gm/cadillac dealer to find out about their dealers body shop since I can request oem parts through them.
ill get an estimate then and go from there. once I have a check in hand ill order parts online from like gm partsdirect. and the hood from extremecompsites.

now I just need a shop to paint it... and I guess blend it....

r0nin89
11-30-2010, 10:38 AM
Well from experience (although not a new car) the other guys insurance is going to try to beat you down. I went back and forth for a month with the ******** at the insurance company of the girl that hit my monte ss at school.

In no way did my insurance company "handle it". I called them reported it, they told me it was required that we get and accident report (which was already satisfied), and that I would have to call her insurance, book a time for the adjuster to come and see the vehicle, and then contact the personal at her company that handles claims.

I got a legitimate estimate for like $2200. And when I gave it to the adjuster he told me that having the door reskinned wasnt happening that due to the age of the vehicle it would be a "good condition" crash parts door, also said that a full stripe kit wasnt happening either despite the fact that replacing just the door stripes would never match.

After he knocked it down to $1800 I then went to war with her claims agent. Back and forth on the phone, no call backs for days on end, then he was on vacations. I finally called a supervisor and told them that this is ridiculous its been almost a month and I've been contacted once. I then finally got a call back and the bastard tried to get me to agree to take 90% of the claim money because there was a chance I could have done more to avoid the accident. I told him have a nice day and give me a call when he opened his eyes and looked at the police report where it said that she admitted fault and the accident was deemed 100% her fault by the police.



The point of my long winded rant is the insurance companies will more than likely try to cheat you at every angle they can find. Your car may very well be a different case seeing as how its much newer and a cadillac BUT dont be surprised if they go "O well we're not paying for GM parts, aftermarket is just as good"

V
11-30-2010, 11:15 AM
the only thing that may help me is the fact we both have the same insurance company, USAA which is primarily for members of the military.

i doubt ill get the full amount, i understand that, but even if i have to pay out of pocket a little for a cowl hood, im okay with that. i look at it as if i did the hood by myself, it would be 800 plus paint. in this case... even if i had to buy the hood for 800, itll get painted, one way or the other.

ill be calling the insurance company after work to see what i need to do and explain the uniqueness of a "V".

r0nin89
11-30-2010, 11:37 AM
the only thing that may help me is the fact we both have the same insurance company, USAA which is primarily for members of the military.

i doubt ill get the full amount, i understand that, but even if i have to pay out of pocket a little for a cowl hood, im okay with that. i look at it as if i did the hood by myself, it would be 800 plus paint. in this case... even if i had to buy the hood for 800, itll get painted, one way or the other.

ill be calling the insurance company after work to see what i need to do and explain the uniqueness of a "V".

Yep I would take that approach. Get as much money as you can out of them. Then do the remove and reinstall labor for the paint yourself and save a few hundo. Be aware that if your car has a very metallic paint shooting just the hood may look funky.

HardcoreZ28
11-30-2010, 11:45 AM
Paul if you need someone to shoot it let me know...I may be able to take care of it for you as well. What is the actual color of the car?

V
11-30-2010, 11:56 AM
paul, the color is "Red Line", and code is - option 29U - Paint Code WA964L




it was only on the 2005 CTS-V's apparently.
If that color was used on any other models, then it was under a different name.

my front bumper could use a repaint, so a whole blending may not be a bad thing... i dunno...

and the stock paint isn't very metallic at all


Oh and MSRP for GM parts comes to 1442.41 (shipping not included but i could pick up at any dealer.)
GM parts direct total is just under 950 shipped (MINUS hood shipping cost)

Frosty
11-30-2010, 12:19 PM
You "shouldn't" have much of a problem with USAA, they're a decent company to work with.

V
11-30-2010, 04:21 PM
well got an estimate locally with a place that deals with USAA alot

good and bad news

1st off, I was informed that for my car, there are NO aftermarket parts approved for use by USAA policy, therefore all parts are new GM OR used...

They wrote the estimate up with getting a used grille... at a price of $500. I do not understand that when i can get a NEW one from GMparts direct for under 400 shipped. Then the chrome trim would be GM new, but they wrote the hood as repairable. I do not feel comfortable with a repair. I could barely pop the hood this morning, its more than just a dent. And i really dont like the idea of bondo slapped on an aluminum hood. that really angers me. Before that idiot backed into my car, my hood was perfect no bondo, no bs... but now, thanks to him, i have to fight to get it done to how i think it should be.
I take care of my cars and ill always get mad thinking that there's a repaired spot on my hood, even if you cant see it, id know its there.

oh yeah, that estimate was $1,375.00

Im calling USAA tonight and talking to them and asking for an adjuster to come out. and maybe tomorrow or in a few days ill try to get some more estimates...


worst case.. ill make the idiot pay out of his pocket.

