RFI: Getting & pocketing full-ish price payout from auto insurance claim

[0ddl0t]

A few weeks back I was side swiped by another car and their insurance has finally accepted liability. I have 5 estimates for the repairs, ranging from $5,200 to $6,300. Their insurance adjuster just shot me an initial quote for $1,700 and stated that the estimate will go up once the car is in the shop and they negotiate adjustments along the way.

This was a minor collision, but both doors and the lower sill will need to be replaced. The vast majority of the body work cost is in labor to disassemble essentially the entire left side of the car in order to properly blend the paint (and swap all the various electronics/windows/interior panels into the new/used doors). It also seems like there is a Covid premium/inflation factor here... Plus there is a huge backlog - none of the shops could even get me in for a few weeks (one said after Thanksgiving!).

Being a 10 year old Toyota Prius daily beater, I'm not that particular about a perfect paint match so I was able to source doors, hinges, and the lower sill from a donor car in the same color donor for $675. These doors have a few more light scratches & door dings than mine did, but they are more than good enough to look presentable from 10 feet away and I can't tell the paint shade/fade difference unless I look closely in direct sunlight. They are even the same interior color/fabric so swapping them will simply be 6 bolts & 1 wiring clip per door (plus another 2 bolts & 2 screws for the lower sill).

Therefore I'd like to do the work myself, but I still want to receive full compensation for my efforts and the aggravation from their driver being an inattentive jackass. Any tips for doing this? I understand that insurance companies aren't going to be paying the private pay/cash prices that I was quoted, but I was still expecting an offer more like $4,000...

[Borderland]

A few weeks back I was side swiped by another car and their insurance has finally accepted liability. I have 5 estimates for the repairs, ranging from $5,200 to $6,300. Their insurance adjuster just shot me an initial quote for $1,700 and stated that the estimate will go up once the car is in the shop and they negotiate adjustments along the way.

This was a minor collision, but both doors and the lower sill will need to be replaced. The vast majority of the body work cost is in labor to disassemble essentially the entire left side of the car in order to properly blend the paint (and swap all the various electronics/windows/interior panels into the new/used doors). It also seems like there is a Covid premium/inflation factor here... Plus there is a huge backlog - none of the shops could even get me in for a few weeks (one said after Thanksgiving!).

Being a 10 year old Toyota Prius daily beater, I'm not that particular about a perfect paint match so I was able to source doors, hinges, and the lower sill from a donor car in the same color donor for $675. These doors have a few more light scratches & door dings than mine did, but they are more than good enough to look presentable from 10 feet away and I can't tell the paint shade/fade difference unless I look closely in direct sunlight. They are even the same interior color/fabric so swapping them will simply be 6 bolts & 1 wiring clip per door (plus another 2 bolts & 2 screws for the lower sill).

Therefore I'd like to do the work myself, but I still want to receive full compensation for my efforts and the aggravation from their driver being an inattentive jackass. Any tips for doing this? I understand that insurance companies aren't going to be paying the private pay/cash prices that I was quoted, but I was still expecting an offer more like $4,000...

I think just about everyone in the auto industry is looking for a Covid premium/inflation factor pay day.

I don't know a lot about auto insurance but I think you'll have to let the shop do the work before the insurance will pay out anything.

There's always the chance the person that hit you might want to settle up with you out-of-pocket because their insurance premiums will be going up substantially if they're lucky enough not to get dropped. Figure out your cost to repair and talk it over. No insurance claim on their record may save them thousands over a few years. If the damage was 4k I'd be inclined to just write the check for my DA driving and keep it off my insurance.

How old is this person who hit you? Young folks have a hell of a time keeping insurance and it's damn expensive. That's why many of them don't own a car.

[0ddl0t]

She's 50. She also rear ended another car and is probably close to hitting her paltry $10,000 limit for property damage (I'm not interested in filing an uninsured/underinsured claim through my company because I carry a lot of various insurance policies and don't want my premiums to rise)

[Flashman]

Are you in Oregon (e.g., Jefferson, State of)? If so, you have options on playing the game. That said, it is complicated how to answer this because the extent of damage is unclear without photos and reviewing the repair estimates. If the rocker panel is replaced, it is a major structural and welded part. Minor cosmetic damage can be fixed but replacing it is a big operation best done by someone certified to do it. But $5000 - $6000 isn’t very much so it is hard to tell.

In most jurisdictions, the insurer owes the full cost of repairs. It doesn’t matter whether the vehicle is repaired. An off the street body shop estimate may or may not be complete. The insurer’s estimate most likely only includes obvious and visible damage and is probably incomplete (not deceptively) but if the vehicle is repaired with their involvement, the cost will rise that the insurer will pay.

I could write pages and pages on what the insurers do and alternatively how to scam the system. There is a lot to this but I will say this. If you are in Oregon and want to maximize your settlement, do some research and you will find out that you have the upper hand.

[0ddl0t]

I'm in Northern California. The lower sill is more like a side skirt - it is a plastic/urethane-like flexible panel that isn't structural. The A, B, & C pillars are undamaged and the doors still open and close nicely. There is a small scrape/scuff on the rear fender that nearly buffed out and I'm fine with leaving...








Cheapest estimate:

[JCN]

Don’t forget to swap your driver door lock if you DIY!