Hi:

I got in an accident with my 911s and I thought it was totaled but Gieco is going to repair it. I brought it to a specialty shop of my choice that is Porsche certified. I want to make sure it is done right and get the whole thing painted (instead of just the front end and a polish for the rest). I heard you can hire an independent insurance agent to inspect the car and your policy and make sure you get taken care of. Is this a thing? Any leads? I'm in Portland, Oregon. Thanks.

 

bump for help!

 

I am not sure what exactly you are trying to accomplish. Do you believe your insurance company did not fairly assess the damage? If that is the case, I would speak with your body shop estimator directly, in person, and explain your concerns and the way you want the car repaired and the standards you expect. Then ask if the insurance company estimate meets that standard. Most shops, maybe all, write their own estimates based upon actually seeing the car and then will write supplementals if they discover more damage during disassembly. The end result should be a car repaired to pre-collision condition. If you want to exceed that, say you had front end only moderate damage and you want the entire car painted once the damage has been corrected, I don't think you can force the insurance company to do that. Talk to your estimator and be specific about your expectations. Good luck.

 

The other item to consider if they won't total out the vehicle is a Diminished Value claim. This is a compensating amount because the value of the vehicle has been altered post repair simply because a repair has occurred. They aren't the easiest to prove, but someone on here might be able to help you with some pointers.

 

Gungriffin brings up a great point. Diminished value is a real issue on our cars once hit and repaired. Even if repaired by a reputable Porsche repair facility, once it appears on your car history, it has a negative effect on value. I know there are threads regarding this exact topic and people who specialize in this field.

But I think discussing it from the onset with your insurance company is the best way to get a fair settlement without a protracted claim. I would guess 10% is in the ballpark related to just diminished value, assuming everything is repaired perfectly to pre-collision standards. I successfully argued that on a 993 I had that was hit while parked. I got about $5K if memory serves as it was about 20 years ago.

 

thx everyone!