We had bad wind storm come through NJ Saturday night. One of the chairs on my patio managed to literally sail across my driveway and hit my covered XK. I have nice dent just under the drivers side mirror. I don't think it will be fixable as a paintless dent repair. It's heartbreaking since I have been so **** keeping the car nice since I got it last Sept. Am I correct in assuming that the door panels are aluminium? I guess I will need the dent fixed and door sprayed. Anyone have a ballpark estimate? I was thinking about going here since they are tied to a Jaguar dealer : Collision and Automotive Repair Center in Paramus, NJ .

 

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I'd have a PDR shop see if they can press out the dent, even if the paint is damaged, since that is better than bondo and you can then have it resprayed. If they can't, it is very important to select a body shop qualified to do aluminum repairs. Your Insurance should cover the repair cost, less your deductible. You may also have a claim for diminished value.

 

Thanks for the PDR advice. I'll ask the shop to do that even if they have to remove the inner door panel. I'll probably be eating the cost on this since my deductible is $1k. I've had issues with rates going up and being dropped after too many claims, so I tend to use insurance as disaster coverage.

 

Sean what color is your car? Can you post a picture of the damage. I may have a solution for you that wont cost much.

BTW, I think the damage will be covered under your homeowners and deductible. BTW to do it right you are looking at $3k.

 

Color is Ebony. I don't have a picture handy atm.

Edit : Actually, it's black with metallic flake, so I think that is Ultimate Black or Midnight. Would have to check door panel color code to be sure.

 

I will wait for the picture before suggesting that fix.

Here is one thing going for you, it was covered by home ins and not something that happened in a parking lot.

I strongly suggest, call your homeowners ins, you need to start the process in a timely manner. Then get a quote from the absolute best shop there is. Only they will be able to get you the true cost of getting you exactly back to where you were.

Someone gave me this valuable advise. Make sure you get from the ins what you lost- not just what you are going to get.

 

BTW, I think the damage will be covered under your homeowners and deductible. BTW to do it right you are looking at $3k.[/QUOTE]

Sean;


This is NOT covered under your homeowners policy here in N.J. The standard HO-1 policy specifically excludes any loss involving motor vehicles.


However, it should be covered under your comprehensive coverage, not collision. Comprehensive covers things like a fallen tree, hitting a deer, stone cracking the windshield etc. Generally there is no fault associated with comprehensive claims, so it should not affect your rate. However, the best approach is to simply call your agent and ask them to confirm this coverage.


Note To All:


Comprehensive coverage is very cheap, because it is rarely used. Most people have a $500.00 deductible, which is a mistake. Speak with your agent about lowering it to a $100.00 deductible; and see how little it costs.

 

This is NOT covered under your homeowners policy here in N.J. The standard HO-1 policy specifically excludes any loss involving motor vehicles.


[/QUOTE]

Please check this may be covered. The difference in this case is that the home hit the car. The home is insured. In a natural disaster the home and the car were hit by a common disaster and they both have their own insurance.

 

Q & C;


Your point is irrelevant to the issue. Try reading a N.J. homeowners policy before offering a coverage opinion. The exclusions are clear.


I litigated 100's of coverage cases during my career; including auto and homeowners issues. I think I have a pretty good understanding of coverage.

 

In the FWIW category, the 2016 Ford F150 is also aluminum body and frame. Ford used Jaguar to blaze that trail. I'm not pimping Ford here but I suspect Ford dealerships are a body shop option now.

 

The big Audi's are also aluminum as are some other exotics.

 

Lots of speculation here about the monetary coverage. Just call the insurance company to get the correct information directly from the insurance company.

So many people think "diminished value" is easy to collect. It is not. Everyone wants to claim "diminished value". Speak directly to your insurance carrier for the proper information and keep in mind whether it's an HO claim or Auto claim you still have a deductible that you will have to pay.

Complete your due diligence then report back and lets us know how you made out with the insurance company and the dent with a repair shop specializing in aluminum auto bodies.

 

Diminished value ("DV") is easy to collect in Georgia. But getting the amount you want can take a bit more effort because the insurance company will low ball you.

Georgia is one of a handful of states with statutes that require automobile insurance policies to include coverage for DV. So a first party claim (between the policyholder and his insurance company) for DV is covered by that contract under the provisions for collision and/or comprehensive coverage . Usually appraisals detailing the value of the vehicle immediately before and immediately after the accident will establish the amount of the DV claim. If there is a large difference between the policyholder's and the insurance company's appraisals, an arbitrator may be used if the parties fail to reach an agreement as to the amount of the DV. Contract law determines the outcome in a first party claim.

So what if another driver rear ends you? He's at fault and you make a claim for damages against his insurance company to repair your car, the DV, the medical bills for your injuries, and pain and suffering. That's called a third party claim, since you are not a party to his insurance policy contract. You are making a claim against the liability provisions of his policy, which is governed by tort law, not contract law. This is where things can get messy and you're usually better off being represented by a lawyer.

Depending on the car, DV can range from the hundreds to the thousands or more. Damage to a pristine high-end collector or special interest car can reduce its value by 20 percent or more, even if it was perfectly repaired to the highest standards.