Hail damage and insurance

[Ozmondo]

My truck was recently damaged by hail and my insurance company gave me an appraisal for the damage. I haven't had a claim for anything in years so I was wondering if I can get it fixed for less than what the insurance company is offering can I keep the difference?

[gopokes88]

My truck was recently damaged by hail and my insurance company gave me an appraisal for the damage. I haven't had a claim for anything in years so I was wondering if I can get it fixed for less than what the insurance company is offering can I keep the difference?

Depends on the company but generally no. They'll give you the depreciated amount up front and the remainder after the truck is fixed. So unless it's a buddy of yours and you guys decide to commit insurance fraud, and he bills the insurance company for more then he charged you, they'll pay what it costs.

[Ozmondo]

Depends on the company but generally no. They'll give you the depreciated amount up front and the remainder after the truck is fixed. So unless it's a buddy of yours and you guys decide to commit insurance fraud, and he bills the insurance company for more then he charged you, they'll pay what it costs.

Thanks.... I was thinking that's the way it worked but wasn't sure.

[Teo9969]

I imagine it depends on the process of the insurance company, but anecdotally this is how it has seemed to work to me:

If the insurance company did an appraisal of the damage and then immediately wrote you a check, you could choose not to get the damage fixed at all, and you could pocket all of the money. Now if future hail were to come and blow out your window or potentially if you were to get into an at fault accident, they would likely want to see the receipt showing your current damage was indeed fixed at some point in the past, otherwise I suspect they would not pay out your claim.

If you were to take it to a body shop and negotiate a price better than the amount that was given to you, I'm aware of nothing that says you are under obligation to pay back to the insurer the difference. If the damage were greater than the check you were given + your deductible, they would be required to pay the difference.

No doubt that, like gopokes88 said, it would be fraud to get an invoice for an amount greater than you actually paid and collecting that difference from the insurance company. I've never experienced comp/collision coverage that is depreciation based over repair/replacement cost based, so I'm not sure about recovering depreciation in an auto-claim.

[AP]

I'd listen to gopokes88, it's what he does for a living...

[stick47]

I had $800 in damage once and the ins co gave me a check. I called a paintless dent removal guy who had I had previously hired for our car club to work out door dings, etc at one of our get togethers and had him fix all the damage except the roof. The ones he did cost me just $250 .
Normally I would never get hail damage since my cars are always garaged but this time the Nephews car was in my spot being rebuilt.

[Ozmondo]

I didn't get a check up front but I'll be happy to get my truck fixed and not have to pay a deductable.

[ctchandler]

After an appraisal at a temporary location rented by State Farm due to the massive amount of hail damage in 2013 (or 2014) they wrote me a $6,300 check (my deductible is $500). My State Farm Agency recommended a place to have my car repaired (at Rockwell and 50th) and they repaired it (dentless repair worked, contrary to their original estimate) for $6,300. I called my agent and asked what to do and they said it was my good fortune, so I saved $500. I guess you could just call your agent and find out what the policy requires or what they expect you to do. I do think the insurance companies work differently during massive damage occurrences. There were millions of dollars paid out that month. I had to make an appointment for an appraisal and they were lined up outside when I arrived at the old Ford Dealer in Edmond.
C. T.

[Filthy]

On both of the last two occasions that I've filed a claim for (severe) hail damage, I have come out ahead by a substantial dollar amount. It can be done pretty easily, and there is nothing fraudulent about it in any way. It has a lot more to do with the type of vehicle you own, and making sure you own it right. I definitely don't want my vehicles damaged in anyway...but I no longer stress over the process of having one hammered by hail.