Allstate Insurance and Ferrari Damage

Regardless of a Ford or Ferrari, good body work is good body work, bad body work is bad body work. An expensive repair doesn't translate into a good repair, and visa versa. I have seen work from some "high dollar" shops that is laughable and downright embarrassing.

From a reputable body shop, the hourly labor rate should be the same whether a Ford or Ferrari. That's not to say a Ferrari might not take considerably more preparation (or maybe less - who knows).

Those that think a $200 repair on a Ford should be $1000 on a Ferrari are SILLY. It's sheet metal (or fiberglas) and paint.

That said, in Amarillo, Texas (pop. 200,000 +/-), there are only two body shops that I would trust with a paint sprayer, no matter the make and model of the car. I have a Mercedes, a Lexus, a Chevy, and a Ferrari, and I would expect the same workmanship from my body shop for any of these cars.

 

You should also be careful what you say on this site. I am a personal injury attorney and it is becoming more and more common to review web forums to see if the defendant or my client has posted something that may come back to haunt them.

 

I actually had a pleasant experience with Allstate. After my friend got in an accident with my Mondial, I contacted my agent who got me in touch with an adjuster. She took care of everything and made sure I had no problems whatsoever. When the adjuster came back with a quote for $2900, he specifically mentioned that it was just a starting point and they would agree to the final price. I went to Caliber Collision since they had experience fixing a Testarossa and they came back with an $8900 estimate (something about a "Ferrari rate"). In fact, the body shop said that since they were getting a lot of money from the insurance, they went ahead and fixed all unrelated minor dings, scratches and fiberglass cracks, then thoroughly rubbed the paint on the undamaged areas to make everything look new. In the end, the car looks better than before and my deductible is probably less than if I had had the other stuff fixed myself.

 

Lloyd, if you read the FerrariChat.com rules and regulations closely (like a good lawyer should), you will find that F chatters are sworn to secrecy for anything posted on F Chat. Now, given the fact that you are sworn to secrecy, that means that if you tell someone else, you have to swear them to secrecy. And you have to tell them that if they tell someone else, they have to swear them to secrecy. And if that person tells someone else, they should also be sworn to secrecy, etc., etc., etc.

Anyway, FYI.

 

Are you having the damaged fiberglass "repaired" or "replaced"???

I had a similar mishap in my mint '94 Vette a couple of years ago and had it out with Allstate. The accident was not my fault, and I was hit in the left front by an 18 year-old out test driving his new graduation present (a new Ford F-150). Because the car was in such great shape, I REFUSED to let them "patch" the fiberglass and spray over it. I made them replace all of the damaged panels and shave them down properly...at the end of the day, the repair bill nearly doubled. I informed my insurance company & his insurance company and showed them numerous pictures of the car prior to the accident. The car was a documented no-hit car and its pre-accident condition was evident. I simply told them that their job was to put me in as good a condition as I was in just prior to the accident - and that condition WAS NOT with "repaired" fiberglass body panels...Eventually, my insurance company had to front the money for the repairs and go after Allstate. However, at the end of the day, I got what I wanted.

I guess my point is to research your rights and take the avenue best for you, but whatever you do, don't let them shove anything down your throat that you are not comfortable with. The last thing you want to do is walk into your garage a couple of years down the road and discover premature stress cracks in your fiberglass because the idiot at the repair shop did not know how to lay fiberglass properly...

Good luck bro.

JohnH,

I see that you own a Miura, it would not happen to be dark blue would it? I am going into my last year of L-school at Tulane this year and I think that I have seen your car before around New Orleans...If yours is the blue one, let me just say GORGEOUS CAR! Definitely one of my dream cars - enjoy in good health!!!!!

Cajun

 

Cajun:

Yes. Here it is with photos and info:

www.lamborghiniregistry.com/Miura/MiuraSV/4870.html

Good luck in Law School.

 

Magnificent.

Thanks for the link.

 

The position of "diminished value" is very important here, at least in my opinion. I am in the autobody repair field and if it was my car, and I was not the one repairing it, I would only take it to a very reputible exotic repair shop. I have seen several "horror stories" and most repair shops are incapable of repairing your car properly. You have the right to be "made whole" and no matter how well repaired it will not be as good as it was prior to the accident. It was her fault but you will end up paying for it in the end as the car has become less desireable on the open market. Only take it to someone who has repaired several of these type cars and has references of past work. It may not look too bad but alot of damage is hidden. It might even be worth it to have the understructure computer analyzed. Look for a shop with a "Genesis" or similar type of system. It will cost less than $100 most likely. I don't know where you are located but I would not hesitate to trailer it somewhere to have it done by a proper shop. If you have any questions I can answer please do not hesitate to ask. Good luck.

 

I would definitely sue to get diminished value. You WILL need an attorney because NO insurance company will pay diminished value without sueing -else it opens a can of worms for everyone to claim their car is worth less. Insurance companies lie and tell you diminished value doesnt exist - however it does and you will be awarded it.
Once you get an attorney you need to get an affadavid from several Ferrari dealers stating what they would pay for a similar car like yours before and after the accident. The difference in value is what you are entitled for. That is a loss - the car is worth that much less and the other insurance company has to pay for it since they are responsible for "making you whole".
Your car will be a pain in the butt to resell. You can take a perfect car that's been well maintained, in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition, but once it's been in an accident and repainted, it's worth significantly less - to the point where many dealers & private parties will not even buy your car when you go to resell it. The minute you say "just a little paintwork", click - they hang up. Plus noone will give you a quote without seeing it in person-trouble for long distance buyer/sellers. This is especially bad with an 88 model Ferrari since most of the people shopping for these cars are terrified of getting a problem car so they're extra picky.
You need to be compensated by the insurance company now - so when you sell it you can price it for what it's worth as a repaired car and still come out even - else you will get stuck with the loss.