Can I afford to have my car inspected?
Some people are convinced they should have their car inspected following repairs but are concerned that they may not be able to afford to do so. They worry that the money they invest in an inspection may not be recovered, leaving them further in the hole. While there are no guarantees when it comes to making the responsible party pay what they owe, we can promise the statistics of getting a good quality repair job are against you. So, for the safety of yourself and your passengers, can you afford NOT to know the truth about the quality of repairs on your car?
In either case, first party (where your insurance company is paying)or third party (where another person's insurance is paying), you should be entitled to recover money paid out for the purpose of obtaining an inspection. This is in addition to any DV that you might be entitled to recover. The logic is that most people do not have the ability to calculate the loss on their own or thoroughly inspect the quality of repairs they received. Paying for this service is a necessary expense that was incurred as a result of the accident. It provides peace of mind for an owner to know the truth, good or bad, about the level of repair quality, and provides him/her documentation with which to present a claim for DV. This service would not have been necessary had the damage never occurred. For this reason, payment for a post-repair inspection should be a recoverable expense.
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What Types of Cars Lose Value?
It is extremely rare when repairs leave the market value of a car equal to or greater than the market value it held prior to the loss. This is true even in cases where the car may appear to be perfectly repaired. The amount of value your car loses will depend on several factors. Regardless of the make or model, we have found that newer cars covered by a factory transferable warranty, especially those having suffered some degree of structural damage, offer best case scenario for potential recovery. As you might guess, high-end and collector cars are the big losers, sometimes suffering a loss in value many times greater the cost of repairs.
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What Factors Contribute to A Loss in A Vehicle's Market Value?
There are many factors that influence the amount of lost market value your car may suffer. Some factors that could contribute to the loss are these:
a) warranties voided by accident damage and repairs
b) loss of eligibility for OEM PreOwned Certification Status
c) increased title and disclosure obligations
d) missing vehicle identification numbers
e) visible federally mandated part service decals
f) unrepared damage
g) poorly repaired damage
h) installation of parts other than those recommended by the vehicle's manufacturer
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How Much Do You Charge?
We provide two levels of reporting to establish your loss. The least expensive option is a single- page format that provides the numbers you need to assert your claim for diminished value. It also highlights factors that contribute to your claim. If you are within 50 miles of our home-base in Portsmouth, Ohio, this report will cost $359.00.
The second option is a 20-30 page booklet that shows in great detail the disparity between the quality of repairs on your car and the manufacturer's standards. This report is written so that laypeople without a lot of car knowledge can understand it. DV totals are included, and the report is enhanced with high quality photography and technical information. The base cost for this level of report is $1200 and can be substantially higher depending on the need for detail.
We usually encourage consumers and attorneys to purchase the least expensive option first, If your situation warrants upgrading to the more detailed report at a later date, we will credit the money you paid for the original report toward your upgrade.
In some cases, our initial inspection will reveal a need to have further testing and evaluations performed. Charges for subsequent inspections, testing, and documentation at an appropriate facility will be agreed upon before the work is begun.
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Why Are DV Calculations Cheaper From Internet Sources?
You can probably find sources to calculate DV on the Internet for substantially less than we charge. In most cases, these sources calculate only Inherent DV and do not factor in the condition of your car or the quality of repairs. The numbers they can justify by not visibly inspecting the car and taking all areas of loss into consideration would pale in comparison to the amount of money you are rightfully owed. If the responsible party would deny your claim and you would find yourself in a court battle, information purchased from these sources would have little value. To determine the full extent of the loss in a credible fashion, a physical inspection of the auto must be performed.
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When Do I have To Pay?
In most cases, you will be asked to send a retainer to schedule our services. On single-page reports the balance will be due when we arrive to inspect your vehicle. Where the detailed booklet has been commissioned, the balance will be due upon completion of the work.
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How Much Time Will It Take?
We usually send two to four hours or more documenting your auto. Turn around time on single-page reports is usually one to two business days. The time for producing the detailed booklet depends on the amount of documentation requested. It is our goal to provide you with high quality work in the fastest possible time, and for a reasonable amount of money.
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Where Will The Inspection Be Performed?
We will come to your home or business, or arrange to meet you at a predetermined location.
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What Geographic Areas Do You Work in?
We usually work the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia where we are most familiar with the laws and obligations of the parties involved. We are willing to travel beyond that area if necessary on an as- needed basis for inspections and court appearances. In cases were we incur travel distances greater than 50 miles from our home base in Wheelersburg, Ohio, additional charges will be applied. We will do our best to make you aware of these charges beforehand rather than surprise you after the fact. The cities of Huntington and Charleston West Virginia, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio, Lexington and Louisville Kentucky are our most frequented.
