Category: Accident

How to File an Auto Insurance Claim

When you are involved in an automobile accident in New Jersey, you will likely have to deal with the auto accident claims process. Filing an auto accident insurance claim can help you to secure money to pay for your vehicle repairs and the medical expenses that you might have incurred as a result. Most people do not have car accidents very frequently and may be uncertain how the claims process works. Elmer’s Auto Body works with many different insurance companies when we repair vehicles for our customers in South Jersey. Here is some information about filing an insurance claim to help you understand the process.

What insurance claims are

Insurance claims are formal requests that are made to insurance companies for money to pay for vehicle repairs and other losses that have occurred during an accident that is covered by your policy. Once you file a claim, an adjuster will likely be sent from the insurance company to investigate the accident and to determine the extent of your losses. If your claim is approved, the insurance company will send you a check to pay for your losses.

What to do after a loss

You should call the police to report your accident immediately after it occurs. Exchange your information with the other involved driver. Under the law, you must report any accident that involves property damage of more than $500 to the police and should remain at the scene until the officer arrives. You should also contact the other driver’s insurance company to report the accident and allow the insurance company to inspect the damage to your vehicle before it is repaired. In the interim, you should protect your car from additional damages. Otherwise, the insurance company can refuse to pay for any damage that subsequently occurs.

Determination of fault

In New Jersey, more than one person can be at fault for causing an accident under the state’s comparative negligence law. If you share some of the fault, you will only be able to recover damages if your percentage of fault is less than that of the other driver. The settlement that you will receive will be reduced by the percentage of fault that is attributed to you. For example, if you are found to be 10% at fault and suffer $10,000 in losses, your net settlement will be reduced by $1,000 for a total recovery of $9,000.

It is important to understand that a traffic citation that was given to the other driver does not mean that the driver is completely responsible for its cause. You may still be determined to have contributed to the accident.

If you file a claim with an insurance company other than your own, you should remember that the insurance company is primarily obligated with its insured. If you and the other driver disagree about what happened, the other driver’s insurance company will defend the other driver just like you would expect your company to do for you.

When should you file an insurance claim?

In some cases, people decide against filing insurance claims because of concerns about their insurance rates going up. If your damages do not exceed your deductible or do so by only a few hundred dollars, you probably should avoid filing an insurance claim.

When you decide to file a claim, your insurance company might raise your rates. In some cases, an insurance company may cancel a policy. However, you likely should file an insurance claim if somebody was injured or when it is unclear who was at fault. Another scenario when it may be a good idea to file a claim is when you are unable to pay for the damages out of your pocket or have suffered a total loss.

How to file your claim

If you have decided that you need to file an insurance claim, there are several steps that you should take. Immediately after your accident, call the police and wait for the officers to arrive. You may be confused about what happened right after an accident, and the police can help to sort out the details for you. If the other driver is belligerent, having the police handle the situation can protect your safety. Officers can also help you if you are injured. Police reports can help you after your accident when it is time to file a claim.

Exchange information with the other driver and document everything

After an accident, you are required to exchange information with the other driver. Provide your license and insurance information to the driver and obtain his or hers. You will want to get the driver’s phone number, address, and name. If you can, take a photograph of his or her license and insurance card. If the driver is not cooperative, ask the police to get the information for you. After you have exchanged information, write down everything that you remember about the accident. If you were injured in the accident, keep your doctor’s reports and medical bills from treating your injuries.

File your accident report

New Jersey requires people to report accidents involving damage that exceeds $500 to the state within 10 days using an accident report form from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Make certain to submit your form as required. Once you have done this, talk to your insurance agent about what else you might need to file your insurance claim.

Make sure to ask how long you will have to file a claim. Some companies provide limited windows for filing claims, and you will want to make certain that you file yours on time. It is a good idea to try to file your claim as soon as possible. When you do file your claim, the insurance company will ask you some basic information, including the date, time, and location of the accident, the contact information for all who were involved, and a description of what occurred. If you have already obtained estimates, you will be asked to provide them as well.

File your claim

When you are ready to file your claim, most insurance companies allow their insureds to do so online or by phone. You might also choose to file your claim using a claim form and emailing or faxing it.

