Will I get less money from the insurance compnay if my car has additional damage unrelated to the accident?

Question

I was rearended by another driver while my car was parked. The other driver admitted it was thier fault. My rear bumper is cracked, theres a dent in the rear side and trunk and a cracked tial light. The police report also says it was the other drivers fault. The other drivers insurance adjuster is coming out to look at the damage to give me an estimate. Only problem is a few day ago I got in another accident(my fault this time) and cracked and dented my front bumber. When I took it to my mechanic he told me get the front bumber fixed before the adjuster comes out because if they see the car has been in another accident, then they will give me less money to fix the rear damage, is this true? What should I do?

p.s. does anybody know how much it would cost me to get a cracked front bumber fixed out of pocket.

Thanks

Answer 1

No, that is not true. Just be honest about the fact that you were in a different accident, resulting in a separate area of damage. The rear is undisputed, so there's no reason why they won't pay for the damage their insured caused.

Answer 2

NOT TRUE! The rear damage has NOTHING to do with the front unless the vehicle is declared a total loss, meaning cost to repair will exceed the value of your car or exceed the state limit (usually about 70 - 80% of the value). The VALUE of your car WILL be affected if the insurance company handles this as a total. ACV (actual cash value) of your car will be determined by the condition it was in PRIOR to the rear collision. A vehicle that already has collision damage on it is not worth as much as one that has none.
Confused now? Don't worry...it's all like rats in a wheel sometimes.

Answer 3

the claim adjuster is only going to look at your rear end not the front. The claim adjuster is just going to verify the damage and then tell you where you can take it to get repaired. You can ask your mechanic to give you an estimate for what it would take, that wouldn't hurt.
I could see it affecting if the car was totaled, but from what you say it wasn't.

Answer 4

No, it's not true. They will only look at and repair the damage from the hit in the rear. They won't even look at the front.

Answer 5

The cracked front bumper replacement on my Honda Accord three years ago cost me $470.

Answer 6

The insurance company will pay you for the things damaged in the accident provided they know and understand what was damaged and how it all took place.

Answer 7

be honest because it might bite you in the @ss later