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After thirty + years experience in the auto insurance claims arena, I have had some pretty bizarre questions asked of me. Perhaps, at some future time, I will share some of these stories with you. For now, we will be dealing with some of the more legitimate questions that seem to have been asked repeatedly over the years. It is our hope that by reviewing these questions and answers, you will become more aware of your rights and options. In this section we will be discussing the points brought up by the following questions . . .
Who Will Pay For My Damage ? How Much Will Be Paid ? How Many Estimates Must I Get ? Must I Accept Used Parts ? What if Additional Damage is Found During Repairs ? Is Frame Damage Reparable ? Which Body Shop Should I Choose ? Do I Get Substitute Transportation ? Will My Repaired Vehicle Be Worth What It Was Before The Accident ? How Are Total Loss Settlements Figured ? What if I Do Not Agree With The Settlement Being Offered ? Judicial Measure of Damage What the at-Fault Party Owes ! More Info . . . Specific to My State
If the responsible party does not voluntarily pay for your damages, you may have to pursue legal action against them. If your total damage is $5,000.00 or less (contact Justice Court or Small Claims Court in your area to verify their authority limit), you can utilize the services of Justice Court. A Justice Court action can be rather quick (less than 3 months), is relatively simple and can be pursued at a minimum of cost. If your damage is over the limit of Justice Court, you will have to bring your action in Superior Court which will be much slower and probably much more expensive (legal representation is recommended). The moral here is simple: if you can not afford to do without it . . . insure it! If you are fortunate enough to have the option of collecting for your vehicle damage from either your own insurance company or the other party's insurance company, we recommend you utilize your own coverage. We make this recommendation for three reasons . . . 1. In most states, your insurance company can not increase your future auto insurance policy premiums for claims submitted which did Not involve negligence on your part. 2. Your own auto insurance policy affords you Rights that you do Not have in your dealings with they other party's insurance company. Chief among those rights is your access to a quick and cost effective process for resolving disputes. This will be discussed in greater detail in question #11. 3. In the event your vehicle is a legitimate candidate for a Post-Repair Diminished Resale Claim, you do not want to exhaust the coverage limits of the other party's insurance just for repairing your vehicle. Post-Repair Diminished Resale Claims are discussed further in question #9. If the repair of your vehicle even begins to approach $10,000.00, use your own Collision Coverage. Using your own Collision Coverage may mean an investment on your part in an amount equal to your policy deductible. However, the other party's insurance company will probably be happy to pay you your deductible . . . up front! That would minimize the need for capital commitment on your part while still leaving your options open. Now that we have dealt with the "who" . . . let us now address the question of "How much". Go back to the top.
administrative in nature. The repairing facility is left to determine how the vehicle will be repaired. However, in other more restrictive relationships, the repairing shop will have forfeited full control of the repair process to the insurance company. Insurance company Bean Counters will determine whether a damaged component will be repaired, replaced or even addressed at all. It is this 2nd scenario that poses a great potential for post-repair defects. We have even seen some DRP contracts that do not permit the repairing shop to tell the vehicle owner about improperly repaired (or unrepaired) damage. Note: To say that all DRP Shops will turn out Poor Repairs makes no more sense than to say all non-DRP Shops will turn out Quality Repairs. The quality of repairs you receive has more to do with a shop's dedication to customer service than whether or not they may have entered into any DRP contracts. All of the proConsumer shops listed in our Local Body Shops section are totally dedicated to your best interests and complete satisfaction. 2 - AfterMarket Crash Parts are imitation sheet metal, plastic or lamp components made as Knock-offs to original factory components. Such parts are inferior at every level, are Cheap in every sense of the word and, in some cases, present a severe safety hazard. I-Can Does Not Endorse the use of AfterMarket Crash Parts. I-Can has a very low opinion of Insurance Companies that mandate the use of these inferior parts. Such insurance companies are those requiring the more restrictive DRP relationships as referenced above. Note: Any I-Can Local Body Shop found to have installed an AfterMarket Crash Part, without prior approval of the vehicle owner, would be subject to immediate suspension. Go back to the top.
are of inferior quality and pose a potential hazard for future occupants of your repaired vehicle. These parts may be of like "kind" but are clearly not of like "quality" and you are not obliged to accept these parts (unless your policy gives decision making authority to the insurance company). WARNING: some insurance companies have now begun to rewrite their policies so as to give the insurance company the right to select the repair shop and dictate what parts will be used in the repair of their insured's vehicles. This is not usually disclosed when you purchase or renew your auto insurance. Be aware of this potential problem and review it with your agent. Read your policy. Don't find out too late that you have waived your rights and surrendered control to your insurance company. UPDATE: April, 2000 - Bob Crawford (Head of Florida's Dept of Consumer Protection) issued a "Directive" to Collision Repair Facilities that severely restricted the use of After-Market ("Competitive") Body Parts and Required Full Disclosure of their use to vehicle owners. The Insurance Industry has Sued the State of Florida (and Bob Crawford, individually) in an attempt to get that Consumer Protection Directive nullified. Bob Crawford and the State of Florida are meeting their obligation to their Consumers by Defending against the Insurance Industry's Attack. Go back to the top.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Shop should have MIG welders Shop should use "Weld-Through" primer Shop should have a "dedicated bench" Verify shop status with your State Chapter of the Collision Craftsman's Assoc. Verify shop status with the Better Business Bureau Tour the shop - check finished jobs and jobs in progress Use this Local Body Shops link to access a list of our I-Can member shops
Choosing the right repair facility will be critical to your safety, satisfaction and peace of mind when you get your repaired vehicle back. Take the time necessary to make the right decision. Go back to the top.