After your claim has been filed, the insurance company will likely send an insurance adjuster to investigate. He or she will want to survey the damage and talk to you about what occurred. After he or she determines the accident’s cause and the extent of the damage. The adjuster will then write a report for the insurance company in which he or she will make recommendations for the amount the insurance company should pay.

If you are dealing with the insurance adjuster of the other driver’s insurance company, make certain that you have thorough documentation about your accident and any damage or injuries that you suffered. If you are unable to drive your vehicle, your insurance company will tell you whether you can secure a rental under the policy.

Assignment to a claims specialist

After you have filed your insurance claim, the company will assign it to a claims specialist such as an adjuster. The adjuster might meet with you in person or call you on the phone. If your vehicle has been towed to a garage, the adjuster will talk to the shop and review any repair estimates.

Your adjuster may tell you which garage to take your vehicle to and make arrangements for you to obtain a rental vehicle while you wait for the repairs to be completed. In addition to your vehicle damages, the adjuster will also take a look at any personal injury claims that you might have. Providing the adjuster with the information that they need will help your claim to move faster. The damages to your vehicle portion of your claim may be handled separately from your injury claim. If you suffered serious injuries, you might want to consult with a personal injury attorney for help with that part of your claim.

Diminshed value claim

When you suffer a partial loss instead of a total loss from an accident, your car will still have some value. However, being in an accident may cause your vehicle to lose some of its value. You might want to claim its diminished value to recover additional compensation.

Total losses and gap insurance

Some accidents result in a total loss. This occurs when the costs of repairing your vehicle exceed its value. If you still owe money on your vehicle loan, you will want to ask your insurance adjuster about your gap insurance. Gap insurance covers the difference between the loan balance and the amount of your settlement so that you will no longer owe money to the auto loan company.

Cost to repair your vehicle

After the adjuster has finished his or her investigation, you should receive an estimate of the cost to repair it. If the claim is with your own insurance company, you will be responsible for paying your deductible. The repair estimate will list the work that needs to be completed and whether the company will use generic or aftermarket parts. Once you agree, the repairs can be made. If you do not get your company’s approval for the repairs, you might not receive money for them. This makes it important for you to work with your insurance company to allow them to investigate the damage and reach an agreed-upon settlement with you.

You should not approve or accept any repairs until you have received the approval of your insurance company. Your insurance policy is a contract, and insurance companies reserve their rights to investigate claims before repairs are made. This means that if you fail to get the approval of the insurance company, any repairs that you complete may go unreimbursed.

Types of coverage for car accidents

Auto accident claims may be paid out of collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, personal injury protection coverage, or liability coverage. Your insurance agent can explain the different types of coverage that you have and will provide coverage based on your policy. You might also have the ability to file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company if you suffered serious injuries and the other driver was at fault.

Determining whether your vehicle can be repaired

The insurance company will decide whether your vehicle should be repaired or replaced. It will also decide whether to reimburse you for the actual cash value of your vehicle if it is determined to be a total loss. This is the amount that your car could have sold for on the date the accident occurred.

If it is not economically feasible to repair your vehicle, it will be considered to be a total loss. This is when the cost of repairing a vehicle will either equal or exceed its actual cash value. Many insurance companies declare vehicles to be a total loss when the damages equal 80% of the actual cash value. This is because hidden damages are often discovered after repairs have begun.

You can choose a repair shop that you want. Your insurance company will then try to reach an agreement with your preferred shop. If your insurance company cannot do so, it will give you the names of area shops that can complete the repairs for the determined price. You are also able to ask your insurance company to recommend a repair shop that will agree to make the repairs at the agreed-upon price.

Insurance companies are not obligated to use new parts to repair your vehicle. They are only required to restore your vehicle to the condition it was in before your accident. They can pay for after-market parts or original equipment manufacturer parts. If newer parts are used to repair your vehicle, the insurance company will not be required to pay for them. For example, if your engine is seven years old, the company is only required to replace it with a seven-year-old engine instead of paying for a new one. If you do replace a damaged engine with a new one, you will be responsible for paying the difference in value between the new engine and one that is seven years old.

You do not have to accept the use of after-market parts under New Jersey law. However, if you choose to use OEM parts that are more expensive, you may have to pay the difference in cost. Your insurer must also tell you on the appraisal report which parts are after-market parts.

