My truck was stolen and then found. My insurance is paying to fix the damage done to the body and interior, but is wanting me to pay half to fix the exhaust, which was cut off..Insurance people say that there is rust and it needs to be replaced anyways.. Should I have to pay for this? I already paid a $500 deductable.
2007-03-20 13:21:28 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Insurance & Registration
The insurance people will try to make you pay what ever they can get you to pay. NO, you shouldn't have to pay half. The exhaust worked and thats all that matters. You pay them $$ every month for this reason!
2007-03-20 13:36:13 · answer #1 · answered by Pamela 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I wish Pam was right, but she's not. Exhaust and other wear parts on your car are not permanent. They wear out. Since your exhaust was partially used up at the time of the theft, your insurance only has to pay you for the life it had left. They usually depreciate it at about 15% per year, but each policy and each company are different. You agreed to this if it is in your policy. If it is not, you have a fight on your hands if you don't hire a lawyer. Some insurance companies are better than others. I have State Farm. They would only depreciate it 15% per year up to 50% if it still passed last inspection. And if I agreed to use an aftermarket replacement rather than a factory exhaust, they would pay for the whole thing. It doesn't always pay to just go with whoever has the lowest rates. What matters is how you are going to be treated when you have an accident. Actually, you are not being treated unfairly in this instance, unless you can prove that the exhaust was relatively new and 50% is too much depreciation, but you better have a receipt.
2007-03-20 21:27:25 · answer #2 · answered by MICHAEL S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is perfectly legal and I'll bet it's written in your policy in black and white. This is no different than demanding your insurance pay for a worn-out tire that was damaged by the theives; would you really expect them to buy you a brand new one? That's not what you had -- and you didn't have a new exhaust. They are simply applying a 50% betterment to the exhaust system -- or would you feel better if they located a USED exhaust system from a salvage yard and had it installed on your truck? (why NOT? Yours was used...)
2007-03-20 21:30:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO.. Don't pay half that is BS.. They don't know what the exhaust was like before it was stolen, and now that it was cut off.. They really couldn't tell..Get a lawyer if you have to.. But if there is prexisting damage that they can see, then you may have to regardless if it was cut or not.. Still consult a lawyer, or ask ur agent..
2007-03-20 22:01:00 · answer #4 · answered by D.L. 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh hell no! There just trying to worm out of forking over any more money. When the truck was stolen it had an exhaust system regardless of how bad off it was it still had one. They need to replace it. Besides that, if it was cut off by the people who stole the truck then how do they know what condition it was in to start with?
Fight them tooth and nail on this and don't let them get out of it.
2007-03-20 21:26:24 · answer #5 · answered by deanspurrier 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
absolutely you should pay half. THink about it: insurance job is to get your car to pre-loss condition. If they gave you an exhaust that was new... it car would be in better condition then before.
Think about it this way... you can go out with that half-payment they are giving you and buy a rusted exhaust.. they are paying you for the value of what you had. if you choose to upgrade and get a new exhaust.. of course you owe for it.
2007-03-20 20:50:14 · answer #6 · answered by la428282 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It is prior damage, so yes, you should have to pay half. The deductible has nothing to do with it, you agreed to it.
2007-03-21 01:23:12 · answer #7 · answered by fisherwoman 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