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Media hype.. mainly staff is handling it

Posted By Tex Walker on 02 Jul 2012 05:01 PM
Media hype.. mainly staff is handling it

Some of my more experienced IA members are extremely busy from this event. The key word being "SOME"

Posted By CatAdjusterX on 03 Jul 2012 07:46 PM

Posted By Tex Walker on 02 Jul 2012 05:01 PM
Media hype.. mainly staff is handling it

Some of my more experienced IA members are extremely busy from this event. The key word being "SOME"
........................................................

I have ZERO experience with AUTO claims. So I would like to ask any of my CADO brethren who have experience on the auto side, in regard to hail damage, is there a type of "Test squares" formula (X amount of hits per area)? Is there any issue with the body whilst being dinged up pretty badly yet "functional?" Logic would seem to dictate that glass is a no brainer but are there any cases of almost the entire body of the vehicle is dinged all to hell but no window breakage(Akin to a roof dinged all to hell but no damage to the fascia or vents (turtle/crown/plumbing) to where the damage may indicate coming from a ball peen hammer as opposed to hail (IE FRAUD?)  

Hey Robby,
Just finished getting schooled on some of those very questions at Pilot.

"test squares"? They tell us there are no test square type guidelines. They said we would get the details how they want us to handle hail specifics at each hail event. And that each storm and each ins. co will be different. But that (at least Amfam and Allstate) will supply adjusters with magnets to size the hail. They are typically rated Quarter, Dime, and Nickel sized with extra money for more severe and a little less for smaller. We are told to take the number of hits and size of damage and select the correct price range from the Paintless Dent Repair sheet already negotiated between the insurance co and a paintelss dent co. (IE: 5-10 nickel hits on hood costs $ and 16-20 Quarter hits on roof costs $) But ultimately they told us how we write up the method of repair and severity of damage is up to our best judgement. They just tell us to try PDR first and if too extensive use conventional repair using recycled parts first, followed by aftermarket, and finally new OEM. And all of those repairs have to fit within the magic salvage number or the ins. co buys it.

Yes, people can easily take the check and run, not repairing anything. They tell us hail will not chip glass, so unless it is clearly broken by some big ass hail, there should be no hail damage on glass. If we see a chip, it probably came from a rock or some other prior damage but hail will cause an existing chip to run and we can buy that glass. Even if the car is a total loss, the insured can usually buy it back and (following their state's title laws) keep driving it. They tell us that hail is a prime reason for an insured to buy it back. I mean, it looks like hell but mechanically there is nothing wrong with it. Especially if there is just too much hail to use paintless dent repair but not enough to warrant losing it for 2+ weeks at a body shop and worry about a possible crummy repair or paint overspray everywhere and all that other stuff that goes along with conventional repairs. Just keep the money and bolt a hood and trunk lid on it and keep driving it. The flip side is that the salvage value of the vehicle is typically higher on a hail car than a wrecked car. So the insured is usually pretty shocked how much the ins. co wants for the car after they total it. Salvage yards pay a pretty penny for hail cars, lots of usable parts and what not.

Fraud? Yes again, we are supposed to look for hail that is not consistent with the way it falls from the sky IE: straight lines, not on horizontal surfaces, ect (hammer damage) like they told us of one guy that brought his truck in and it legit had a couple of hits on the hood and roof but someone took a hammer and walked down both sides of the truck dinging it. The hits looked like some one held a hammer down at their side and walked along hitting the truck on both sides. VERY obvious, like a hail pin stripe! Instructor even said the hammer in question was still in the bed of the truck! Of course we can't call them a liar or anything, we have to say " this damage doesn't appear consistent with hail damage" or something like that. Perhaps even someone else damaged the truck and not the owner. Who knows.

I would think it is like your homeowner that claims his bathroom has storm water damage but ceiling isn't wet and the floor around the toilet is all soft from years of moisture! You just gotta tell them somehow we aint covering it.

I am in Mobile in my hotel room typing this right now. I have one more day of class left and after 9 days of classes for 2 different insurance companies I have way too much info spinning around in my head. I am pretty brain dead. I hope at least some of this post makes sense!

Chad

Newbie, Looking to work as an Assitant for an Experienced Adjuster! Excellent references! Available ASAP!!!