Insurance companies must use one of three methods for determining the settlement in a total loss claim. These are methods that have been approved by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.

The first method involves averaging the retail values of vehicles that are substantially similar as listed in the Automobile Red Book and the N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide.

The second method involves obtaining a dealer quote for a substantially similar car that is available for purchase at a dealership within 25 miles of where your car is normally kept. The final method is to use an approved database to obtain fair market values.

If these three methods cannot be used to value your vehicle, your insurance company will explain to you in writing how the amount of your offer was calculated. Your company is also required to give you a list that shows the deductions, additions, and sales tax that apply to your vehicle.

If your vehicle had preexisting damage, the insurance company is allowed to deduct it from the value of your vehicle. This means that your vehicle would be worth less, and you may receive a lower settlement offer for the total loss of your vehicle.

Having trouble with an insurance company

As a consumer, you enjoy the right to a fair claims settlement process. If you do not understand something or have trouble communicating with the adjuster, talk to your insurance agent. You can also ask to speak to a supervisor. In most cases, problems that arise can be quickly resolved.

If the claims process is dragging on too long, call the commissioner’s office to learn what you can do. You might also talk to an attorney about a potential bad faith insurance claim.

Get help from Elmer’s Auto Body

Elmer’s Auto Body has been helping customers from across South Jersey with auto body repairs for more than 70 years. If your vehicle has been damaged in an accident, we can work with your insurance company to get the repairs that you need to restore your vehicle to its previous condition. We offer expert auto body repairs and can make your vehicle appear as if the accident never occurred. Contact us today by filling out our online contact form or by calling one of our three convenient locations.

How Long Do you Have to Report a Car Accident?

People do not plan to be involved in car accidents, but they sometimes happen unexpectedly. Whether you are at fault or not for an accident, you will have to deal with multiple things following it. Dealing with the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident can be a real headache for most people. If you suffered injuries in your accident, your first priority should be to seek prompt medical care. After you have sought medical care, you will then need to complete several other steps that are time-dependent, including filing an accident report and potentially filing a lawsuit. At Elmer’s Auto Body, we can work with you and your insurance company to repair your car while you attend to the other tasks that you will have to handle that are accident-related. In this article, we will provide you with some information about the steps that you should take, the timing of filing different documents and claims, and when you should complete different actions after your car accident.

Reporting a car accident

After a minor accident, you might not want to report it. However, there are few situations in which a report is unnecessary. Under New Jersey law, you must report any accident in which the damage exceeds $500 by filing an accident report with the state. However, if the damage was very minor, and no one was injured, you might not want to report an accident to your insurance company. In that situation, the damage may be less than your deductible. Your insurance company might also react by raising your insurance premiums. Low-speed crashes that have damage that appears minor may sometimes cost more than you might think.

If you cause damage to someone else’s property in an accident for which you were at fault, you should report it to your insurance company. This applies even if your accident was a single-vehicle accident. For example, if you glance down at your cell phone and run off of the road and run over someone’s mailbox, you will need to report your accident to the property owner and your insurance company. Even if your accident was not your fault, you still might want to call your insurance company.

How long do you have to report an accident?

If you are involved in a collision with another driver, you should call the police to report it from the scene. You should never leave the scene of an accident before help arrives. If you do, you could be charged with leaving the scene of an accident even if it was not your fault.

New Jersey requires people to file accident reports with the state within 10 days of when their accidents occurred. This report must be filed for any accident that results in damage of more than $500 or an injury or fatality.

For reporting an accident with another vehicle to your insurance company, you should do so as soon as possible. You may report the accident from the scene. A majority of insurance companies have 24-hour accident report numbers and mobile apps that you can use to report an accident. If your accident only involved your vehicle, you might want to wait to call your insurance company until you have had a chance to review your policy so that you can make a better decision about whether to report it to your company. Many companies have requirements for their policyholders to file claims within a specific time after an accident. You will need to check your policy or ask your insurance agent about this requirement.

