Specific information on determining correct vehicle values will be covered in a subsequent brochure specifically covering that subject. Recent court cases have addressed policyholder verses insurance company relationship. With an insurance contract there is an implied trust that both parties will perform as promised. Unfortunately as the policyholder pays his or her premium, most do so with a trust that if, God forbid, an accident happens they will be properly cared for by their insurer. Having little to no idea of what is involved in both the collision repair and adjustment portions of the claim, consumers have blindly turned over the management and control of repairs of their property to others.

Courts now are reporting gross violations of trust and failing to provide services that are in the best interests of their policyholder. Being in wonderful hands, having a good neighbor or one on your side turns out not to be what one would naturally think. To put it bluntly, your friends at many insurance companies have been doing to consumers what they would not do to themselves personally. The counterfeit parts they proclaim as so wonderful do not get installed on vehicles owned by insurance personnel. Shops you are sent to for repairs by your insurance company are not the collision repair shops insurance people select for their personal repairs.

The split standards and double talk that confuses an uninformed consumer is finally being exposed for what it really is. The trickery and deceptive practices of many insurers are coming under the spotlight and Courts are awarding very sever penalties and judgments for such actions and violations of consumer trust. The information and education being furnished by AccidentCheck.com is not available from most law firms. Even State Insurance Departments are sourly lacking in proper knowledge regarding correct collision repair and claims practices. As you learn from our vast real world experiences, you will be far ahead of the majority of policyholders in America, or around the world for that matter.

When one considers all the money spent on auto insurance, we as policyholders have been woefully off balance with our lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge means we have been vulnerable to a system that has taken full advantage of our ignorance. In one law suit a judge spoke of an insurers actions as "repeated trickery and deceit, targeting financially vulnerable people."

So what exactly are my rights, responsibilities, and reasonable expectations regarding an auto policy and an auto claim? First and foremost, the policy contract will not work if the premium has not been paid timely. Failing to pay on time will cancel your contract. One of the most important functions you as a policyholder have is to make payments in accordance with your policy agreements. If there is a dispute, pay now and discuss later! It all starts with money and without it the contract stops!

Your reasonable expectations from your auto insurer are to be indemnified. That means your damages should be restored to its pre accident condition in a manner acceptable to the manufacturer. To illustrate, if your 2 carat diamond ring was insured and stolen, your reasonable expectation would be for it to be replaced with a like kind and quality ring. If your insurer offered you a ring that looked just as beautiful and had the same setting but was cubic zirconium, obviously that would not be indemnifying you. This same scenario is happening with collision repairs where insurers are mandating counterfeit and imitation part to replace the ones made by the automobile manufacturer. They are not like kind and quality as policies notes and do not indemnify. Automobile manufacturers warranties are not extended to the counterfeit parts and most have not been crash tested to insure manufacturers pre determined crash responses for your safety. Imitation parts are a consumer rip off. You might find it interesting to know auto policies are rated, (determining policy costs) based on new parts used in collision repairs.