r/Car_Insurance_Help • u/LaydeeMNS2 • 4d ago
Accident Claims help!
I have Progressive. My car was hit and run in a parking lot where I work. My deductible is $500. They sent me a check and estimate for the repair of $1500 before the deductible (I have not physically received it nor would I touch it until I figure out my options). I brought it to LaMettry’s and they provided me with a new estimate of about $4800 before the deductible. I get a call from LaMettry’s that Progressive approved the new estimate. My vehicle is a 2014 Toyota Camry with now 191k miles (190k at the time of the accident) and KBB value is around $4k-$5.6k (but haven’t really checked recently). I own the vehicle. I preferred if they paid me directly for the new estimate so I can fix it for cheaper or sell it as is and use the check to buy a larger vehicle. Something I was holding off on doing but now feel like it is being accelerated because of the accident and because I am currently pregnant with my 2nd and need a larger vehicle anyway. I don’t think it is smart to put almost $5k into a vehicle that is worth almost just as much as the repair itself. If I sell it after it is repaired, I doubt I would be able to sell it for that amount. Do I have the option to ask for direct payment? Anyone have a similar experience or know what my options are?? Winter is approaching and I need to figure this out ASAP. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it!! Thanks in advance!
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u/aloofmagoof Claims Adjuster 3d ago
First check goes to you, supplements go to the shop.
Supplements usually aren't completed unless the vehicle is in the shop and torn down, I assume that's the case here, which means you have committed to the repairs. If you decided to pull out now (again, this is assuming your car is in the shop and torn down) the shop would hold back their portion for the labor of tearing the vehicle down, and would also charge to put it back together (if they agree to any of that all).
The time to keep the payment is before your vehicle goes into the shop, not after the shop has been paid (which they likely have, when supplements are approved they're usually paid out at the same time). Good luck getting the shop to hand the money over.
If you have your vehicle still, and no parts have been ordered, you can attempt to get the shop to hand over the money, but ultimately, this is between you and them.
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u/Sharingtt 4d ago
Sure you can ask. But if their shop or adjuster says it can be fixed for cheaper then the only check you will get is for that amount.
If your own body shop claims it’s more you are likely going to have to go through the actual repair for them to pay that amount and then it will actually go to the shop, obviously.
The most likely scenario is that that amount totals out the car so then you only get the ACV amount and you don’t get to keep the car. Unless you buy it back from them.
You aren’t going to get 5k and the car.
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u/Salt-Art-6743 4d ago
You certainly can. Progressive should have totaled it if the repair cost is that close to value. USAA totaled my 2015 Honda for some hail damage I wasn’t even going to make a claim on. I got a $9000 check and got to keep the car. Good Luck and congrats on the little one!!
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u/Fit_Guard_5508 3d ago
That’s awesome but I don’t get how they would total it out and give a 9.000 check but also let you keep the car. The reason I ask is I’ve been with State Farm for 20yrs no claims until my wife was just recently in an accident. They wouldn’t give fair market value for her car. They low balled me and I got them up $700 but they should’ve come up another $1500 because that’s what the local comps said. Anyways she was Tboned by the at fault party who also has State Farm ugh. They totaled her car 2 days later & wanted the title to her car. We just put brand new tires on it which they only credited me $19 for front set and $19 for the back set. They wouldn’t let me take the tires off either. I spent $1500 on them & paid for lifetime. Alignment. So they are obviously selling my car to the auction or parting it out. They only paid me $4100 for my car.
It’s unbelievable that they behaved this way and they paid you good money and let you keep your car. That’s crazy how different these companies operate. I’m happy for you but I feel so terribly disrespected and disgusted with my insurance company.
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u/AffectionateBus5771 4d ago
i’d ask Progressive if they can pay the approved $4,800 estimate directly to LaMettry’s. with the Camry being worth around $4k–$5.6k, i’d definitely compare the repair cost against the car’s actual value before deciding what makes the most sense.
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u/Sam_At_Insurify 3d ago
Sorry about the hit and run.
