Accident? - Do not forget car expert's opinion!

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An accident can affect anyone. Even the most experienced and careful driver is not immune to the mishaps of other road users. When it crashes, we are usually shocked at first and have to deal with many matters. First of all, of course, the injured are at the forefront of our thoughts. Then we have to inform and reassure our relatives, the boss and worried friends. Appointments have to be postponed and alternative means of transport have to be organized. We are often grateful if only the car has sustained serious damage. It fails for a while, but the insurance covers the costs and the workshop repairs the damage. Then we are tempted to forego an expert opinion from a motor vehicle expert and only send the insurance company the cost estimate of the workshop. But that often turns out to be an expensive mistake.

The right to an independent expert

In the event of an accident through no fault of their own, the injured party has a legal right to the assistance of an independent expert of his choice. However, the latter often refrains from making use of it. Often this is because he is not aware that he has this right to save himself the effort of looking for an expert if he is already struggling with all the other organizational problems caused by the accident, or thinks himself thereby saving costs.

• Tip: What Deadlines for reporting an accident that can be found in our post "When should the insurance company inform about a claim?“Read.

The opposing insurance company sends its own specialist and the injured party gratefully accepts. But the insurance expert acts in the interests of his client and estimates the damage as low as possible. If the repair turns out to be more expensive, the injured party will have to pay the difference. The vehicle appraisal costs are often significantly lower and must be borne by the perpetrator unless there is minor damage.

The discovery of a minor damage

A pair of Minor damage exists when it is also apparent to a layperson from the outside that repairing the damage will cost less than EUR 750,00. In practice, this is hardly possible due to the complicated modern vehicle technology. Even an expert will usually first have to check whether the shock from the accident has not also caused damage to the complex inner workings of the vehicle, the repair of which is much more expensive than tapping out a superficial dent or touching up scraped paint. In addition, reputable experts usually offer appropriate advice free of charge. It is therefore worth contacting an expert even if there is a suspicion that there is minor damage.

The advantages of an expert opinion compared to a cost estimate

The workshop, which is independent of the opposing insurance company, is also interested in estimating the damage in the cost estimate as little as possible. The lower the repair costs, the higher the likelihood that she will actually receive the order to carry out the repair. In addition, a cost estimate has no evidence-securing effect. If there is a legal dispute with the opposing insurance company afterwards, the injured party has no proof with the cost estimate that the repaired damage originated from the accident and no documentation of the course of the accident. With an expert opinion from a motor vehicle expert, he can prove both.

Course of the accident and documentation of the damage

When preparing a report, the vehicle expert not only makes statements about the expected price of the repair. He also documents the damage through photographs and makes statements about its likely occurrence. The damage report recorded how the accident happened and how the vehicle was damaged. This also includes the determination and assessment of damage that already existed before the accident and whose repair therefore does not have to be covered by the opposing insurance. In the event of a subsequent objection by the insurance company that damage does not result from the accident, the expert opinion can prove the opposite. The images and statements contained in the report can also prove the course of the accident in court after the vehicle has been repaired.

The report as the basis for the fictitious billing

If the victim does not have the vehicle repaired in a workshop, for example because he does it himself or because it is no longer profitable due to the age of the vehicle, a fictitious settlement is carried out. Here it must be determined what the repair would have cost in a workshop and how great the impairment of the accident actually was. In such cases, there are often disputes in which the photographic documentation pays off in a damage report. In addition, the vehicle expert's report also contains statements about impairment, replacement value and residual value of the accident vehicle.

The damage report on the sale of an accident vehicle

A repaired damage also represents a reduction in the value of a vehicle. The repaired location often remains more susceptible to renewed damage and defects. Anyone who wants to sell a vehicle that was once involved in an accident should therefore inform the buyer as precisely as possible about the damage and repairs caused by the accident. This can easily lead to disputes about the actual value of the vehicle and therefore also the sales price. If you have had an expert report drawn up by an automotive expert after the accident, you now have powerful evidence in your hand. The report not only documents the damage precisely, it also contains clear statements about the impairment of the vehicle.

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