how long is an insurance claim open for?

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

hey guys.

earlier in the winter I got into an accident where the other party swerved in front of my f150, and I hit them right in the rear door.

Geico was his insurer, and mine as well.

Geico said it was his fault, and they wrote up the estimate in my driveway for the vehicle.

I took the money to my private shop, put a few extras on the truck, and they fixed all the body work.

So, ever since then it needed an alignment.

The geico service rep did not put alignment service into the estimate he gave me.

So I finally got around to getting it aligned today. I took it to the dealer, I had a discount for alignment, and I mainly took it there because it needed recall work done.

So the rep at towne ford calls me up, he’s like Justin your tie rod is about to fall off, i’m surprised you made it here. And from the accident, the wheel bearing is loose, and the wheel is moving around.

We need to replace the tie rod (99 bucks), and repack the wheel bearings (50 bucks), and do the alignment (59 bucks), then the recall work (free).

Now, I know I could have gotten the other work done by someone else for way cheaper, but since its a safety issue, I mine as well get it fixed at the dealer, versus the wheel falling off my truck and killing myself.

Do you guys think i’m going to be able to get geico to pay the extra amount, or will they tell me to fuck off.

I tried calling today, but couldn’t get through right away for some reason.

2

good luck with that one… how much “earlier in the winter”?

3

Around a month ago. Actually the day before christmas.

4

I’d call up Geico and bitch that their adjuster missed the damage, and you could have been killed had that tie rod failed while you were driving. Explain that the dealer said they felt it was accident related. They’ll probably cave pretty quickly.

5

i had that happen, i took my car to carubba where geico wrote an estimate. at the repair shop they found so other crap that wasnt marked for the fist estimate. geico cut them a check rigth away for it. i would call geico and tell them

also, u can log in online and see if your claim is still opened or closed. my accident happened the day before thanksgiving and it just closed not even a month ago, more like 3 weeks ago

6

if it is a month ago, call them right now and bitch at them till they get an adjuster there… my claim with state farm has been open two months already and counting

7

ive seen people come back 6 months after an acident and get additional work done … even the stupidest shit, like the guy that claimed getting hit in the rear cause his hood support cylinders to go bad, of the woman that bitched that hail damage ruined her radio

8

Cool thanks.

I’ll get in touch with my geico agent, and get them to pay the bill for this tierod and the alignment.

Also they are saying that the nut that holds the wheel bearing on is very loose, and they want to repack the wheel bearings and put new seals on it.

Everything they said sounds absolutely fair, the guys aren’t dicking me around at all.

The service writer also said deffinitely this was accident damage, and he said if geico calls him he will be glad to talk to them.

9

Now, what if you make a claim through Your Insurance company, say you put your vehicle in a ditch. Can you legally receive the money if you plan on doing the repairs yourself? Or do you HAVE to go to a repair shop to get it done?

10

The insurance company will only write a check directly to you if there is no lein. If there is a lein on the vehicle they will write a check to yourself and the lein holder, or yourself and the repair facility.

And for Justinh — as far as getting paid for more damage, all it is is a suppliment. If the claim is closed the adjuster can reopen it. If the adjuster is not a lazy bastard he will prolly go to the dealer and cut them a 2 party check.

11

GODDAMMITTT

there is a lein

fuck

lol

12

I don’t know if it wasn’t alot of money or what, but I have a lein on my truck, and the geico agent made the check out to me directly. It was like 1100 bucks.

I ordered the grill and headlamps on ebay, and had a shop do the body work.

13

anytime a vehical with a lien is TOTALED the lien holder gets the $, and you get any left over

example: 2200 owed and the ins is paying 7000 for a totaled vehical, the bank gets 2200 and you get the other 4800

if a Liened vehical is NOT totaled, theres room to play. you have the right to have the vehical repaired where and how you wish, even if it means doing it yourself

you CAN request that the Insurance company send YOU the check, ive seen it done many times. ive seen customers walk in with printed checks w/ blank “pay to the order of” lines before.

14

Exactly…

15

mines been open for 2 months and counting.They offered me way to low for my conquest.They have to give me enough to replace it with a car of equal value and i wont even come close to that with the money they are trying to give me.

16

really, allstate is informing me that in would have to go to a shop of my choosing because thats what the leinholder would want. ON a lighter note, what if i took the check for said damages, went to the leinholder, and told them i wanted it put on the principal of the loan? I can garuntee the damages would more than cover the remaining portion of what i owe

17

[QUOTE=HotRodKid]

if a Liened vehical is NOT totaled, theres room to play. you have the right to have the vehical repaired where and how you wish, even if it means doing it yourself

QUOTE]

Not true… you do not have the right to repair the vehicle yourself if there is a lein on the vehicle. It is up to the lein holder if you fix it yourself. Allthough if you had a 2 party check made out to you and the lein holder, then sent the check to the lein holder. They could in theroy turn around and send you a check.

Personally i have never seen a bank let a person fix there own car.

18

like ive said before, ive seen ALOT of checks made out to the owner of the vehical

but then again, how many brand new vehicals have liens on them …