To collect for this damage will require a detailed report addressing each of the Diminished Value categories outlined above. Said report should be from a recognized authority who understands appropriate collision repair techniques and is familiar with vehicle values in your local market area. Letters from Used Car Dealers are not usually sufficient. Use the D/V Professionals link here or at the top / bottom of this page to access a list of service providers qualified to define your vehicle's Diminished Value (if any) and counsel you further on collecting this portion of your claim. Go back to the top.
"undisputed" amount) promptly. Failure of the insurance company to pay you amounts to bad faith. For more information on bad faith go to our HomeOwner Insurance Claims page and read the Bad Faith Conduct text. Submitting your claim settlement value dispute to appraisal can be quick, cost effective and (more often than not) will result in a settlement increase. Unfortunately, your right to appraisal exists only in matters of dispute between you and your own insurance company. You have no right to appraisal in matters of dispute between you and the other party's insurance company. If the other party's insurance company does not agree to submit your dispute to appraisal, your only remaining option would then be litigation. That option is discussed further in question #1 of this text. Go back to the top.
Claims
Claims and loss handling is the materialized utility of insurance; it is the actual "product" paid for. Claims may be filed by insureds directly with the insurer or through brokers or agents. The insurer may require that the claim be filed on its own proprietary forms, or may accept claims on a standard industry form, such as those produced by ACORD. Insurance company claims departments employ a large number of claims adjusters supported by a staff of records management and data entry clerks. Incoming claims are classified based on severity and are assigned to adjusters whose settlement authority varies with their knowledge and experience. The adjuster undertakes an investigation of each claim, usually in close cooperation with the insured, determines if coverage is available under the terms of the insurance contract, and if so, the reasonable monetary value of the claim, and authorizes payment. The policyholder may hire their own public adjuster to negotiate the settlement with the insurance company on their behalf. For policies that are complicated, where claims may be complex, the insured may take out a separate insurance policy add on, called loss recovery insurance, which covers the cost of a public adjuster in the case of a claim. Adjusting liability insurance claims is particularly difficult because there is a third party involved, the plaintiff, who is under no contractual obligation to cooperate with the insurer and may in fact regard the insurer as a deep pocket. The adjuster must obtain legal counsel for the insured (either inside "house" counsel or outside "panel" counsel), monitor litigation that may take years to complete, and appear in person or over the telephone with settlement authority at a mandatory settlement conference when requested by the judge. If a claims adjuster suspects under-insurance, the condition of average may come into play to limit the insurance company's exposure. In managing the claims handling function, insurers seek to balance the elements of customer satisfaction, administrative handling expenses, and claims overpayment leakages. As part of this balancing act, fraudulent insurance
practices are a major business risk that must be managed and overcome. Disputes between insurers and insureds over the validity of claims or claims handling practices occasionally escalate into litigation.
IF YOU WISH TO MAKE A CLAIM, OUR CUSTOMER SERVICES TEAM IS ALWAYS READY TO ASSIST YOU!
In the event of a covered incidence occurring such as critical illness, hospitalization, disability or death, claim must be intimated to Jubilee Life Insurance within thirty days of such occurrence by writing to us at:
Corporate Life
Customer Services Department (Corporate Life)- Head Office Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited, 74/1-A, Lalazar, M.T. Khan Road, Karachi 74000, Pakistan, PABX: 021-35611071-5, 021-35611802-8 Fax: 021-35610959 Email: cs_il@jubileelife.com
Corporate Health
Health Insurance Administration Office Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited, 36-A/2, Lalazar, M.T. Khan Road, Karachi 74000, Pakistan, PABX: 021-35644312-4 Fax: 021-35611349, 021-35644315 Email: info@jubileehealth.com
FILING A CLAIM
Our claim settlement procedure is prompt and hassle-free. It is advisable to consult our Customer Services team for detailed assistance while filing your policy claim.
HERE IS A SIMPLE STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED WHEN YOU MAKE A CLAIM.
A claim can be lodged for benefits under the Policy by submitting written intimation from the Policy Owner/ Claimant (as the case may be) under his / her signature. Always remember to mention the event date, cause of the event and current address of the claimant while submitting written intimation.
STEP 4: SETTLEMENT
A claim is settled as soon as requirements to the satisfaction of Jubilee Life are completed.
NOTE:
Kindly ensure that all documents and forms are signed by you as per signature affixed by you on your Policys original Proposal Form. It is advisable to consult our Customer Services team for detailed assistance while filing your policy claim.