If someone hits your car in Sacramento, you could be entitled to money for the property damage to your vehicle. However, securing compensation to repair or replace your car is often easier said than done. Rather than fight with the insurance company over your property damage claim, get help from a knowledgeable car accident lawyer.
Reach out to Demas Law Group today to learn how to maximize compensation for your damaged vehicle. With more than 25 years of experience representing the rights of accident victims, our experienced attorneys know what it takes to deliver real results for our clients. Let us handle the time-consuming aspects of your property damage claim while you get your life back on track.
What is Property Damage?
In a car accident claim, property damage refers to any financial losses you incur due to damage to your vehicle or other personal property. A successful property damage claim could provide you with compensation for losses like:
- The costs of fixing vehicle damage
- Reimbursement for the actual cash value or fair market value of your car if the insurance company declares it a total loss
- Incidental expenses, such as car rental fees or other alternative transportation expenses you incur while waiting for repairs or a replacement vehicle
Property damage claims do not include money for any bodily injuries you sustain in a crash. You would need to file a personal injury claim to seek compensation for those losses.
How Do Insurance Companies Handle Property Damage Claims in California?
The insurance process for property damage claims varies depending on the circumstances of the crash and the available insurance coverage. California insurance companies handle property damage claims as either repair or total loss claims.
With a repair claim, the insurance company compensates a car accident victim for the costs of repairing accident-related damage to their vehicle. The insurance company usually obtains a quote from a partner repair shop, which inspects the car and provides an estimated cost for fixing the vehicle.
With a total loss claim, the insurance company determines that the cost of repairing property damage exceeds the car’s value or a specified percentage of its value. If this happens, the insurance company usually pays the owner a fair market value for the vehicle, even if the damage is fixable.
When a driver accepts payment for a totaled car’s value, they turn over ownership of the wrecked vehicle to the insurance company, which might try to recoup some of its losses by selling the car for scrap parts or salvage. Some owners can keep their totaled vehicles, but the insurance companies usually deduct the money they would have earned by selling it from their payouts.
What Does Property Damage Car Insurance Cover?
Auto insurance companies provide several forms of coverage for damage to cars or other property damage that occurs in a car accident:
- Property damage liability coverage – You could file a property damage claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy to recover compensation from their property damage liability coverage. This coverage pays for crash-related damage when the policyholder is at fault.
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage – With uninsured motorist coverage, drivers can seek compensation from their auto insurance providers for property damage losses after car accidents when the responsible driver lacks property damage insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault driver has property damage liability insurance, but their policy limits cannot fully pay for the damage caused by the accident.
- Collision coverage – With collision coverage, a driver can file a claim with their own car insurance provider for reimbursement of vehicle repairs, car rental expenses, or the cash value of a total loss vehicle after a car accident. This coverage applies no matter who is at fault for the wreck.
- Comprehensive coverage – With comprehensive insurance coverage, a driver can recover compensation for property damage caused by incidents other than traffic collisions, such as weather, falling trees, building collapses, vandalism, fire, or theft.
With collision and comprehensive coverage, you can only recover compensation from your insurance company once your expenses exceed your policy deductible, which is the amount of money you’ve agreed to bear responsibility for paying. For example, if you have a $1,000 deductible on your policy and incur $5,000 in car repair costs, you must pay the $1,000 you agreed to cover before the insurance company pays for the remaining $4,000.
How Does the Court Determine Property Damage Claim Amounts?
When a property damage claim goes to trial, a jury or judge determines the amount of compensation an accident victim should recover for their losses by evaluating evidence such as:
- Bills and invoices for vehicle repairs and crash-related costs, like car rentals
- Receipts for the cost of other property damage
- Car value data from reputable guides, such as the Kelley Blue Book
- Repair quotes from auto body shops
- Expert testimony from vehicle appraisers
Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer for Property Damage?
Property damage is often a part of a personal injury claim. If you suffered injuries in a car accident, consulting a personal injury attorney to handle your case is wise. But there may be a catch: Some lawyers prefer only to manage the injury part of the case and leave clients to pursue money for property damage under $10,000 in a California small claims court. You generally cannot hire a lawyer to represent you in small claims court, so you would have to handle that part of the legal process alone while recovering from your injuries.
At Demas Law Group, we handle every aspect of our clients’ car accident claims, including property damage. Insurance adjusters use sneaky tactics to reduce the value of property damage claims. An adjuster might obtain repair quotes that use cheaper third-party replacement parts instead of original manufacturer parts to repair the car or understate the value of your vehicle in a total loss claim. We will fight for you to receive maximum compensation for all your losses due to the crash, including your damaged vehicle.
What if I Suffer Medical Injuries?
Demas Law Group also handles personal injury cases if you suffer injuries in a crash, such as:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Concussion
- Back injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Soft tissue injury
- Burns
Get Help from an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in Sacramento
If your vehicle sustained property damage in a Sacramento car accident and someone else is to blame, don’t resign yourself to paying out of pocket or accepting a lowball offer from the insurance company. Get advice on how to maximize your compensation from Demas Law Group. Contact us now for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer in Sacramento.
