Can I file a car insurance claim for this type of damage?
January 16, 2016 2:46 PM Subscribe
My front bumper area underneath the car is all dented and scraped up, I believe because I pulled into my parking spot too far and hit a big rock. (It may have perhaps happened more than once, to be honest. I can't say for sure.) I don't know when this damage occurred exactly and this was just me and a rock, not any other drivers. Could I submit a claim and get this fixed through my insurance? I have to turn my car in and I think my dealer will charge me for this damage, so I'd like to fix it myself beforehand.
Can I just call my insurance and say I just noticed the damage? Would they reject it if I didn't call it in right away? Or should I say it happened on X day in X incident and say it was recent? Can they reject a claim if it doesn't conform to specific criteria?
I went to a body shop to inquire about the cost and he said to just tell the insurance I hit a rock and need it repaired.
Bonus: Anyone have any idea how long this process could take to get it fixed? My car lease is ending soon. Thanks!
Can I just call my insurance and say I just noticed the damage? Would they reject it if I didn't call it in right away? Or should I say it happened on X day in X incident and say it was recent? Can they reject a claim if it doesn't conform to specific criteria?
I went to a body shop to inquire about the cost and he said to just tell the insurance I hit a rock and need it repaired.
Bonus: Anyone have any idea how long this process could take to get it fixed? My car lease is ending soon. Thanks!
Response by poster: Just to clarify:
1) I actually have a low deductible. My deductible is only $300 and the first body shop I saw quoted me at $900. I'm sure there is the possibility it can be fixed for less than $900, but I what I don't want is to leave it up to Toyota and risk them charging me $1000 when I turn in my car if I can pay only $300.
2) I am giving up having a car after this lease ends, so I am willing to to get dinged on my car insurance profile because I don't plan on needing car insurance anymore. Higher rates isn't an issue. (I also think in my state, under $1000 may be enough to keep it off my record.)
The question I am asking is if I can file this claim without it being rejected. I am not asking whether people would handle it the same way as I am. I have already covered looking at the financials.
posted by AspirinPill at 2:59 PM on January 16, 2016
1) I actually have a low deductible. My deductible is only $300 and the first body shop I saw quoted me at $900. I'm sure there is the possibility it can be fixed for less than $900, but I what I don't want is to leave it up to Toyota and risk them charging me $1000 when I turn in my car if I can pay only $300.
2) I am giving up having a car after this lease ends, so I am willing to to get dinged on my car insurance profile because I don't plan on needing car insurance anymore. Higher rates isn't an issue. (I also think in my state, under $1000 may be enough to keep it off my record.)
The question I am asking is if I can file this claim without it being rejected. I am not asking whether people would handle it the same way as I am. I have already covered looking at the financials.
posted by AspirinPill at 2:59 PM on January 16, 2016
Go to another body shop and get an actual price. It may be cheaper to pay out of pocket than to have your insurance rates raised over time.
posted by decathecting at 3:01 PM on January 16, 2016
posted by decathecting at 3:01 PM on January 16, 2016
Just saw your update, sorry. Yeah, call your insurance company and ask them your questions. No one other than them will know what your insurance covers.
And the body shop should be able to tell you how long the repair will take.
posted by decathecting at 3:02 PM on January 16, 2016
And the body shop should be able to tell you how long the repair will take.
posted by decathecting at 3:02 PM on January 16, 2016
This is a bad idea if you have any chance of getting car insurance again in the next three years (the general timeframe at-fault incidents like this will stay on your car insurance CLUE report). However, that's not the question you asked.
Can I just call my insurance and say I just noticed the damage?
Yes.
Would they reject it if I didn't call it in right away?
Possibly. Insurance contracts uniformly require you to report damage promptly. The longer you wait, the easier it is for them to say the damage is pre-existing and/or that you did not comply with your insurance contract requirements.
Or should I say it happened on X day in X incident and say it was recent?
If you don't know what caused it, saying this would be insurance fraud.
If you do know what caused it, say that.
Can they reject a claim if it doesn't conform to specific criteria?
Yes. Your insurance contract has obligations on both your side and their side. One of your obligations is to promptly report any claims.
Your legal obligation is to not lie to your insurance provider.
Anyone have any idea how long this process could take to get it fixed?
We can't answer this, because it is dependent on your particular insurance company's policies. I've personally had a car repair started less than a day after a collision and completed within a week. I've also had insurance companies dither for months for paying something they don't think is their obligation.
posted by saeculorum at 3:05 PM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Can I just call my insurance and say I just noticed the damage?
Yes.
Would they reject it if I didn't call it in right away?
Possibly. Insurance contracts uniformly require you to report damage promptly. The longer you wait, the easier it is for them to say the damage is pre-existing and/or that you did not comply with your insurance contract requirements.
Or should I say it happened on X day in X incident and say it was recent?
If you don't know what caused it, saying this would be insurance fraud.
If you do know what caused it, say that.
Can they reject a claim if it doesn't conform to specific criteria?
Yes. Your insurance contract has obligations on both your side and their side. One of your obligations is to promptly report any claims.
Your legal obligation is to not lie to your insurance provider.
Anyone have any idea how long this process could take to get it fixed?
We can't answer this, because it is dependent on your particular insurance company's policies. I've personally had a car repair started less than a day after a collision and completed within a week. I've also had insurance companies dither for months for paying something they don't think is their obligation.
posted by saeculorum at 3:05 PM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Can I just call my insurance and say I just noticed the damage? Would they reject it if I didn't call it in right away?
