:worthless:

I do insurance claims for a certain repair shop, and this is my two cents.

True, though that also means the repair shop is risking them being challenged if the insurance company believes that they did not purchase parts which was specified in the claim/appraisal by the insurance comapny. A risk that you or the repair shop takes. The insurance company may ask the shop (in random cases) to provide proof of purchase of replacement parts.

Insurance company will, in most cases, appraise and quote with genuine replacement parts, unless it is unavailable to purchase. If he said non-genuine parts will be used while the insurance company, and yourself, has requested to do so, then he is cheating money off you.

Correct, as there are very limited aftermarket replacement for those.

The insurance appraiser will usually quote for a genuine Nissan replacement, unless the damage is repairable, or if genuine parts is not available. Insurance company usually do not substitute with aftermarket parts in their quote. Although you can choose to get an aftermarket replacement when dealing with the repair shop, the difference in price "should be" reported back to the insurance company, so they could properly adjust the payment. Otherwise, it is considered as insurance scam. (Another risk to take).

100% false statement. Insurance company will ALWAYS pay for full value of replacement parts. In some of the cases i've worked on, the insurance company undervalued some parts, and I had to tell them to readjust the difference based on invoice paid prices (For example, an airbag module was valued by insurance company @ $500. The shop had to pay $650 as the prices from insurance company was incorrect. I had to forward the invoice to the insurance company and get the difference back, and they are more than willing to do so).

It is up to you where you want to fix your car. If you want "upgrades" while claiming insurance, be sure to note that you are getting your car repaired at a place where you can trust, and not some random tow truck driver's recommendation.

Remember, you paid your insurance to cover your car with all original parts. Take no substitutes with lesser made parts. IF the insurance company did quote you with aftermarket parts, you have the right to fight with them, and get genuine parts instead.

isn't it illegal for the tow truck drivers to recommend body shops? That's just what I've been told

Mikey died eating pop rocks.

:eek:

RIP Mikey.

THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME
LISTEN VERY CLOSELY

1) do not listen to ANYTHING tow truck drivers say. NOTHING AT ALL. they're vultures. make sure you get a receipt from them showing how much you paid for the tow. tow guys get a kickback from the bodyshop.
2) body shops are out to make money. the less they spend repairing your car under the claim payout, the more they make. they will cheap out as much as they can. they ALWAYS have backdoor hookups for parts. GET YOUR OWN PARTS.
3) be fair to the bodyshop guys. (this is why you DONT use the tow guys shops). let them know you understand they need a cut, so work something out with them so you both are happy. they're more than happy to work with you so they know you wont hassle them later.
4) GET A RECIEPT FOR EVERYTHING. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DATE ON EACH RECEIPT.

if you need help in toronto msg me asap. i literally got my car back two weeks ago. its ******* mint. i ended up coming out on top cuz i have friends that guided me through this and made sure i didnt get screwed. I had no idea wtf i was doing and now i know EXACTLY what's up

that said, i did get screwed by the tow company cuz they made me pay 800 bucks for a tow and ended up stealing my car (long story) but i got insurance to pay me back the money. It was 5AM in the pouring rain when i was only wearing a tshirt and hoodie (my accident was 2 streets away from my house cuz i was going to get a coffee at timmies). i was freezing, soaking wet, shocked from the accident and furious at everyone involved.

I'm sure you're happy now ;)

I agree with IRE that you have to understand where the 'advice' is coming from. Tow truck drivers get kick backs from all sorts of deals that at the end of the day, either you or the insurance company will end up paying which will ultimately will be you. Firstly know your rights.

In Ontario, you CAN specified where you can have your car repaired. That said, Insurance company will tell you to go to their pre approved shops. The reason being they get better rates and generally will get the result that will be satisfactory for their customers. That said, if you decide not to go to their recommended shop, they will not be able to assist you should there be an issue with the repairs after you sign to approve payment. Which mean until you are ABSOLUTELY sure that you are getting everything you've asked for and are satisfied, DO NOT sign anything.

As for genuine parts, it depends on your policy and ultimately the remaining value. Generally, if the repairs is more than half of the total value, the insurance company will write the car off. So if in these 'genuine' parts adds up to more than half, you might end up without a vehicle. So in some instances, it would probably be better to get non OEM Nissan parts.

I think you're at a stage that an appraiser/adjuster needs to be involved. He's is your friend so work with him. They will go to the site and appraise how much the damage might be and at that point you may ask what parts they are using and how much it would be in total. Once you have that, you will know where you're at. Use this time to research local body shops and see if you can instead repair with alternative 'upgraded parts'. Insurance company are generally flexible as long as the parts in question does not exceed the repair bill. You however cannot take direct payment using lesser parts as that would constitute fraud.

If you decide to have it repaired at your own facility, upon completion, the adjuster might pay you a visit to determine if proper repairs has been made.

As for whether you need a police occurrence report, it depends on your insurance company. Work with them. They are there to make sure things goes smoothly and don't be a prick as they can make your life miserable. Be forthright about your intentions with upgraded parts should you chose that route. As above, the most critical person that you will deal with in this situation is the adjuster/appraiser. Ask him how much your car is currently worth, the cost to repair and tell him what you'd like to do in this unfortunate situation. Again, be honest and forthright. They will work with you if you give them that respect.

I believe he mentioned the Z is total loss, no?

I wonder what happened to the op of this thread? Hopefully things have worked out for him.

Hey guys,

Sorry I went MIA - was traveling a bit for work....

Anyways here is the update (and the pictures)

Basically my car is at a repair shop in Mississauga and the insurance came by today and said the car is fixable - and they will be creating an invoice of all the parts and such with costs.... and then the autobody will start the work....

If anyone is interested I can obtain a list of the parts and upload it here - and actually I wouldnt mind someone who knows a bit about cars to see if it all makes sense (lol I know nothing.... just how to drive one..... and this is coming from the guy that wrecked his car)

Basically it would be good to know if the insurance company (Coachman insurance) is not ripping me off by placing values on the parts that are not going to be genuine OEM parts..... Anyways... I will get a copy of this stuff anyways and your guys input would be great....

OK now for the pics... these are just some... I even took a video walkthrough because there was some damage at the back of the car as well.....

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...29911010_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...55664027_o.jpg

https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/...10362927_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...06718255_o.jpg

Did an airbag deploy?
Push for a total loss

The good thing about insurance is they can't necessarily lie to you. If they say they're getting OEM parts, they intend to do so. It's the shop that needs to have the integrity to get those parts. But as someone here or in another thread said, if anyone lies to make money on either side, it's insurance fraud. And that's a big deal for them.

Good luck, and thanks for the updates that help us collectively learn.

That's not bad at all. The biggest concern is the structural integrity of the car given it's a ZR, I would make sure it is fulling chassis jigged along with proper alignment and proper repair of the top if any is applicable. If all is lined up (check the Driver and fender alignment - looks like some movement there), there's no way it will be ridden off given a 2010 ZR is around $30 right now. I don't think you'll have a problem getting OEM parts for the repair given the value. Make sure there's no undercarriage damage.

Doesn't look like your airbags deployed so that's good

Looks like you'll need:

2 wheels,
2 tires
Front Caliper
Lines
Upper and lower arms
Shock and Spring
Crash bar
Bumper
Driver Fender
Driver Head Light
Control Arm
Inner fender
various suspension bits
Paint and labour
Alignment

BTW - The ZR is not winter worthy

:iagree:

Maybe it's time to shop for a Nismo Front Bumper and splitter in the FS section. Seen a couple threads around.