Insurance Claim Advice - North American Grand Cherokee Association

Toby42 · 08-28-2009, 11:09 AM

I need some advice. Hail beat up mah ZJ to the tune of $4600. The company says the Jeep's only worth 3600 NADA, but improvements to the vehicle are taken into account. Problem is, they can't just look out their window and see that I have a lift, aftermarket wheels, K&N, gearing, etc. I have to have receipts for all this. How can I prove the vehicle is worth more than it is so they don't total it out? Ideas?

CrawlerReady · 08-28-2009, 11:56 AM

What we do (American Family Insurance) is send the customer to a valid 4x4 shop and have them give us a quote for how much is invested in the vehicle. See if your ins. company will do that.

Jeepy5Point2 · 08-28-2009, 01:12 PM

a lot of insurance companys will ask to have photos taken the first time you get a policy made, you could see if they do this and if they do have those people take some pictures of it for you that way they will know it is yours

Technohead · 08-28-2009, 02:58 PM

Perhaps you can show recent sale prices of similarly modified vehicles?

Any pictures of the damage?

Did you report the modifications to the insurance company as you made them? Another consideration, especially when safety devices such as ABS are involved, is that the insurance company might be able to void the policy. Its happened before. You might want to read the fine print before making too much noise.

Cody · 08-28-2009, 03:31 PM

http://www.nagca.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36491

I'm not sure if this is your only vehicle or not, but if it's mainly your wheelin rig and you don't have any designs on selling it, you cuold let them total it and give you $3600, then buy it back from them for $1200 or whatever it is they would want. Now you have a dedicated trail rig on a salvage title, and ~$2000 in your pocket for the trouble

Toby42 · 08-31-2009, 08:49 AM

Yeah, that's what I was thinking about doing... I was able to track down the guy who did my gears, and it looks like if I can get a receipt. We'll see if that makes a difference (or how much of a difference) to the ins. co. I'll keep ya'll posted.

Thanks!

tcar · 09-02-2009, 08:45 AM

Read your policy before talking to the Ins Company again. You may be getting in hot water by adding mods to the value. You could have the policy voided even.

Seriously.

Toby42 · 09-02-2009, 03:35 PM

hmmm...

cykaaro · 09-03-2009, 06:09 PM

I feel for you. Just wrote off my camry ['92 with a 40,000km engine and suspension done up on it]. Is the reason I know have another jeep though! [formerly had '90XJ 6" custom lift on 33's,but rolled it instead of killing someone head on, now a '98ZJ]
It will depend on your insurance company and how they view things.
With my adjuster at the body shop, I explain the work that I put into it, what it did and why. Was told for at least the engine I'd need probably a receipt saying as much, but when I did was fax them a list of what was put into it and the cost of each item.
When the insurance companies appraiser went, he was given all the information I gave along with seeing the damage. They then plugged it into the formulas they use and spit out a number. As I was told, the car is worth what it is book value period, but with the work I've put into it [in my case, suspension, rims, etc] are taken into account and in the end was given almost double the amount of the book value. You have to be careful how you say things. In my case, doing the suspension etc made the car handle better and a safer vehicle. Doing up say an engine may look more like you're racing it, but putting on an open filter and doing the exhaust up with aftermarket can also be argued to make the engine run better and more efficiently to try to get better gas mileage. On a jeep you could view the lift as you drive on remote roads where you need it so it's capable of where you go, the gearing make it get better gas mileage, and it's lifted with the wheels etc so you won't get stuck. Again, it's a preception of things and does depend on your insurance company, but lifting a jeep to make it a very capable vehicle is a lot different than making, say, a civic into a mini race car, which insurance companies seem to like to steer clear of such things, at least around where I am.
Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

08-28-2009, 11:09 AM	#1
Toby42 Senior Member Grand Master Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO Posts: 2,223	Insurance Claim Advice I need some advice. Hail beat up mah ZJ to the tune of $4600. The company says the Jeep's only worth 3600 NADA, but improvements to the vehicle are taken into account. Problem is, they can't just look out their window and see that I have a lift, aftermarket wheels, K&N, gearing, etc. I have to have receipts for all this. How can I prove the vehicle is worth more than it is so they don't total it out? Ideas? __________________ Still lurking...