Obviously I don't know about your insurance, but mine was totally fine when I called them several months after some damage happened. I didn't even say "I just noticed it." I told them the truth, that I just got around to calling. It was an expensive fix (well into four figures) so it was worth using the insurance for, and they gave me no guff whatsoever (they also didn't raise my rates, FWIW).
posted by primethyme at 3:13 PM on January 16, 2016
Obviously I don't know about your insurance, but mine was totally fine when I called them several months after some damage happened. I didn't even say "I just noticed it." I told them the truth, that I just got around to calling. It was an expensive fix (well into four figures) so it was worth using the insurance for, and they gave me no guff whatsoever (they also didn't raise my rates, FWIW).
posted by primethyme at 3:13 PM on January 16, 2016
You may over estimate what the dealer will charge you for the damage. They can fix it in their body-shop at cost once you turn the car in. Take it in now, see what they'll give you for the car. Basically on a lease, there's the remaining balance of the loan/lease residual. You can check your financing info and see what the estimated 'pay-off' is. Then check KBB for the trade-in value of your vehicle. If it's close, turn it in now and suck up whatever they ding you on the damage, if they give you grief, offer to take it to another dealer to see if you can play their offers against each other.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:16 PM on January 16, 2016
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:16 PM on January 16, 2016
Response by poster: So, just a couple more quick clarifications (sorry):
1) I am not trying to commit insurance fraud, it's more about framing the issue in the best way and not saying something stupid. Thanks to those who shared similar experiences. That's helpful.
2) As far as my lease, I have two options, to either a) just turn my car in at the end of the lease or b) sell it. I did go to the dealership and they want to buy my car from me. The guy gave me their offer to buy it, and he suggested the dealership could charge me $1000 for the damage if I turn it in. I have to pick one or the other (selling vs. turning in) because they are two separate processes, so I have to decide ahead of time whether I want to sell it to the dealership (and pay the leftover payoff amount) or simply turn my car in, and pay for any damage + dispostion fee.
Now, the guy told me the damage could get me dinged for $1000, but he could be overestimating that amount because he wants to buy it. So he may be trying to make selling look like the cheaper option for me. Or maybe that's really what I'll be charged. The problem is, I won't know when I bring the car in. I just get billed later after they process it. (I went to Car Max, and their offer was the same as the dealership.)
I will call the national leasing office to verify my options and the process for ending the lease, but I'm operating on the assumption that I have gathered the correct information. I will see if there's a way to know what Toyota will charge me before I decide, but the dealership told me there wasn't because outside people come in for that. So, I am thinking it may be less of a gamble to fix it myself given my low deductible and the fact that I don't need car insurance anymore.
3) I can't wait to not own a car anymore. It's such a pain in the ass!
posted by AspirinPill at 3:33 PM on January 16, 2016
1) I am not trying to commit insurance fraud, it's more about framing the issue in the best way and not saying something stupid. Thanks to those who shared similar experiences. That's helpful.
2) As far as my lease, I have two options, to either a) just turn my car in at the end of the lease or b) sell it. I did go to the dealership and they want to buy my car from me. The guy gave me their offer to buy it, and he suggested the dealership could charge me $1000 for the damage if I turn it in. I have to pick one or the other (selling vs. turning in) because they are two separate processes, so I have to decide ahead of time whether I want to sell it to the dealership (and pay the leftover payoff amount) or simply turn my car in, and pay for any damage + dispostion fee.
Now, the guy told me the damage could get me dinged for $1000, but he could be overestimating that amount because he wants to buy it. So he may be trying to make selling look like the cheaper option for me. Or maybe that's really what I'll be charged. The problem is, I won't know when I bring the car in. I just get billed later after they process it. (I went to Car Max, and their offer was the same as the dealership.)
I will call the national leasing office to verify my options and the process for ending the lease, but I'm operating on the assumption that I have gathered the correct information. I will see if there's a way to know what Toyota will charge me before I decide, but the dealership told me there wasn't because outside people come in for that. So, I am thinking it may be less of a gamble to fix it myself given my low deductible and the fact that I don't need car insurance anymore.
3) I can't wait to not own a car anymore. It's such a pain in the ass!
posted by AspirinPill at 3:33 PM on January 16, 2016
You do have a third option as well - sell to a third party.
There's a lease buyout amount that would have been calculated when you first signed the lease. If you can find someone who wants to buy the car for near that amount, then you can arrange to bring them and the car to the dealership. There's no lease damage/mileage calculation, the dealership can arrange financing if they don't have the full amount up front, and you walk away without paying anything else.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 4:12 PM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
There's a lease buyout amount that would have been calculated when you first signed the lease. If you can find someone who wants to buy the car for near that amount, then you can arrange to bring them and the car to the dealership. There's no lease damage/mileage calculation, the dealership can arrange financing if they don't have the full amount up front, and you walk away without paying anything else.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 4:12 PM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: As it turns out, I was able to just get a pre-inspection report from AutoVIN where they said the damage I have actually does fall under normal wear and tear. I knew the dealership guy was lying to me. Car salesmen are so awful, haha. So, for anyone who happens to see this thread, contact your leasing company for info about a pre-return inspection on your leased vehicle!
posted by AspirinPill at 1:06 PM on January 21, 2016
posted by AspirinPill at 1:06 PM on January 21, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Kalmya at 2:57 PM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]