V
11-30-2010, 05:03 PM
heres a pic.


i already yanked the grille back into place but its loose, and bowed in. the outer chrome is chipped and scratched along with the emblem. its obvious in person that its damaged.


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/CTS-V/DSC_0143.jpg

qwikz28
11-30-2010, 07:19 PM
It's totaled. Give me the car.

emolineaux
11-30-2010, 07:32 PM
damn paul that sucks. it you have people you know that work at body shops you can talk to them about what you want to do. they might be willing to help you out.

i got into an accident with my genesis coupe and part of the damange was the car needed 2 new wheels and 1 front strut. well needless to say i have a set of aftermarket wheels and upgraded to the R-spec suspension for only an extra couple hundred out of my pocket.

they told me that since im the owner of the car that its up to me if i want to upgrade stuff on my car, (leased would be a diff. story) so they just figured out prices and i paid the differance. .

V
11-30-2010, 08:03 PM
i was just working with the number and even with that 1375... i could buy a new GM grille, new GM chrome trim and new Extreme Composites hood(all shipping included).
I'd just have to pay about $250 out of pocket to have to hood painted. (according to the one estimates pricing of 3.6 hours paint work @$45 and same 3.6 hours @$23 for paint supplies)

Mark B
12-01-2010, 07:25 AM
Whats his deductable? If the total is only going to be $1375, its probably not worth going through insurance.

V
12-01-2010, 07:28 AM
thing is, he barely has 500, i don't care if his rates go up, lol
i also dont know if theres a deductible for him when his liability pays out to someone else. i dunno, i never made an insurance claim either way .

when i told him a new grille is 500 he was speechless, and then finally said, ok ill get you 500 next paycheck, then i said "yea, but then the hoods f'd too, plus paint etc..." and he then gave me his insurance info.

and that 1375 was the only estimate i go so far, and thats a used grille and repairing the hood, both of which ill be fighting(mainly cuz their used grille is 500 and a new one is 400 online)

Frosty
12-01-2010, 07:28 AM
His deductible is irrelevant, that's only if HE(the other driver) wants his own car fixed through his own insurance company.

Your own deductible only comes into play if you damage your own car and you want your insurance company to fix it....it never ever comes into play when insurance company is fixing a claimants vehicle.

Mark B
12-01-2010, 12:46 PM
His deductible is irrelevant, that's only if HE(the other driver) wants his own car fixed through his own insurance company.

Your own deductible only comes into play if you damage your own car and you want your insurance company to fix it....it never ever comes into play when insurance company is fixing a claimants vehicle.

Frosty, you are correct. I forgot we were talking about liability here.

V
12-02-2010, 03:53 PM
got a second estimate, around $2,740.
he said to replace the hood right away.
I brought up the whole fixing aluminum thing and cross-contamination stuff and he agreed and said it is important. And he said how bmw won't even sell aluminum parts to non-approved Al repair shops.
I feel much more comfortable with this shop and they've also dealt with usaa in the past and said they are one of the best to deal with. on top of all that, the lady at the body shop told me if they take their time with my claim, call her and the shop will contact them and so forth.

V
12-03-2010, 09:50 AM
third estimate: $3,672

I'm gonna get 2 more, and then see what insurance says.

Frosty
12-03-2010, 09:53 AM
Keep in mind dude, it might not matter what your estimates say. They till may send out their own appraiser and the shop of your choice will have to work off of that initial estimate and then call in a supplement(s).

I may have missed a post or two in this thread but have you actually talked to USAA yet?

V
12-03-2010, 10:00 AM
yes I did. they started the ball rolling. I didn't turn in any estimates yet. and yea ill probably have to wait for the adjuster. the last shop wanted to paint the front bumper too due to a few scuffs.

r0nin89
12-04-2010, 11:01 AM
Dude this thread ****ing jinxed me. I got hit last night in the beater....

Knipps
12-04-2010, 11:06 AM
all part of the master plan...

r0nin89
12-04-2010, 11:16 AM
all part of the master plan...

You mean the master plan for me to get a junkyard fender and pocket the other $900?

maroman88
12-05-2010, 06:25 AM
Dude this thread ****ing jinxed me. I got hit last night in the beater....

got hit in a company vehicle last night!

Frosty
12-05-2010, 08:29 AM
I feel left out so I hit my car with a sledge hammer last night.

BonzoHansen
12-05-2010, 10:32 AM
I feel left out so I hit my car with a sledge hammer last night.

I'd have done that for you, because I am a swell guy. :nod:

Frosty
12-05-2010, 10:36 AM
:rofl:

V
12-24-2010, 12:18 PM
ok Update...

