Is there anything
> that I should do/know
> about when the Cox Company's insurance people contact me.
Go get yourself a Hemmings Motor News at the newsstand. If
there are other 1956's for sale there, they will probably
be top-dollar. This is a great resource to take (assuming
that there are cars listed there) to the claims adjuster to
help establish legitimate value. Start looking for other
cars that sellers are asking top dollar for and take those
too.
Take your photo album and be ready to turn on the
waterworks, so to speak, about the importance that this car
has for you and how they need to put it right. If you
inherited it from special relatives or there is special
historical info, this makes a binding argument against
replacement. A buddy had a truck that his deceased father
had willed him. It was all that he had to remember dad by.
The adjuster didn't even try to argue about Scott's
motives for asking for extensive repairs.
The adjuster is used to dealing with new cars, not old.
They may throw out a low dollar figure due to ignorance,
but most are just doing their job. Give them the tools to
justify thier payout to you and to raise the amount of
money it will take to make your car a total loss. A low
value car will get totalled sooner and be less likely to be
worth an investment of additional repair dollars.
Also, remember that the claims adjuster is there to
negotiate on behalf of the insured, and they will attempt
to simultaneously try to keep their payout in the best
interests of the insurance company while protecting
themselves from being defraded individually as an adjuster
by claimants.
You can always consider court. Suing the insured is the
last thing that the insurance company wants, as it is what
they are paid to protect their insured from.
I had a neighbor back into a vehicle of mine and refuse to
give insurance co. info to me. I took them to small claims
court, won a judgement that I was in the right but not a
dollar figure, and the judge forced the guy to give me his
info. When I went into the Ins agency, I told them what I
wanted, why it would cost so much (rare parts = $$) and he
offered 50% of what I claimed. I told him that I'd just
have to go back to court to have my judgement enforced, and
they paid me what I asked. Remember that you own half of
the agreement about what is fair, and a denial of your
claim is not the final step, even if they say it is. This
is negotiation, and no does not always mean that. It is
important to know when NO really is that, though!
Insurance people have time on their side and act as if
their answer is the only one. Act like yours is the only
one and you'll come out ahead, as long as you're civil and
leave emotion out. They do this every day. Give them
reason to concede. Don't give them reason to hold out by
being a jerk, ever.
One more thing: go have your claim processed at 4pm or the
last possible appt on a Friday (due to your "work
schedule"). Tyr to get a walk-in instead of an appt where
they are organized ahead of time. Take your time and
stretch out the interview. Having the agent wanting to go
home for a weekend can lubricate your claims process in
your favor, and they might just force it through to get rid
of you. Politely demand settlement that day, if possible.
You have more power than they'll let onto. Go get em!
=====
Kenyon Wills
6o LeBaron - America's Most Carefully Built Car
73 LeBaron - Long Low & Luxurious
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