Statute of limitations for filing a car accident lawsuit

Most car accidents will not lead to lawsuits. However, if you were seriously injured in an accident that was caused by someone else, you may need to file a lawsuit to ensure that the insurance company will provide you with sufficient compensation to pay for your losses. All of the states have statutes of limitations for filing lawsuits. These are legal time periods for when you must file a lawsuit. If you fail to file your lawsuit within the prescribed time, you will lose your right to file a lawsuit to recover damages in the future. In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of your injury. Since accidents must be thoroughly investigated to build a strong personal injury case, it is best to consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your injury accident to provide him or her with plenty of time to build a case for you.

There are also different time limits for different types of lawsuits. For example, if your insurance company engages in bad faith practices when handling your claim such as unreasonably dragging it out or refusing to pay your valid claim, you may file a bad faith insurance claim. The statute of limitations in New Jersey for bad faith insurance claims is six years. However, many insurance companies include limitations in their policies to limit the time to file a bad faith insurance lawsuit. You will want to check your policy to see if this type of time limit is included in your policy.

Getting help

After an accident, you will have many things to deal with. Whether or not you were injured, you may have to also deal with car repairs. In many cases, it is possible to settle the property damage portion of your insurance claim while the injury portion is still being negotiated. Elmer’s Auto Body has decades of experience helping people to get the repairs that they need to their vehicles after car accidents. We can work with your insurance company to make certain that your vehicle will be restored to the condition it was in before your accident. To learn more or to schedule a repair estimate, contact us today by filling out our online contact form or calling one of our three New Jersey locations.

How To Avoid Blind Spot Accidents

When driving day to day, we all see our fair share of accidents. Depending on how busy the area is, and how populous, these of course increase. Sometimes, it’s weather-related. There are a lot of accidents in wintery weather for example, but often, you see a lot of these in fair weather.

Mistakes can be made, and negligence can get the best of even the most careful person over enough time. Surely, though, this can’t account for how many accidents we see throughout a month or year, could can it? Well, in the most direct sense, no, but in a broader sense, yes. Negligence in the way of preventing blind spot issues is one of the biggest contribution to the number of accidents that tend to happen. A lot of these are the less fatal accidents, though serious accidents can indeed occur as well.

Today, we’re going to take the power out of blind spots by properly understanding them, and learning how to mostly overcome them.

Special Mention: New Technologies

Before we get into what causes blind spots and how to prevent them in more conventional ways, new technologies do merit a mention for their inevitable elimination of this issue altogether in the not-so-distant future.
We live in an age where cameras being integrated into dash displays make for far safer backing up, parallel parking and other risky maneuvers. This technology is already aiding in blind spot prevention in some makes and models of vehicle, and will almost certainly become a standard by the end of the next decade.

For now, though, we need to understand how to prevent this problem the old fashioned way, because a lot of accidents could happen before this tech becomes a prerequisite!

How Blind Spots Work

So, what exactly causes blind spots? The problem is that there exist directions where a driver just can’t entirely see. Without the technology mentioned above, or the car somehow being completely transparent material, there will be areas in the rear to your left and right you will not be able to see properly.

The problem is that you may not be able to see vehicles pulling out, merging into traffic, or occupying adjacent lanes you want to cross over into. This results in side swiping, vehicles cutting one another off and being rear-ended, and a slew of other unpleasant events where drivers think they’re entering a wide open space that … isn’t so wide nor open.

Reducing Blind Spots

Believe it or not, reducing blind spots isn’t that hard to do, and just involves some proper mirror alignment, and some attentive driving practices (ones we were taught, but abandoned in complacency).
First, your mirrors. Your side mirrors should frame the rear side window of your vehicle in the corner, which will give you more of an external view. Your rear view mirror should perfectly center the rear back window of your car which, combined with the newly-aligned side mirror views, will give you a significantly-improved sense of the space to the side and behind you. You will still have a little bit of questionable space, and judging just how close adjacent lane traffic really is, can still be a little tricky, however.

When driving, you will want to inspect the lane through your window if possible, before pulling over into it. If the weather permits leaning a bit out of the window (albeit not ridiculously so) to get a fleeting but unfettered view of the lane, do so. Do not rely solely on your rear view or side mirrors if possible. It’s also best to give some time after turning your signal on, to be sure anyone aware they’re in the way passes you or slows down to become visible from behind, and invite you into the lane in front of them. Impatience is a killer on the road.