Insurance compoany didnt like the 2700 estimate so they sent out their own appraiser, that was fine with me.

She confirmed all the repairing aluminum stuff but did say its repairable. i wasnt too happy about it and she also said all blending would be on the hood itself. i was hesitant but since itll be getting done at a "USAA certified" shop, if its not 100% when done, they have to re-do it, like if i see any telltale sign or color is off under any type of lighting etc. She did try to find a used grille and only one in their parts system was a black one, and she said obviously its the wrong model sine mine is chrome, so she wrote it for a brand new GM grille, GM emblem and GM chrome hood trim. That made me happy.

So i went to the shop 2 days ago so they could verify the estimate and make me an appointment to bring it in. They said aluminum sometimes doesnt like to come back to shape and cracks instead which may happen in my case, if it does, It would call for a new hood right away and the insurance company would have to cover it along with all the paint work to blend it.

Now today i actually noticed the driver side of the hood sits higher than the fender and seems to have been bowed up on that side where it was hit, so in reality, the whole hood is warped. Ill point that out to the shop when i drop it off monday and that may mean a new hood right away. we shall see. Either way, it should be fixed before the new year.

oh and if i do get a new hood, ill stick with new GM afterall since turns out the stock hood is lighter than a fiberglass one and i wanna keep it as stock looking as possible.

Blacdout96
12-24-2010, 12:46 PM
Yeah, don't let the insurance company make you settle for less, you knwo what you want, how it came stock.

Frosty
12-24-2010, 12:53 PM
Don't get all worried yet man, the job of the appraiser is to come out and write a fair compromise unless the damage is that obvious. I would have been shocked if he/she wrote hood replacement right off the bat. That's why we have supplements and then the shop can call him/her back out and show them that the hood needs to be replaced once they start the repair to it.

...and yes if it's bowed they're going to want to replace, you almost bet on that.

V
12-31-2010, 10:27 PM
I gotta see how it looks in the sunlight, so far im undecided.

before:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/CTS-V/DSC_0143.jpg

after:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/CTS-V/DSC_0220.jpg

Firebird92
01-01-2011, 12:58 PM
mmm that's crazy USAA was giving you this much trouble in the first place when my firebird got hit in the driver door i called the person that hit me insurance(allstate), they wanted to total out my car and give me 500 so i call USAA and they sent some guy that went in for blood and got me 2300 yay for me. But i mean come on that a CTS-V i would think it would be new everything its only 5 years old and in perfect shape.

Anti_Rice_Guy
01-01-2011, 02:56 PM
Is it me or does the hood still have creases in it?

V
01-01-2011, 03:01 PM
the shadow over the right side of the chrome trim is caused by light reflection being bent, meaning its not straight and even...

anything higher up on the hoods is just shadows and clouds. it was getting dark so you cant tell too much, now its at the dealer for a clutch issue, but once i get it back, ill have a better look at it and probably have the insurance company come see it. im calling them today.

Firebird92
01-01-2011, 05:30 PM
man idk i would just fight for a new hood .... its a CTS-V
the vette with class lol.

Frosty
01-01-2011, 06:04 PM
man idk i would just fight for a new hood .... its a CTS-V
the vette with class lol.

What's that matter? You have this giant misconception that because it's a nice car he's entitled some special treatment or that his car is somehow deserving of a different repair than a Honda Accord. The fact is it's 5yr old car, PERIOD. If they wanted to use an aftermarket hood or a used hood he'd have ZERO say in the matter unless the hood somehow did not fit correctly(speaking of the aftermarket). Just like with the other thread here, the type of car generally doesn't matter. We're talking about a CTS, a run of the mill, mass produced car(no offense Paul lol). It's not like we're talking about a Maserati or something where your only option is an OEM part or repair. Hell I had a claim back in the day where the shop actually cut the 1/4 panel off of a Bentley, repaired the panel for about 27hrs then welded it back on the because the panel was so hard to get and was on a 1yr back order. Now THAT deserves special treatment. :rofl:

Anyway, Paul, in this case....if you're not happy with the repair you fight with them to make it right. It's the job of the insurance company to make you whole, returning the vehicle to pre-loss condition. It's a bit hard to tell in the pic but I think I see what you're talking about. I'm not surprised the appraiser wrote for repair right off the bat, especially with an expensive hood. But I'm really surprised the shop didn't supplement for replacement based on the fact it's a aluminum(giant pain in the ass to repair) and where the damage is. If you're not happy with this don't back down too, especially since this is one of "their" shops.

