Car collisions can often lead to catastrophic damage to your vehicle. Serious car crashes don’t always result in cars being totaled and replaced, however. Most often, the vehicle or vehicles end up being repaired under the applicable insurance policy or policies. One frequent type of repair to a car involved in an accident is the replacement of a broken or cracked windshield.
Like most car repairs that occur after a car crash, the replacement of a windshield is often done by an experienced tradesman who thereafter submits an invoice for payment to the insurance company whose policy covers the damage to the vehicle from the accident. Windshield replacement specialists are unlike ordinary mechanics. They do not repair all damage to vehicles. Most often, they are specialists whose sole business is installing new windshields safely. It’s an important part of a car’s makeup and you wouldn’t want a general mechanic handling this portion of your car’s repair
When you go to the doctor and give him/her your health insurance policy information, the doctor will often submit an invoice to the health insurance company, and subsequently get paid. Car insurance and car repairs work in a similar fashion. Mechanics repair your vehicle, and submit an invoice to the motor vehicle insurance company handling the claim for payment. Often however, these hardworking skilled and experienced tradesmen that replace or repair windshields are being denied full payment from the car insurance companies handling the vehicular accident claims. They do all the work necessary to get your car or truck road ready, and yet are only paid a portion of what it cost to make those repairs. This is mainly because the insurance companies think most people will not fight this. They believe it is more cost effective to summarily deny full payment and fully pay only those who challenge the partial payment decision.
When you have car repairs, or more specifically a windshield replaced, one of the documents you are signing contains what is known as an “assignment of benefits”. This basically means that if signed, the document will give the provider of services, the windshield repair person, the right to go after the benefits that were yours i.e. the right to full payment for windshield repairs.
Often you get a check-up at the doctor, or get your car fixed by a mechanic after an accident. You probably never thought to wonder if the hardworking men and woman performing these services are actually compensated fully by the insurance companies handling the claims. It is widely known that auto insurance carriers unfairly deny or underpay a number of claims for at least two reasons:
- Insurance carriers are well funded corporate entities that flex their muscles in hopes of causing fear to the small business owner. The carriers know that a majority of windshield replacement companies will not fight the claims process. The denials and underpayment of claims, likely net the carriers millions of dollars per year. Most of the providers that I speak to on a daily or weekly basis have a fear that fighting the insurance companies will result in retaliatory tactics.
- The Insurance carriers have a desire to steer business to their “preferred providers”. They have cultivated a network of providers willing to accept reduced payments which is managed by a subsidiary of Safelite, the nation’s largest windshield repair and Replacement Company. Safelite’s subsidiary acts as third party administrator which earns a percentage of every claim filed in order to allow the insurance carriers to have more control; control of the process and control of pricing
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we are in the business of helping these underpaid tradesmen seek compensation from car insurance companies. We represent those who repair windshields in claims against the insurance companies, to recoup the gains that they are entitled to for work they have already done.
If you’ve had your windshield replaced after a motor vehicle accident, or if you are in the business of replacing windshields: please give one of the attorneys at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA a call today. You might still be owed money from the insurance company or companies handling your claim. (727)451-6900