Blind Spot Accidents

So, what kind of accidents are you at risk of, if you don’t take the appropriate measures? Here are just a few of the nastier ones:

Neck and back injuries.
Glass-related injuries.
Ejections.
Whiplash and wrist injuries.
Seatbelt-induced injuries.
Concussions.

Depending on what happens in an accident, of course, things can go from bad to worse, involving running off the road, more vehicles in a pile up, the sky is the limit. Don’t take the risk – adjust your mirrors and change lanes with proper care! To learn more safe driving practices like these, fill out our contact form today!

Should I Get Multiple Estimates for Car Repairs?

After your car has been damaged in an accident, you may believe that you are required to get three or more estimates. Your insurance company may then require you to go to the shop that gives you the lowest estimate. Sometimes the auto body shop and the insurance company have worked out deals where they use cheaper products in order to save the insurance company money. The fact is, in New Jersey, you have the right to take your car to the shop you choose regardless of which offers the lowest price. There are situations when getting multiple estimates may be helpful and these tips can help you determine if it is necessary.

When to Get Multiple Estimates

If you don’t have a relationship with an auto body shop, getting more than one estimate is not necessarily a bad thing. However, there is no need to get three or four estimates in order to get an average cost to repair your car. In fact, getting too many estimates could delay getting your car repaired and will take up a significant amount of your time. One reason to get an additional estimate may be because the first estimate you got seems excessively high or extremely low. In that case, you may want to get what is essentially a second opinion.

What is an Estimate?

An estimate is simply a rough total of what the auto shop believes it will cost to fix your car without disassembling the vehicle completely. The best way to describe an estimate is as a “best guess.” Estimates are notoriously inaccurate at predicting the actual final cost. When you get more than one estimate, each shop uses a different method for determining the cost of repairs. One may provide a quote that covers fixing a damaged part while another may include total replacement of the part. In addition, the lowest estimate is not necessarily the best option as the shop may use inferior parts, may not take the steps to match paint properly or may cut corners to get the repair completed at the low price.

Other Factors

A good repair estimate should factor in the quality of the paint as well as good parts. It should include the number of hours it will take to get your car fixed right the first time. It should provide a general idea of what it will take to get your car back on the road. However, a technician cannot accurately predict the cost of a repair until they begin working on it. Additional damage could be discovered after they remove body panels and other damaged parts. At that time, they should contact you to let you know of any additional parts or labor that will be required. You can then notify your insurance company who may agree to the higher cost of the repair if the shop can demonstrate the additional costs are necessary.

OEM Parts

Original Equipment Parts (OEM) are those that were used in your vehicle by the manufacturer. There are cases when a repair shop will have to use non-OEM parts. If your car is older, OEM parts may no longer be available and, in some cases, there is very little difference between OEM and non-OEM parts. In New Jersey, the repair shop must list non-OEM parts as part of the estimate. In addition, the non-OEM part must be sufficiently and permanently identified on the part. It must also be visible after the part is installed if at all possible. Non-OEM parts must be at least equal to OEM parts and must come with a warranty of reasonable duration and coverage.

Choosing the Right Shop

It may be tempting to simply take your car to a chain auto body repair recommended by the insurance company. Keep in mind that many insurance companies have negotiated lower prices with some of these shops who often use lower quality parts and cheaper paints in order to get your car fixed faster and at less cost. This boosts the bottom line of the insurance company but provides you with a repair that may be inferior to a local body shop.

When you bring your car into Elmer’s Auto Body for an estimate, we work as hard as possible to give you a repair cost that will be as close as possible to the final bill. We will inspect your car to be sure that when you leave our shop, you will be driving in the safest car possible. If your car has been damaged in a collision, schedule an appointment today with Elmer’s Auto Body by calling or filling out the easy online form.

Facts vs Myth: DIY Ways On How To Get Dents Out Of Your Car

Car dents can seem to appear from nowhere. In some cases, you know what happened, like when your son opened the back door too fast and hit the parking meter on the sidewalk or your daughter rode her bicycle into the driver’s side door when she wasn’t paying attention. But what about that mysterious ding on the front fender that wasn’t there when you went into the mall? Did a grocery cart roll into the back door last week? Who sat on the hood and made the indent near the grill? A quick search online will give you many options for fixing dents themselves. Learn whether these tips are fact or fiction.

