Friday, Sep 28, 2018 at 22:45
As someone who was in business for a number of decades, and as someone who owned at least 200 vehicles during my business career - and who had to deal with many insurance events related to claims, I can quote my insurance broker on the following.
The key two words of any insurance policy is, "to indemnify".
"To indemnify" means that the insured will suffer no loss related to the insurance event.
To make the definition simpler, the term means, that the insured will end up no worse off, nor any better off, after the insured event is finalised.
When you make a claim, you are handing full control of the claim to the insurance company - who are entitled to either repair or write off the vehicle, as they see fit.
In the SWO definitions, a vehicle has to suffer serious structural damage to 3 areas before an SWO is declared.
Unless the Triton has serious structural damage that amounts to cracked or torn structural members - or structural members that are folded back onto themselves (making structural member repair to acceptable manufacturers standards, virtually impossible) - then the insurance company will not write off the vehicle.
The only other way a Statutory Write Off can be declared with just 2 areas of structural damage, is where BOTH sides of the front subframe or chassis members are damaged to the point where they cannot be repaired satisfactorily, and need to be replaced with new structural members.
If the structural members are merely bent, they can be straightened in a hydraulic frame straightener - which machine merely pulls the bent frame member back into correct alignment, to meet the manufacturers alignment guide.
Every major smash repairer that is insurance company approved has a hydraulic frame straightener - and the repairers get detailed specifications and measurements from the manufacturer, to enable correct alignment of every critical body and drivetrain component.
Vehicle bodies under professional repair are checked for diagonal dimension accuracy, for accuracy in wheel track and wheelbase measurements, and for allowable body twist.
If repairs are carried out properly and professionally, you will notice no difference in vehicle handling or performance after the vehicle is returned to you.
Unfortunately, there are two areas where repair problems originate.
One is where repairers employees of low skill are not adequately supervised, and as a result, repairs are not carried out professionally.
These unprofessional repairs are where incorrect fasteners are used, fasteners are left out (because "they're too hard to get at"), fasteners are not tightened properly, and component alignment is not as exacting as the original manufacturers alignment.
It's common today for panel fit gap to be as little as 2mm. The manufacturers do this to improve fuel economy and to reduce wind noise in the cabin.
When such close fits are involved, it is crucial that repairs meet the same close panel gap fits with accuracy.
The other area where repair problems can originate is in lax inspection by the assessor.
An assessor can assess damage to the immediate frontal area - but miss damage that has occurred in other components to the rear of the frontal damage area - or in seemingly unassociated components, such as electrical components and circuitry.
However, the largest percentage of assessors are competent and experienced and know exactly where damage can occur when serious body or frame impact has occurred.
They often work with professional repairers to assess the damage, and the level of difficulty involved, in meeting manufacturers repair standards and specifications.
It is rare today to have a repaired vehicle that does not meet exacting repair standards. The "cowboys" have mostly been drummed out of the industry.
Having said all that, I must say I am surprised that the insurance company is prepared to proceed with the major repair on the Triton.
The Triton would bring considerably more money, at a (repairable) damaged vehicle auction, than the difference between the quoted repair cost, and the payout cost.
In other words, the vehicle is repairable, but not really economic to repair for the company.
In nearly every insurance claim instance that I have been involved with, the insurance company doesn't hesitate to write off a vehicle that may be quite viable to repair - but where the cost of the repair makes it a borderline decision.
The last claim I was involved with, a distracted driver ran into the rear of my missus's Camry while I was at the wheel - but when I was stopped, and parked correctly at the kerb.
The damage to the rear of the Camry was substantial - even to the point of springing the RHS rear door frame opening so much, the rear of the door frame chipped the paint on the rear door.
Both rear subframes were distorted, but not buckled. The towbar absorbed a lot of the impact.
The car was professionally repaired by a repairer of high standard (which repair included pulling out all the rear subframe distortion) - and all the doors and panels were returned to a perfect fit, and the car drove and handled just as
well after the accident, as before.
However, the repair cost was only around 1/3rd of the Camrys insured value, not 2/3rds.
I would have expected that any repair that ran to 2/3rds of the insured value, the company would almost certainly declare it an uneconomic write off - but not a Statutory Write Off.
The auction yards are full of seriously-damaged vehicles that are classed as "Repairable Write Offs" - but where the insurance company prefers to sell the wreck, and let someone else with enthusiasm, and plenty of money, repair it.
Cheers, Ron.
AnswerID:
621416