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How Much Can I Collect?
It has been our experience that the typical consumer's car loses thousands of dollars in value rather than hundreds after it has been damaged and repaired to the generally accepted quality level of shops in the tri-sate. However, we are neither attorneys nor collectors, and therefore cannot represent you in the collection of your claim. Our job is to provide an opinion as to the amount of the loss and provide documentation of our findings. Because we have a good working knowledge of attorneys who practice within the specialty of diminished value collection, we can provide you some recommendations that you may find helpful. We will be happy to do that if you request.
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Does The Responsible Party Have To Pay?
In third-party claims, insurance companies are obligated to pay diminished value to claimants who prove the amount of their loss. Proving the loss is not difficult, but it will, however, require that you have a post-repair inspection performed on your repaired vehicle - unless, of course you want to take the insurer's word for the amount owed. Since one of the biggest factors lessening the value of repaired cars and trucks is poor quality workmanship, it is impossible to determine the amount of DV without a detailed and thorough examination of the property following completion of the repairs.
It is usually more difficult to collect DV on first-party claims than on third-party claims. The reason for this is that many consumers, unbeknownst to them, purchase insurance policies that have DV exclusions written in them. By virtue of being bound to this contract that they purchased, these consumers will be forced to forgo this portion of their claim. But even in these cases, consumers that have purchased a post-repair inspection will often have proof that the repairs have failed to restore the vehicle to its pre-loss condition. Faced with this proof and the obligation to indemnify the policyholder, insurers are often forced to make a monetary concession - though rarely will they call it a DV payment.
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Will I Need To Hire An Attorney?
Most of the time, consumers trying to deal with insurers on their own are not taken seriously. Let's face it, where there is no threat of danger, there is no motivation to action. As an example, you can tell me to "beware of the dog" until you are blue in face, but until you take the chain off or open the gate to the pen that confines it, I probably wouldn't run. In fact, I might not run even then if you have a terrier or a poodle. If however, you are saying "sic-um" to a pit bull, I'll have a much different attitude. Insurers are no different. They pick and choose their fights. If they think you can mount a good defense against them, they will usually pay you everything you are owed. If they think you can't afford a lawyer or a proper defense, they will most often take you to the mat. As in the analogy of the dog, when you unleash a lawyer that commands insurer's respect, you will get action. But even then, don't expect it quickly. Often, deals are made on the courthouse steps just prior to a trial. The months and sometimes years leading up to that point can be very frustrating.
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Are There Any Guarantees That I Will Be Paid For DV?
The numbers generated by our computer software, combined with our working knowledge, provide the basis for our opinion of the amount of loss. The responsible party may agree or disagree with our findings and will often provide their own experts to counter your claim. We are neither attorneys nor collectors and cannot represent you in the negotiations that will take place. Your ability to collect will be greatly increased or decreased based on your skills to negotiate, or the skills of the person you hire. For that reason, we can make no guarantees that you will be paid.
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Will My Insurance Company Drop Me If I File A DV Claim?
Submitting a claim for DV will not make you best friends with your insurer. However, there are certain safeguards in place that prevent insurers from dropping you just because they want to. In situations where your claim is being paid by another person's insurance, it is not likely that submitting a claim to that carrier could negatively affect your standing with your own insurer.
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How Do I Schedule an Inspection?
Contact us using information found after opening the "contact" tab on the upper or lower menu barson any page of this website. There will be no charge for the initial consultation and we will be happy to discuss your specific situation. If when discussing the specifics of your claim, we feel it is not in your best interest to hire us, we will advise you of such. You are free to take our advice or reject it.
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content & design 2002-2008 David Williams and SafeCollisionRepairs.com
For more than ten years,
David Williams of Wheelersburg, Ohio's Safe Collision Repairs
has worked with consumers and attorneys in the tri-states
of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia to expose unsafe auto
repairs and maximize recovery on auto insurance claims. Some
of the company's services include Post-Repair Inspections,
Prepurchase Inspections, Auto Damage Assessments, Lemon Law
Investigations, Expert Court Testimony and Diminished Value
Calculations using an advanced version of Network Information
Communication's WreckCheck program.
Inquiries can be directed to:
Safe Collision Repairs
David A. Williams
Post Office Box 70
Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694
(740) 456-1111
(740) 355-4056
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The
content expressed on this website and in the article above
represents the opinions of David
A. Williams. Williams is neither an attorney nor public
insurance adjuster, but is an expert, consultant, and writer
specializing in the field of automotive collision repair and
valuations. The information provided herein is not intended
to be a substitute for legal or insurance advice. Because
collision repair is a continually evolving science, any text,
materials or links found herein are provided without claim
or guarantee to their accuracy or completeness.
