Auto Insurance Claims: damage estimate, appraisal clause, damage estimate

Question
I was in an accident on 7/21 in my 2006 Dodge Ram and still have not received a complete estimate from my insurance company. They did an initial estimate that only included 1 side of the truck. I had a blow out on the interstate, went across 3 lanes of traffic, hit a ditch, went airborne and ended up in a field. They said all the damage on the left side was unrelated to the accident, there was no prior damage and the insurance company had inspected the truck 2 months prior. They still have not checked the truck to see if there is any mechanical damage. They sent me a check made out to the finance company and myself for $1745 and said that was just to get things started. They estimated the damage on the left side at $1745 right side $1345. They just gave me the 2nd estimate of $1312 and the body shop says there are 6 items they keep asking to be included in the estimate but the insurance adjustor will not look at those. So, they have estimated the total damage so far at $4402. Said to begin repairing and they will come out again and issue another check later. I have researched the value of the truck and in excellent condition it is between $5000-$7000, which it could never be considered excellent since it was wrecked. How can I get a proper estimate? Shouldn't the truck be a total loss with this much damage?

Answer
Dear Mary Kay,

It sounds like it will be at the very least a borderline total loss, particularly in light of the fact that there are a number of damaged items that have not been addressed. The shop you chose to repair the truck may not accept their offers of settlement, either, so their short sheets are nothing more than bad checks. You ought to ask the insurance company to tell you where their estimates will be honored.

It also sounds as if you need a new adjuster from the insurance company, which is something you can get with the appraisal clause in your policy. Every policy provides a mechanism to resolve issues of the amount of the claim, known as the appraisal clause. If you choose to enact the appraisal clause, you can pick an independent appraiser, the insurance company chooses one and the two select an umpire to make a binding decision based on the two appraisers' estimates. You will be responsible for the cost of your appraiser and half the cost of the umpire. Call your insurance company's claims office and notify them that you want to use the appraisal clause.

To find an appraiser look in the yellow pages or go online to find one in your area.

Charlie