Trans4mind Home Page
Home Article Library Transportation

Understanding How an Independent Motor Vehicle Appraiser Works After an Accident

Introduction

Motor vehicle accidents are unforeseen situations nobody wishes to be involved with. Even though accidents tend to be stressful and scary, it’s not the worst thing that can happen to you. Limited or no knowledge about the process of car appraisal before you fill an insurance claim is a big hindrance. 

The main reason car appraisers exist is to help arrive at a fair value of a vehicle after an accident. A kfz gutachter münchen usually does this to enable your insurer or the insurance company of the driver at fault to know what it would take to repair your vehicle after an accident. It’s not unusual to find that the repair cost exceeds the value of the car at the time it got involved in an accident. Should that happen, then the insurance company will give you the amount that your car was worth at the time of the accident. They usually arrive at this figure after reading a report from a motor vehicle appraiser. If you know nothing about car appraisal and the need for picking a sachverständiger münchen, this article is for you. Read on to learn more. 

What are the steps of car appraisal?

After contacting the police and the medical team, the next important thing to do in the wake of an accident is to report the accident to your motor vehicle appraiser. Although insurance companies have their car appraisers that they will dispatch to the scene after an accident, it is best to hire an independent appraiser. That is because insurance companies always want to pay the lowest figure possible. Thus, their appraisers are unlikely to arrive at a fair value. Your appraiser will ask questions to understand the cause of the accident and then proceed to scrutinize the vehicle to ascertain the extent of the damage. 

In general, the main aim of a car appraiser is to try and find the degree of damage following an accident. It is a standard procedure that insurance companies put in place to determine the cost of coverage. This is important because the amount of compensation you will get from the insurance company is pegged on this estimate. 

Important Things You Need to Know

Fixing your damaged Car may prove costlier than its value

The first thing you need to be aware of is that sometimes the cost of repairing your car after an accident outstrips its value at the time of the fender bender. If that’s the case, the option that the insurance company is left with is writing off your vehicle as a total loss, a process known as totaling. As the car owner, do not insist on fixing the car. Instead, accept the compensation amount the insurance company gives you. And while insurers are under obligation to pay you a fair price, they seldom do that. That’s why you must get a sachverständiger münchento stand a chance of being offered a fair amount. 

You should Be Present During the Appraisal 

Another thing you need to know is that your presence during the car appraisal process helps you to negotiate a good amount for your car. Thus, if you feel that your car’s value is far greater than what the kfz gutachter münchen is offering, you can tell them which recent improvements you did to the car. In that case, you will have to supply the receipts. 

You are Free to Bring in an Independent Appraiser

The other thing to know is that you are free to use a kfz gutachter münchen if you feel that the insurance guy will not give you a fair price. Do not hesitate to pursue this option if you think that doing so helps negotiate an improved deal. 

Your Car Must Be Returned To Pre-Accident Condition 

The aim of the insurance company is to indemnify you. This means returning your car to its pre-accident condition. To this end, you must ensure that the parts being used to repair your car are either equal or better compared to the ones being replaced. In many cases, the estimate that insurance providers offer clients isn’t sufficient to get the car back to its pre-accident condition. But this poor initial estimate doesn’t need to worry you for two reasons. 

The first one is that you are covered by the ‘Right of Appraisal’ clause that provides you with other avenues of getting proper repairs done to your car. Secondly, you are at liberty to hire an independent kfz gutachter münchen- if you feel that the insurance company’s guy is giving you a raw deal. 

What is the Significance of the “Right of Appraisal” Clause in your Car Insurance Policy? 

Your car insurance policy has a clause in it called the “Right of Appraisal” that permits you to dispute an estimate provided by your car insurer if you think it is too low or unfair. If you evoke this clause, you and your insurance company are free to bring in an objective third-party appraiser. The appraisers then take their findings to an umpire who determines what’s fair and reasonable. 

How Long will you wait for the Appraisal? 

Provided you choose a sachverständiger münchen, you should expect the process to be done and dusted in 1-3 days. Sometimes, an independent appraiser may need to have the car towed to their yard for a more detailed examination. This can increase your wait times. 

Conclusion

Not knowing how a motor vehicle appraisal works is suicidal. It can easily deny you the fair compensation that you deserve after an accident. Also, relying on an insurance company’s appraiser is not a smart move. If you dispute their valuation of your car, the most logical thing to do is to hire an independent appraiser. These are not employees of your insurer and will do their work objectively and professionally to determine a fair amount that you should be paid to fix your damaged car. Another thing is that you need to make time to be available for the appraisal and raise issues if necessary. 

Read more Transportation articles
You'll find good info on many topics using our site search: