At 06:01 PM 2/23/02 -0500, S Twigg wrote:
> The spit started fine today, so I took it out for a drive.
>While I had it parked, a dreaded SUV backed into the bonnet.....
As others have said, I'm sorry to hear that.
In addition, I too am insured with USAA and find them to be excellent to
do business with. In fact, I was just hit (in my 84 Accord) by a person
insured with USAA. He reported it, within 3 days I received a call from
USAA informing me that he had reported hitting me and that his policy
would cover the damages. USAA listed several body shops that they find
quite reputable (and the shops are - some of the better known ones in my
area). I selected on from their list, and within 2 days I had a call from
the body shop asking me to contact them to schedule an appointment to
estimate the damages. Haven't done it yet as I have not had time and it
was a minor accident.
As someone else pointed out, if you can drive your car, get 3 estimates
of your own choosing! At least this give you some piece of mind!
Now to the insurance cos. If I were you, I'd talk to USAA and see what
they say. It can't hurt.
Others have inferred that your insurance co. is your friend and will help.
Don't believe it. In reality, they are as bad as the other parties ins.
co. Remember they are in business to MAKE money. If the spend it, they
are loosing.
I've had dealings with several cos. and find USAA to be the best to do
business with - either side - the hitee or the hiter :)
But I usually don't involve my insurance co. unless the other co is
really trying to take me to the cleaners! There are lots of horror stories
I could tell.
Like anything else, fore warned is fore armed! Most ins. cos. will try and
low ball you from the start. If you don't really know what it is going to
cost to fix your car, you may take it. For the older cars like your Spit,
they may try to total it! That happened to a friend with his Bricklin.
So stick to your guns. If you find that you can't talk to the other
ins. co. or they don't want to talk to you, then involve your ins. co.
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair@exis.net
Va. Beach, Va Phone: (757) 495-8229
Editor/Publisher The Brickline
Quarterly Magazine of Bricklin International
48 TR1800 48 #4 Midget 65 Morgan 4/4 Series V
75 Bricklin SV1 77 Spitfire 71 Saab Sonett III
65 Rambler Classic
Morgan: www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin: www.bricklin.org
/// spitfires@autox.team.net mailing list
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
|