Hair Dryer and Compressed Air

One method described online is describes using a hair dryer to heat up the dent until it is too hot to touch and then quickly cooling it with compressed air. This method will not work on modern cars as most use a combination of metal and plastic on side panels and bumpers. A hair dryer cannot create enough heat to soften the metal and allow it to pop into place.

Wet Sponge and Plunger

According to online sources, you can drench the dent with a wet sponge soaked with water then use a cup plunger over the dent and apply pressure to pop the dent. Surprisingly, this method actually works on rounded dents and smaller dings. Applying a small amount of heat to the metal and then using the plunger may also work.

Suction Tools

Small suction tools can be purchased online for under $10 but some online sources claim you can use almost any type of suction tool, including a GoPro camera mount. This process works similar to the plunger, suggesting that you wet the surface and apply the tool. Like the plunger tip, this process can also work for small dents or dings.

Dry Ice

Internet sources claim that dry ice, which is frozen carbon dioxide, can be used to fix a dent. Heat the dent until it is too hot to touch. Protect your hands with gloves and wrap the dry ice in a towel. Rub the dry ice on the dent for about 15 minutes and the dent will pop into place. This is false information. Even if the dent appears to improve, as soon as the area returns to the outside temperature, it will reappear again.

Boiling Water

If you have discovered a dent in your plastic bumper, one internet method suggests pouring boiling water on the dent and surrounding area. You then reach under the bumper and push the dent out with your hands. This method actually works as the hot water softens the plastic so it can be pushed back into place.

The bottom line is that, although you may be able to repair a small dent yourself, some of these methods can actually cause more damage to your car. The surface can be damaged and mini creases can appear in the area surrounding the dent. Instead, schedule an appointment with Elmer’s Auto Body by calling or filling out the easy form online to have your dent repaired professionally and correctly.

What Happens When My Airbags Deploy?

Most modern cars are equipped with airbags and many have them located throughout the car. An airbag is known as a passive restraint as they deploy without the driver or passenger having to do anything. This is unlike a seatbelt that must be buckled by the person in the seat. Some cars do have a disarming mechanism for safety reasons. Airbags can be dangerous for small children so if you cannot put a child in the backseat, you may want to deactivate the airbag temporarily.

How Do Airbags Work?

An airbag is more than just the part that deploys. It is an entire system of sensors, a control module and the airbag itself. Sensors are located in various places in your vehicle that are commonly compromised when you have an accident. The sensors also monitor wheel speed sensors and data from the accelerometers plus other areas of the car. If the sensors receive certain information, they tell the airbag to deploy.

Where are the Airbags?

Airbags can be located in the dash, steering wheel, seats, door frames and other areas of the car. Initiator devices light chemical propellants to deploy the airbag when the sensors receive certain signals. When the propellant is ignited, the bag fills with nitrogen gas to force it from where it is stored. The entire process from ignition to deflation of the airbag can take less than 30 seconds. Once your airbag has deployed once, it must be replaced as all of the propellant is used to inflate the bag one time.

How Safe Are Airbags?

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, airbags deployed approximately 3.3 million times between 1990 and 2000. NHTSA estimated that more than 6,000 lives were saved by the deployment of airbags. However, they are activated by a chemical explosion and they inflate very fast. There have been instances where people were injured or killed by airbags, especially small children. In the time studied by NHTSA, 175 people died and many injured by airbag deployment. For this reason, children under the age of 13 should not be placed in the front seat of a car with an airbag. Passengers should not place their feet on the dash nor should they place objects between them and the airbag.

Changes in Airbag Technology

Airbags were first patented in 1951 but they did not become standard in vehicles in the United States until 1985. Although the basic principle is the same as it was in 1985, airbag technology has been refined. Today, there are “smart airbags” that inflate with less force if conditions are right, making them safer than older models. Newer systems also include a variety of airbags in other areas of the car to add more injury protection.

If your car has been in a collision, contact Elmer’s Auto Body today by calling or filling out the easy form to schedule an appointment.