"Tell them to tow it to Bernard's"
YOUR RIGHTS
What the insurance company doesn't want you to know.
Bernard’s Advance Collision is your consumer advocatewhen it comes to auto body repair.
You have just been in a car accident. You are shocked, stunned, scared, and angry. You’re worried about your car, and wondering if your insurance will go up because of someone else’s negligence. While you are experiencing all of these thoughts and emotions, the insurance company has already begun plotting against you.
You are now in a game where you are treated as an adversary, and the insurance company’s goal is to pay out as little as possible. You expect the insurance company to do what is moral, just, and right, and that is to fully compensate you for your losses.
Unfortunately, most insurance companies has no intention of fully compensating you. They make money by accepting your premium payments, but then refusing to pay out on the policy when the time comes. They will fight you tooth and nail to avoid paying the full value for your loss.
Your Rights
You have rights regarding your collision repair under the law in the State of Texas. At Bernard's, we strive to make sure that our customers are fully aware of and understand their rights. Let a member of our team know if you have questions about your rights in collision repair and we'll be happy to assist you!
Under Texas law you have:
The RIGHT
to select where your motor vehicle is repaired and the parts used for repairs.
- Insurance companies are not allowed to prevent you from selecting a repair person or facility to repair damage to your vehicle.
The RIGHT
to get an estimate from the shop of your choice - and you only need ONE estimate.
- Insurance companies can't even suggest, orally or in writing, that you must use a specific repair person or facility, or that you have to pick one from their "preferred" list for the repair to be covered under your policy.
The RIGHT
to proper parts.
- Insurance companies are not allowed to specify the brand, type, kind, age, vendor, supplier, or condition of parts or products used to repair a vehicle.
Diminished Value
Even though the team at Bernard’s takes pride in repairing your vehicle the right way, at the end of the day your car has still has a repair history. Did you know that your insurance should pay for the diminished value of your vehicle? Diminished value can be collected from the at fault party or if you have filed an un/under insured claim with your own carrier. Your insurance should pay you for the difference. It’s just the right thing to do.
Appraisals
Although every insurer has their own version, odds are that your policy includes what is called an “appraisal clause”.
In layman's terms it says that if you and your insurance can’t agree of the amount of loss you have incurred, you each get to pick an appraiser, and the two appraisers get to pick an umpire. Each appraiser states what they believe to be the actual cash value of the vehicle and the amount of the loss. If the appraisers fail to agree, the umpire will make a binding decision.
So you shouldn’t have to get your vehicle repaired for what insurance wrote for you. You have rights under your policy and under the law!