Need help with insurance claim

[-83MONTESS-]

So the other night I hit a deer with my truck. It's an 02 Dodge Ram 2500 Sport with the High Output Cummins turbo diesel. It didn't do too much body damage but it needs a new bumper cover($700+paint), new bumper support assembly($250), new intercooler($700), new trans cooler(it was an aftermarket unit paid $300 for it), new AC condenser($130), and new fan shroud($120). It's a fairly simple fix and I have looked around and gathered all the part numbers myself for whats needed. I talked to the insurance company and they told me I still had to have a shop look at it which obvious.

My question to you guys is how should I go about persuading the adjuster to cut me the check instead of a shop? I hate the idea of putting my truck in a shop considering I NEVER let people work on my vehicles. I have seen firsthand the piss poor work that's done on these insurance jobs especially when it comes to paint matching and metal work. I know for a fact I can do it faster and cheaper than a shop. Should I tell the adjuster I can do it a few hundred $$$ less than the shop quoted me? I am still paying on the truck so I imagine that hurts my chances but any tips on what I can do? Anyone been in a similiar position?

 

[xitabl442]

Do you have a shop that you have worked with before? Get an estimate and start from there, it's not unreasonable to repair it yourself considering the damage. Who is your insurance company? They will likely send an adjuster out to look at it.

 

[pontiacgp]

Here in Ontario they will normally reduce the check by 10% if you are going to do the work yourself...but I have no ideer how they handle it where you are

 

[Mat1227]

It depends on what Insurance company you have, Progressive just wrote me a check and said if it's more have the shop submit a request for a change.
Mark

 

[DRIVEN]

If you know what it costs then you'll know if the adjuster has come up with enough in the estimate -- they always start low. I don't know how it works where you are but in my state the check is made out to the owner then signed over to the shop of the owner's choosing.
The other option would be to just suck it up and go out of pocket to save the deductible and increased rates. If you shop right for used parts you should be able to keep it under $1000. It looks driveable so you don't need to be in a hurry.

 

[ssn696]

Agree that it depends upon the company. We had a hail damage 10 years ago and USAA deposited the claim into our checking account. We bought a new furnace and water heater instead. (Then, a few years later, when Honda wanted to offer us $6K for Subie at trade-in, we went to CarMax and they gave us a check for $12K.)
Agree with the fix-it-yourself idea. Then there is no claim on your policy and no CarFax record either.
Also agree that you'll probably to a better job than any shop...

 

[-83MONTESS-]

I have insurance through a small family company. My deductible is $500. Last year my dad hit a deer in his camaro and they made the check out to him BUT his car was paid off mine isn't. This is my first time ever dealing with something like this so I just didn't know if there was a way of doing things. I have everything priced and in a shopping cart from LMC truck so I know roughly what it will cost for all new parts. I have already tried finding used parts but the Sport front end parts are hard to find in good shape. For around $2k I could buy a complete truck and stea the front end.

 

[pontiacgp]

if you have a spot to park a parts truck I think that would be your best bet. The insurance company would have a hard time finding parts for the damage so they'd be stuck buying new parts...with new parts that would be a betterment so the insurance company may try to pay less but if they did I I would tell the insurance company the betterment should be covered by your $500 deductible.

 

[xitabl442]

Try www.car-part.com ? Paid off or not shouldn't matter, Insurance is there to return it to pre-accident condition.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

It's all gonna come down to if they cut me the check or force me to put it in a shop. If they cut me the check I already have the parts sourced and ready to go.

I went and got an estimate today and it came to about $2400 which is low. After looking at the sheet I realized the lady forgot the fan shroud, the paint for the passenger fender and part of the bumper support. So I took it to another shop and the guy told me with all the parts and labor it would be around $3500. Luckily I didn't have the claim number on me so we couldn't finish the paperwork at the first shop so the $3500 estimate is the only report the insurance company will know about. Im going to plead my case with the adjuster and explain that I do these repairs for a living(my dad does) and if they don't go for that I will tell them I can do it cheaper. If they accept the $3500 estimate and make it out to me that means $3,000 to play with after my deductible comes out.