A motor vehicle accident or collision can be a huge setback. You won’t have a vehicle for the duration of the repairs, and you may end up paying out a hefty fee for the insurance deductible. Thankfully, if you go about it the right way, you can increase the settlement from your insurance company. Here’s what you need to know:
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- Evaluate the comparables — Did you know that an insurance adjuster needs to compare your vehicle to two others in order to calculate the value of your car? In order to ensure the highest possible settlement, compare the calculated value of your car to that of two other comparable models. You may find that the adjustor low-balled you on the estimate, and you can challenge the evaluation report in order to raise the settlement. You may be able to talk the adjustor into using the higher of the two vehicle values to increase the settlement offer.
- Hire an appraiser — Hiring your own appraiser will cost around $400. If you’re appraising a low-value car, it may not be worth the expense. But if you’re evaluating classics or high-value vehicles, working with a third-party appraisal service is the best way to ensure that you get an estimate of fair value.
- Don’t settle for “no” — Most adjustors will deny your counteroffer on principle, as their goal is to save the insurance company money. However, most of them also have permission to increase the settlement by around $500 in order to keep customers happy. They want to settle the case as quickly as possible, so they’re more likely to agree to an increase if you keep at it.
- Find a repair shop you can trust — The insurance company is going to try to “steer” you to a Direct Repair Program body shop. If they do, they’ll usually be able to increase the settlement without losing anything, as they can simply authorize the body shop to cut corners and costs. Ideally, you should find a repair shop that IS NOT recommended by your insurance company, but one you can trust.
Network Auto Body is the body shop you can trust! With our help, you can get the highest possible insurance settlement, and we’ll make sure your vehicle is restored to tip-top condition.