accident

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by sperry

Actually, if you're not at fault and you're getting paid by the other party's ins. company, I bet you can get them to cut you a check by calling them up and being a squeaky wheel. The last thing the other ins. company wants is you suing their customer over their bad driving... they usually really want the issue settled as painlessly as possible.

However, if the claim is going through your own ins. company, I would guess it'll be harder to get them to play ball... but I don't see how it has anything to do w/ having a lien on the car or not. I doubt the ins. company cares if you or the bank owns the car. I do see how the bank might care that you're not properly repairing their collateral and pocketing the cash... but I would think that would be a clause in the loan on the car or something and not specific to the insurance company's policy.

I think it's a legal issue. Banks got the law passed to protect them against repossessing crashed cars that hadn't been repaired. But either way, that's been my experience, and I have more experience dealing with other people's insurance companies than most.

[cody]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

We just got the title for the car in the mail last month. I am officially car payment free. So I guess I can get the estimate and then ask for a check. I assume they will want pictures of the car repaired and that's fine. Thanks for the input.

Since you have the car paid off, I don't think they'll want pictures of the car repaired. If anything, they'll tell you that they will only pay a body shop directly, but what me and the other crash dummy are telling you is that they usually only play that card if you haven't paid the car off yet...

[Kevin M]

Yep. If it's your car, they can't not just pay you directly if you ask. They may hem and haw and tell you how you need to use one of their buddy shops, but in the end they have to do what you want if the car is paid for.

[Jcjentz]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

We just got the title for the car in the mail last month. I am officially car payment free. So I guess I can get the estimate and then ask for a check. I assume they will want pictures of the car repaired and that's fine. Thanks for the input.

the other party's ins. co. will estimate the damage and low ball u if u agree to take their check for the estimate and not get another est.

[Kevin M]

They have the same insurance company. and insurance companies only lowball you if they are the crappy economy guys. Major names will be more fair, unless they think they can avoid paying altogether.

[Jcjentz]

Originally Posted by Kevin M

They have the same insurance company. and insurance companies only lowball you if they are the crappy economy guys. Major names will be more fair, unless they think they can avoid paying altogether.

state farm has their own estimate shop! u drive it in and a "body guy" asesses oh p.s. they do low ball you atleast state farm does.. now if u are a customer of that same ins. co. they treat you better

[Dean]

I'd get a couple external estimates as well and haggle if they low-ball.

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by Dean

I'd get a couple external estimates as well and haggle if they low-ball.

This.

[cody]

Srsly.