08-28-2009, 11:56 AM	#2
CrawlerReady NAGCA Vendor Grand Master Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sandy, Utah Posts: 1,994	What we do (American Family Insurance) is send the customer to a valid 4x4 shop and have them give us a quote for how much is invested in the vehicle. See if your ins. company will do that. __________________ www.crawlerready.com "For The Truly Addicted!" Become a Fan on Facebook!

08-28-2009, 01:12 PM	#3
Jeepy5Point2 Premium Member Grand Addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: South Jersey - Galloway Posts: 924	a lot of insurance companys will ask to have photos taken the first time you get a policy made, you could see if they do this and if they do have those people take some pictures of it for you that way they will know it is yours __________________ -- Bret 97 ZJ 5.2 Build <==--==> Home Page Clayton 7" LA, Skid - Bilstine 5100 - KOR Sliders, Rad brace/tow points, Hard-KOR SS - 35x12.5 TrXuS MT's, F&R Locked - 4.56's - CB, (GM/F)RS, & Full Dulplex Radios - high steer - 740 watts of day light

08-28-2009, 02:58 PM	#4
Technohead Senior Member Grand Master Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Exeter, RI Posts: 1,646	Perhaps you can show recent sale prices of similarly modified vehicles? Any pictures of the damage? Did you report the modifications to the insurance company as you made them? Another consideration, especially when safety devices such as ABS are involved, is that the insurance company might be able to void the policy. Its happened before. You might want to read the fine print before making too much noise. __________________ -Eric Build thread Ocean State Jeepsters New England Jeepz

08-28-2009, 03:31 PM	#5
Cody Evil Overlord Grand Master Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: SLC, UT, USA Posts: 3,456	http://www.nagca.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36491 I'm not sure if this is your only vehicle or not, but if it's mainly your wheelin rig and you don't have any designs on selling it, you cuold let them total it and give you $3600, then buy it back from them for $1200 or whatever it is they would want. Now you have a dedicated trail rig on a salvage title, and ~$2000 in your pocket for the trouble __________________ Breakin ZJ parts since 2001

08-31-2009, 08:49 AM	#6
Toby42 Senior Member Grand Master Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO Posts: 2,223	Yeah, that's what I was thinking about doing... I was able to track down the guy who did my gears, and it looks like if I can get a receipt. We'll see if that makes a difference (or how much of a difference) to the ins. co. I'll keep ya'll posted. Thanks! __________________ Still lurking... Last edited by Toby42; 08-31-2009 at 08:57 AM.

09-02-2009, 08:45 AM	#7
tcar Senior Member Grand Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 856	Read your policy before talking to the Ins Company again. You may be getting in hot water by adding mods to the value. You could have the policy voided even. Seriously. __________________ 94 GC Ltd 5.2 00 GC Ltd 4.7 - SOLD 98 GC Ltd 5.9 - SOLD

09-02-2009, 03:35 PM	#8
Toby42 Senior Member Grand Master Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO Posts: 2,223	hmmm... __________________ Still lurking...

09-03-2009, 06:09 PM	#9
cykaaro Senior Member Grand Junkie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 297	I feel for you. Just wrote off my camry ['92 with a 40,000km engine and suspension done up on it]. Is the reason I know have another jeep though! [formerly had '90XJ 6" custom lift on 33's,but rolled it instead of killing someone head on, now a '98ZJ] It will depend on your insurance company and how they view things. With my adjuster at the body shop, I explain the work that I put into it, what it did and why. Was told for at least the engine I'd need probably a receipt saying as much, but when I did was fax them a list of what was put into it and the cost of each item. When the insurance companies appraiser went, he was given all the information I gave along with seeing the damage. They then plugged it into the formulas they use and spit out a number. As I was told, the car is worth what it is book value period, but with the work I've put into it [in my case, suspension, rims, etc] are taken into account and in the end was given almost double the amount of the book value. You have to be careful how you say things. In my case, doing the suspension etc made the car handle better and a safer vehicle. Doing up say an engine may look more like you're racing it, but putting on an open filter and doing the exhaust up with aftermarket can also be argued to make the engine run better and more efficiently to try to get better gas mileage. On a jeep you could view the lift as you drive on remote roads where you need it so it's capable of where you go, the gearing make it get better gas mileage, and it's lifted with the wheels etc so you won't get stuck. Again, it's a preception of things and does depend on your insurance company, but lifting a jeep to make it a very capable vehicle is a lot different than making, say, a civic into a mini race car, which insurance companies seem to like to steer clear of such things, at least around where I am. Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

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