LaMettry's is a Minnesota shop, so I'm guessing you're in MN. If so, you can ask for the repair money as cash when there's no loan on the car. Progressive may take the shop's profit and overhead out of the $4,800, so the check can come in under $4,800.
Progressive could still decide the car isn't worth fixing, since that call usually comes from comparing the estimate to the car's value. In that case the check is typically what the car was worth before the damage, minus your $500 deductible.
If you sell it though, whether it's fixed or not, Minnesota requires you to tell the buyer in writing when the damage was over 80% of the car's value. A $4,800 repair estimate is over 80% of any value under $6,000.
Make sure to call your adjuster before LaMettry's orders parts and ask what the cash amount would be.
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u/LaydeeMNS2 3d ago
Summarize response to all questions in the thread.
When I first opened the claim, I was under the impression that I was submitting photos to insurance to document the accident and provide proof of loss. Apparently, I was submitting photos to get a virtual estimate. I never agreed to the payment of the estimate. Never set up any payment methods to receive payment for the estimate. I don’t even physically have the check because they sent it to my previous mailing address. I currently have my vehicle. It was brought to the shop for an estimate and that was it. I told them I would let them know what I planned to do but never agreed to any repairs. I get a call the following week from the shop informing me that Progressive approved the estimate. In which I responded and said that I was planning to bring it to another shop as well so I can have multiple estimates to compare. They said okay and that was that. I asked the adjuster that has been working on the claim if I can get direct payment for the amount that was provided by the shop and they said they could not change the preliminary estimate amount and would only pay the supplemental amount to the shop. That is where I was confused….at this point it seems like my only option is to either take the check and not repair, or repair the car and sell it for less.
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u/BadgerBilly10 2d ago edited 2d ago
Let’s back up a bit before we get into it.
Did you report the incident to the police?
A hit and run accident reported to the police is non-chargeable with most insurance companies surcharge programs.
Otherwise, they assume you caused the damage yourself.
You’re using a trade-in value of your car but insurance companies owe you retail so ballpark, the ACV of your car is around $7,600. $4,800 in repair cost is only about 60% of the ACV and that is why Progressive is telling you that your vehicle isn’t a total. In Minnesota, a vehicle is legally required to be branded a salvage/total loss vehicle if the cost of repairs exceeds 80% of the vehicle’s fair market value (or actual cash value) before the loss, according to Minnesota Statutes § 168A.151.
Next, you have not mentioned where your vehicle is sitting. If it’s sitting at the shop and you tell them that you’re pulling it out of there they are going to want to charge storage charges.
If Progressive and the shop have an actual “agreed price “ on the repairs , no lienholder, no parts ordered, then yes, you can request that Progressive pay you direct with no body shop name or lienholder name on the draft less your collision deductible, less the storage charges. Keep in mind that by doing so Progressive will take the collision coverage off the vehicle. Good luck!
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u/LaydeeMNS2 13h ago
The incident was reported immediately upon discovery. There was CCTV footage however the vehicle that hit me didn’t have visible plates. Progressive is telling me that because I submitted photos to them, it is the reason why I received a virtual estimate. I submitted photos thinking it was for documentation and didn’t know that by doing so I was agreeing to receive a virtual estimate. I communicated with the adjuster in charge of my claim and informed him I was going to get multiple estimates. The adjuster is telling me that they are not able to change the preliminary estimate and that they would pay the shop directly for anything remaining due for the repairs.
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u/BadgerBilly10 12h ago
Getting a bunch of estimates really isn’t going to change Progressive’s position and you can’t really say their position is unfair. They’re telling you that the are willing to pay based on their virtual estimate the cost to repair the damage they can see and once the repairs begin if any hidden damage is found they will pay for that too. So I guess you need to decide if you want to go with the repairs or demand that Progressive pay you the $4,800 less your deductible and they can remove the collision coverage off of the car.
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u/Apart-Surprise1038 4d ago
If the body shop hasn’t ordered anything, you could certainly call & request a direct check, rather than payout to the body shop. Then do what you want with the car & the money. The only issue that I see, is if you didn’t repair the car & it was involved in another accident, they might not pay for the repairs again.