Accident claim....

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

Unless a person simply wants to pocket the cash, it's never a good idea to accept payment directly from an insurance company; particularly when you're not at fault . Rather, it's better to go to the shop of your choice and get a thorough appraisal . If you're satisfied with their assessment, you can sign what's referred to as a "direction of pay". In turn, the other person's insurance company will send an adjuster out to meet with your shop and agree on a price to fix your vehicle. A good shop will handle the whole process for you, and act as your advocate - seeking the maximum amount possible in order to get the job done right . Moreover, if the shop subsequently discovers that additional work or parts are needed, they can request for the adjuster to come back out to authorize additional payment . This is referred to a "supplemental" . For future reference, whenever an insurance company pays out a claim directly, in their mind they have essentially bought off the claimant . Once a person has accepted payment directly, it's often difficult to get an insurance company to pay out addition money .

Correct, I received the insurance company's appraisal with an itemized list of parts and labor submitted by the bodyshop and in a seperate envelope was the check for the same amount declaring it the settlement of the claim. This discussion reminds me of why medicare costs are out of control. Pay out a benefit directly to a benefeciary and closer scrutiny of the bill will always result.

[stephen wilson]

What did the shop tell initially you they were going to do, repair, or replace with new parts?

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

What did the shop tell initially you they were going to do, repair, or replace with new parts?

initially nothing was done because we were waiting for the insurance company to determine what they would pay for, new or repaired. So it's basically been sitting put. Once I received the check I called in to get clarification of what was to be done, that's where I am now. I've not signed a single thing so far.

[stephen wilson]

Without pictures, I can't judge whether to repair or replace, but it sounds like the body shop may be trying to maximize their profit.