RE: Hit from Behind @ a stop light & Insurance Co. Issues

[JeremyS]

Some of you may have seen an earlier post of mine about being hit from behind and the fact that ther was SO little damage. Well I am getting a hard time from the insurance company (mine believe it or not) about the "damage." The body shop told them, much to my verbal disagreement, that all that needed to be done was "buff out the bumper." I told them that i was concerned about the eventual "scaling" and subsequent flaking that will probably occur. I was told by the body shop that I did not want to get into painting a new bumper, blending it with the other body panels etc. I said that was fine but what about what's under the bumper. They said with so little damage there was nothing that could be damaged under it. Etc., etc., etc. What do I do? Take it to another body shop I guess. I can't believe that I'm getting this b.s. (especially from my own insurance co.) I have USSA and the guy cam and looked at my car at the body shop and said "USSA is not going to pay to replace this bumper." DUH!!!! of course they aren't! I was hit from behind! The lady already admitted that!!! Why aren't you protecting me? I'm the "victim" Whatever. Sorry about such a long post. Really, sorry. I'm just so mad and I don't know what to do.

 

[Fast Too]

Jeremy - If USSA won't protect you, I'd call the other drivers insurance company and tell them if they don't replace the bumper the next call they get on this subject will be from a lawyer. I'd also tell USSA your taking your business elsewhere.

 

[ViperTony]

I'd try another body shop hopefully another VCA member close by you can recommend a Viper-friendly body shop. USAA is difficult to deal with but you have to keep pressing them. Ask the adjustor how many Vipers he's worked with over the years. Probably zero. Arm yourself with information, facts, etc. as I found the more info you give USAA the better.

 

[mike & juli]

Jeremy--So sorry to hear about all of this--remember this is what we were all concerned about. Since the lady was at fault, should not HER insurance be picking up the costs? And, yeah, another body shop, and yeah, another insurance company...one that will insure Vipers. I'd be getting ahold of that lady, get her insurance info, was there a police incident report taken? If so, good....you will need that. Keep us posted and we wish you all the best and speedy repairs. ~juli

 

[JeremyS]

In her defense, the lady that hit me was VERY, VERY nice and VERY, VERY appologetic. She gave me all her information that night. She gave me her name, number, address, work number, insurance company name AND policy number. She has been VERY cool about the whole thing. It is MY insurance company that has not. As for the police report, I did call the police, they did come, I asked for a police report but they said in Baltimore no police reports are done on car accidents unless there was a person injured. Thanks for the kind words though!

 

[Venomiss]

Jon B. is a good person to talk with about insurance issues. Worth a phone call-not on Mondays. Another avenue might be to PM Lee and ask your local club members.
Good luck!

Here is the website for the commissioner of insurance for Virginia:

http://www.scc.virginia.gov/division/boi/

 

[Scratch]

I don't know why your insurance is being so picky-tacky...they will bill the other cars insurance and re-coup their payouts I'd look for another shop.

 

[Copernicus]

What body shop did you end up using?

 

[JeremyS]

I'm going to try Collision Craft in Baltimore. They have done good work on my BMW and my wife's Mercedes in the past.

 

[Kai SRT10]

2 Points:

USAA *****. We dropped them after 10 years because of problems insuring my Viper.
We have State Farm now. Much better. It really makes a difference to have a real, individual agent that handles your account rather than the USAA call center.

The woman who hit you is responsible for the damage. It should be her insurance company you are dealing with, not your own.

 

[JeremyS]

Funny, I had no problem insuring the Viper with USAA (but it was a lot more $ than I expected just to add an additional "weekend" car) The person who hit me is insured by State Farm. We'll see what happens.

 

[xlrashn]

I have State Farm and I love their service. My rates are VERY VERY low too.

 

[Flexx91]

2 Points:

USAA *****. We dropped them after 10 years because of problems insuring my Viper.
We have State Farm now. Much better. It really makes a difference to have a real, individual agent that handles your account rather than the USAA call center.

The woman who hit you is responsible for the damage. It should be her insurance company you are dealing with, not your own.

Ditto. I don't understand why you needed to contact your own insurance company unless the other driver was uninsured, refused to admit fault, or left the scene of the accident.

 

[Finally got it !]

This is why it is not always about the best price.
I have Geico. Wrapped up one of my Vipers pretty good. Geico came out and was replacing items that only had scrarches and could easily have been buffed out or touched up. They went above and beyond. They now insure my boat along with a monster umbrella policy..

 

[Flyntgr]

Jeremy, the laws of each state are different. I recently had a total loss of my '05 SRT10 and USAA (not USSA) failed to provide me with a written settlement offer or tender within 30 days of their own adjuster's inspection and declaration that the car was totalled. Under Louisiana law (and your law may certainly be different) they now owe me penalties of 50% of the ENTIRE loss, plus attorney fees, even though they now tell me they are FedExing me a check for more than $60K for the car, Tax, title and license. The penalties will amount to $45-50K more because they didn't pay or offer to settle within 30 days. Here's what you need to do: send them written demand by certified mail, Return Receipt Requested based on your own repairman's estimates. At the very least, you need to repaint the bumper with a "factory kit" in the correct color for your build date (colors sometimes vary during a model year). If in doubt, call Jon Brobst at partsrack.com and he can guide you thru the minefields. If you don't consult an attorney in your state, however, and get photo copies of all statutes directly in point, you really won't know what LEGAL remedies you have. I know my laws because I've been a lawyer for 36+ years, doing trials of auto accidents, etc. You need to learn your own state's laws on the subject because an intelligent person can read the law and be better equipped to deal with your insurer, even though sleeping in a Holiday Inn won't make you a lawyer. Best of luck to you! Been there, done that. Remember: Never, never, never, never, never GIVE UP!

 

[ViperBran]

Find a bodyshop reccommended by a VCA Member or officer that will do a detailed inspection underneath the rear bumper. I had an experience with another car (non Viper) that was hit from behind and showed no damage, however, after a thorough inspection by the body shop they found damage underneath the cover. The repairs cost over $2,000.

It is the bodyshop's job to inspect and find if there is any damage underneath. It is the bodyshops job to talk to the adjuster and explain what is wrong with the car. That is why it is so important to bring it to a shop that has extensive knowledge of the Viper. He will take measurements and do whatever is necessary to find a problem. A bodyshop that works on crappy cars and not Vipers or Exotics will not bother to check.

Good Luck.

 

[JeremyS]

Thanks Flyngr. The funny thing is that I just don't "have the time." In fact, my wife and I are BOTH attorneys (as are 90% of our friends from law school LOL!) My best friends dad is a HUGE ambulance chaser (VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL) and half his business is probably minor car accidents. I'm probably just going to call him. They are insisting that I don't need a new bumper!

 

[Kaya]

Bring it to another body shop and let them take a look at it. It there is more damage, they should be eager to find it. On the other hand, if all you have is minor scuffing on the bumper cover, let them polish it. Having worked the collision industry in a past life, I can tell you that there is no finish like the factory finish. If the oem paint is not cracked from the impact, the chances of it peeling later on are FAR SMALLER than if you get it resprayed. These cars are actually quite simple in terms of construction using simple steel tubing frames under that beautiful body. The Viper is far less complex in terms of construction than most pedestrian econoboxes. Make sure that your shop takes a good look for hidden rebar or frame damage, but hope that there is none. Rejoice in the fact the car is not badly damaged. Thanks, Kaya's old man.