Thomas was one of those customers that really mulled over the decision to pursue his diminished value.
He got a free claim consultation and months passed before he finally called back in ready to fight for his 2013 GMC Acadia Denali diminished value and he walked away with $4,000!
Does it really happen?
How do you know if you’re being steered?
Anderson Cooper at CNN just did a story on lawsuits that are being filed against huge insurance companies who continually dictate what is repaired on vehicles after an auto accident and this video is worth watching until the end!
I saw the middle stages of a little Ford Focus Hatchback taking a hit, flipping in mid-air, and the aftermath that ensued. As soon as I heard it, I looked out my window in my office because I like to work with the blinds open and sun shining in and I saw metal pieces and tires flying everywhere and a small car flipping once, twice, then landing right side up. It was like watching slow motion video and then stillness. I was scared to death that someone was badly hurt or even dead because there was no movement for a second. I yelled to Justin who was cooking us some gourmet lunch at the time and he yelled “Call 911!” and dashed out the door. While calling 911, I saw movement and a young woman jumped out of the car and ran around to the passenger side….to get her infant child out. The baby was moving and seemed to be fine but in shock and the man in the truck said he was okay but stayed in his truck, probably in shock as well. The 911 operators were great, quickly taking down the info they needed and with a sound in their voice like they were eager to help. It was refreshing considering the stories we have all seen on the news about people at the 911 command having a bad day or lackadaisical attitude that ends up costing valuable time and lives.
If you’ve been in an automobile collision, after the initial shock and if the vehicle is not a total loss, the first thing to do is to determine where to get repairs done and get the vehicle there.
Most people simply take their vehicle to a dealer facility or a body shop that is suggested by the insurance adjuster or company. Although there are always exceptions, dealer facilities and body shops that insurance carriers suggest are not normally on the top of my list for high quality repairs. I present to you a few insider tips and questions that you should be thinking of when you select a repair facility.
When dealing with another person’s insurance company for an accident, many attorneys will simply tell clients that they do not get involved with the property damage part of the claim and that includes diminished value and total loss settlements.
In fact, MOST injury attorneys practice this policy on third party cases.
Well, normally it’s because there is no way for the attorney to make any money handling the property damages AND make sure the victim gets all their property damage money.
The only way to remedy unethical and unfair behavior is to expose it to the entirety of victims that it affects in the hopes they will stand up to the bullies. It is a shame that those in power seem to have a propensity to abuse it (crony capitalism anyone?). To that end, I hope this article reaches many victims and their legal counsel, and that at least some of them take a stand with me and demand action from their representatives at the State.
No problem if you have uninsured motorist coverage, right?
Click here to read the rest of the article and find out important facts you need to know about your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage that may make you shiver in your boots!
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During my auto claims career I have dealt with hundreds of claims that stemmed from the negligence of a commercial vehicle. In particular, three types of claims are most common: Claims involving rental vehicles, taxis, or small freight / towing truck companies. In most cases, if one of these commonly self-insured entities has caused you damage, then you’ll have a very difficult time recovering your damages.
I currently have a case on the books where my customer’s vehicle was damaged because a towing company failed to secure an item that was on the bed of a tow truck. The item fell off causing over $7K in damage and lost value to my client’s vehicle. The tow company’s risk manager told us that he would not pay for damages, and that my customer would have to sue. Then, he said if the customer won the suit, he still would simply never pay the judgment.
So you’ve been doing all this research on diminished value, and you’ve figured out that the at fault party’s insurance company should pay you for the lost value your car has suffered, right? The only problem is that you got a diminished value claim denial by the insurance company. Although it may make you want to rip your hair out, don’t get discouraged! It is very common for insurance carriers to deny diminished value claims as a tactic to weed out those victims who will be frustrated enough to just give up on their claim. They use this tactic because the sad fact is that most people DO give up. You know why? Forcing an insurance company to be fair is HARD! Also, there is generally nobody to help accident victims with their small value property damage claims and insurance companies know it. So where does that leave you? Is there any hope of recovering your lost value? Read on my friend, read on. . . . (more…)
Shane is an attorney so he was well aware that diminished value was owed to him after he was hit in his 2007 Aston Martin Vantage.
He definitely had an advantage when it came to negotiating his claim but he did rely on our knowledge and highly technical report to prove that his loss was substantial despite the fact that his luxury car was repaired perfectly by the best in Dallas.
He knew that his Aston Martin diminished value claim was going to run pretty high but he had to prove it!