[jnprn2003]

Hey all,

As some here know I mashed my cay the other day and I am waiting on the insurance adjuster to set up the claim. I am concerned that the aftermarket parts I have on the car may have an impact on their coverage. The car has coilovers, sways, endlinks, strut tower bars, racing seats and harness bar with harness bar as well as many other mods.

Does anyone know if these mods may impact the claim? The suspension and interior appears intact and no airbags went off. Mainly cosmetic from what I was told from the prliminary review at the bodyshop.

Joe

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by jnprn2003

Hey all,

As some here know I mashed my cay the other day and I am waiting on the insurance adjuster to set up the claim. I am concerned that the aftermarket parts I have on the car may have an impact on their coverage. The car has coilovers, sways, endlinks, strut tower bars, racing seats and harness bar with harness bar as well as many other mods.

Does anyone know if these mods may impact the claim? The suspension and interior appears intact and no airbags went off. Mainly cosmetic from what I was told from the prliminary review at the bodyshop.

Joe

Generally speaking, in an accident with no injuries, the trouble you'll have is getting them to cover replacement/repair of aftermarket parts. They're insuring a stock STi (unless you've made other agreements).

When it gets hairy is in an accident with injury. You removed your seats and therefore your side airbags. If someone broadsided you, the insurance company would have a reason not to pay for part of your medical bills - you removed safety equipment from the car.

A lot of this depend on the insurance company's policy, of course. Most of them don't care about aesthetic mods, but do care about mods that effect the car's safety (removing seats, changing steering wheels which usually means no driver's airbag) or structural integrity (certain weight loss procedures which probably don't hurt the car's integrity, but will look like they do).

The adjuster will look at the car and give an estimate of what it would cost to repair it based on whatever rules your insurer has in place. He/she is not necessarily the one to chat with regarding the aftermarket stuff. Talk to your agent.

[Boxer]

The only item I can see that will negatively affect your claim is the racing seat (you removed the side airbag). However, most insurance adjusters know diddly about the STI so don't point anything out for them

[V8Huntr]

Are you trying to get any aftermarket parts replaced due to the accident? That is really the only thing that you might have a problem with. Insurance companies only insure stock replacements unless you have your mods insured also, which most companies are offering now.

[Tortfeasor STi]

As long as you injured no one and you are only claiming superficial damage to the aesthetics, they should not care, as others have said.

[boondocksaint]

This reminds me that I need to price some mod coverage.

[Okeyd57]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

This reminds me that I need to price some mod coverage.

Good luck with that ! I've been trying to do the same thing, but it looks like I'm going to have to buy a second vehicle before Hagerty will cover mine ! They won't insure a daily driver, so I would have to buy something to clunk around town in, and just take my baby out on week-ends or something.

I wish I could find a company that would insure a stated value !

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by Okeyd57

Good luck with that ! I've been trying to do the same thing, but it looks like I'm going to have to buy a second vehicle before Hagerty will cover mine ! They won't insure a daily driver, so I would have to buy something to clunk around town in, and just take my baby out on week-ends or something.

I wish I could find a company that would insure a stated value !

I think some companies, hopefully mine, will issue a rider - a policy that adjuncts to your normal auto insurance policy. I'm going to inquire this week sometime.

[RAS_STI]

In most cases you can go to a "non admitted" carrier to have them do stated value coverage. in other cases, for those of you who want to stay with an admitted carrier, you can schedule your mods.

lots of Insurers are doing that now.

[fourseasonsandles]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

When it gets hairy is in an accident with injury. You removed your seats and therefore your side airbags. If someone broadsided you, the insurance company would have a reason not to pay for part of your medical bills - you removed safety equipment from the car.

Not necessarily true. If someone else hits you and causes your bodily injury, they still owe you for your injury. Depending on the state and the required safety equipments for vehicle, it may or may not have an impact. Take a state that does not have a seatbelt law for example. If I rear end you and you dont have your seatbelt on, I am not any less at fault for the accident.

Now as the insurance company, when we evaluate your injury claim, the no seatbelt issue can be used as a negotiation point, but will not have a great impact on the amount of the settlement, if any at all.

After handling bodily injury claims for more than a few years, I have never come across any injury claim where we paid more or less depending on any removal of safety equipment, regardless of what was or was not removed.

Now another point, if you carry PIP (Personal Injury Protection) or MPC (Medical Payments Coverage) coverage on your own policy and you are injured in an accident, The PIP/MPC is designed to cover your own medical bills regardless of fault. I cant say for sure if removing side airbags would have an effect on that claim or not. I do know for a fact when interviewing the injured party, they do ask if the airbag went off or not. I cant see it really having that great of an effect on the claim though.

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by fourseasonsandles

Not necessarily true. If someone else hits you and causes your bodily injury, they still owe you for your injury. Depending on the state and the required safety equipments for vehicle, it may or may not have an impact. Take a state that does not have a seatbelt law for example. If I rear end you and you dont have your seatbelt on, I am not any less at fault for the accident.

Now as the insurance company, when we evaluate your injury claim, the no seatbelt issue can be used as a negotiation point, but will not have a great impact on the amount of the settlement, if any at all.

After handling bodily injury claims for more than a few years, I have never come across any injury claim where we paid more or less depending on any removal of safety equipment, regardless of what was or was not removed.

Now another point, if you carry PIP (Personal Injury Protection) or MPC (Medical Payments Coverage) coverage on your own policy and you are injured in an accident, The PIP/MPC is designed to cover your own medical bills regardless of fault. I cant say for sure if removing side airbags would have an effect on that claim or not. I do know for a fact when interviewing the injured party, they do ask if the airbag went off or not. I cant see it really having that great of an effect on the claim though.

Do you live/work in a no-fault state?

[fourseasonsandles]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

Do you live/work in a no-fault state?

I live in NY. I handle the whole New England region. There may be exceptions, but like I said before, it depends on the state.

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by fourseasonsandles

I live in NY. I handle the whole New England region. There may be exceptions, but like I said before, it depends on the state.

I see. Michigan is a no-fault state. So even if I drive perfectly, my insurance company will have to pay if some schmoe hits my car. They're very picky about certain things. Removing safety equipment is one of them.

Could just be my insurance company, though.

[fullerton]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

I think some companies, hopefully mine, will issue a rider - a policy that adjuncts to your normal auto insurance policy. I'm going to inquire this week sometime.

Let me know how that goes.

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by fullerton

Let me know how that goes.

I forgot to do it.