Firebird92
01-02-2011, 07:05 AM
how is it a giant misconception if you take pride in you car and put the time and care to keep it and pay the money for full coverage then you should get your moneys worth. it don't matter it's no Bentley, Zonda or lambo. The fact is which was vaild that the stock hood is aluminum and it don't like to be reshaped "V" as a owner he has the right to get his money worth or service . it is no matter of special treatment is a matter of he pays and has a right to get the kind of service he pays for. and to compare this the a Honda Accord really ??? its not even in the same price range for one ...

Frosty
01-02-2011, 08:21 AM
Forget it man. The point I was trying to make is that it doesn't matter what kind of car it is.

He's not happy with the repair, he has a valid complaint. The car being a CTS-V is completely irrelevant and means absolutely nothing. Now if you want to keep playing damage appraiser and insurance guy go for it.....

V
01-03-2011, 03:24 PM
yet another update....

Car was done at the dealer getting the clutch bled so i went to get a better look at the hood. and yes, i was even more dissatisfied than on friday. Chrome trim was sitting at least 3-4mm from being flush at the edge like on the passenger side and the repaired section was concave which you could see in the reflection.

I called USAA and explained to them i was not happy with the repairs. They said since the shop has a contract with them, id need to contact the shop and they would deal with supplemental costs and getting it redone. So back to the body shop i went.

I showed the guy the area i was concerned with and explained how i could tell, from the reflection looking like a funhouse mirror and the passenger side edge reflection looking like normal. I then opened the hood when he went inside to check some paperwork and i saw the "new" hood trim was already cracking. When he came back out he said "yea, you're getting a new hood" and i also pointed out the trim. So that'll be getting replaced again as well (right now i'm not 100% sure it was replaced the first time). So yea, now the V goes back to the shop next week to get a whole new hood done. He said he can even see other areas that i probably would never tell and that the hood isnt holding the repair and its reverting back. My biggest concern now is use of genuine GM parts. I KNOW that USAA will not authorize aftermarket parts for my car, their adjuster told me that, so i wanna make sure the shop doesnt try to make a few extra bucks by throwing on a CAPA hood, when only a GM one is allowed, now the whole new vs used GM hood... eh im hoping that doesnt come into play. I just wish the shop would have done a new hood right away like the 3 other shops i got estimates at said needed to be done.


here's the underside the the repaired area and the damaged "new" trim...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/CTS-V/DSC_0223.jpg

Frosty
01-03-2011, 03:29 PM
As far as I know the aftermarket CAPA hoods aren't aluminum(though I could be wrong, it's been a while since I've run into that) so if that's the case you'll know right away. If they're a USAA shop I doubt they'll risk their business playing funny games with OEM vs. A/M parts.

Glad to hear they're taking care of it.

V
01-03-2011, 03:38 PM
well i've seen capa aluminum hoods on ebay for 520-830 bucks thats why im concerned.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HOOD-CAPA-CERTIFIED-ALUMINUM-CADILLAC-CTS-CAR-PART-/250744216752?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a61851cb0
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HOOD-CAPA-CERTIFIED-ALUMINUM-CADILLAC-CTS-CAR-PART-/140491713017?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ACTS&hash=item20b5f569f9 (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HOOD-CAPA-CERTIFIED-ALUMINUM-CADILLAC-CTS-CAR-PART-/140491713017?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ACTS&hash=item20b5f569f9)

(however, the 830 hood with 150 shipping puts it to GM cost, lol)

Can i ask the shop to see the receipts for the parts? do they have to show me or not?

Frosty
01-03-2011, 06:59 PM
They can/should show you.

I didn't realize there were CAPA aluminum hoods now. I learned something. However if your policy states OEM parts then you should be good.

V
02-02-2011, 09:19 AM
I finally have my V back.

Brand new GM aluminum hood and they also put on another new chrome edge molding since the first replacement one cracked from being on the old hood.


paint looks good and gaps look better than it was stock.

Once all the ice and snow melts i can take a better look at it.

But overall, im satisfied. My old hood had quite a few rock chips and a ding or two on it, so thats all better now. Plus my original emblem was faded, and that got fixed and also got me a nice shiny new GM grille. And then i got about $220 extra in my pocket from what I saved on the grille.

The cowl hood i was considering weighs more than the stock hood so i gave up on that idea, plus i dont want the car to stand out that much.


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/123/IMG_1663.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/123/IMG_1665.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/SmokingSS/123/IMG_1664.jpg

Frosty
02-02-2011, 09:23 AM
Glad to hear it worked out for you.

sweetbmxrider
02-02-2011, 09:27 AM
Whats up with that front plate? :lol: Ever considered putting it behind the mesh?

V
02-02-2011, 12:16 PM
leave my ghetto rigged plate alone, lol. i hated it in the stock location and doesnt fit nicely behind the mesh either. Next winter when i install the intercooler, ill have to do something different with it anyway. I may put the factory bracket back on then.