Before You File a Claim

Understanding Your Rights Will Insure You Recover 100% of Your Claim.

Insurance Companies use a variety of tools to avoid covering 100% of your claim:

Photo Estimating

Insurers may ask you to send photos; the estimate they will write and attempt to settle is typically around 30% of the true cost.

The Solution: Take your vehicle to a non-insurance controlled body shop and have a legitimate estimate prepared. Let the body shop experts negotiate to recover 100% of the cost to insure your vehicle is repaired correctly.

Third-party Claimant Loss of Use

Something insurers will not tell you - you are entitled to loss of use in the form of cash. You do not have to rent a car to recover. The amount owed is for the time you do not have use of your vehicle, starting from the day of the accident, if your vehicle is unsafe or illegal to drive due to the accident.

Diminished Value

If the accident was not your fault and your vehicle’s value decreased due to the damage, you are owed for that loss of value. Insurers will put up roadblocks. Diminished value experts will guide you on a fair price and how to collect.

Cashing Out Your Claim

You do not have to have your vehicle repaired to recover what the insurer owes you. Insurance companies owe you for the value of your loss. Repairing your vehicle is your and your bank’s choice (if there is a bank involved). Use a non-insurance controlled bodyshop to help recover 100% of your vehicle’s value.

If your own insurance company is paying your claim…

They still owe 100% of the value of your auto loss. Oregon statute 742.466 gives you an easy method of exercising your right to recover without having to hire an attorney. The insurer owes all costs if you recover at least a dollar more than their offer.

If your vehicle is totaled...

If your vehicle totals, and the insurer low balls the vehicle's value, you have legal remedies as defined by Oregon statute 742.558.

When you file a claim, the insurance adjuster may encourage you to use their discounted shops. These shops prioritize cost over quality, cutting corners for referrals. At Leif's, we don't play that game. We're on your side, ensuring your vehicle's safety and value.

Oregon Revised Statues

ORS 746.280

Designation of particular motor vehicle repair shop by insurer prohibited

"An insurer may not require that a particular person make the repairs to the insured’s motor vehicle as a condition for recovery by the insured under a motor vehicle liability insurance policy."

The insurance company must, by contract and law, cover the fair market costs of repairs.

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ORS 746.287

Insurer Requirement of installation of aftermarket crash part in vehicle

An insurance company cannot compel a motor vehicle body and frame repair shop to provide or install any aftermarket crash part without the vehicle owner's consent, unless the part has been certified by an independent testing facility to be equal or better than the original part.

For this rule, an aftermarket crash part is considered equivalent if it is of the same type and maintains at least the same quality in terms of fit, finish, function, and resistance to corrosion.

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ORS 742.466

Disputes over coverage for physical damage

If you feel that your insurance company is offering a lowball auto damage claim settlement, you have the right to invoke the appraisal clause under Oregon law. This law applies to all insurance companies, even if it is not in their policy.

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ORS 742.558

Dispute resolution process for total loss vehicles

If an insurer declares a vehicle a total loss and disputes its value with the owner, they must pay the undisputed amount. This payment does not waive any rights under the policy. The insurer requires the owner to transfer vehicle ownership and allow the vehicle to be moved for inspection for 14 days. After this period, the insurer can sell the vehicle's salvage.

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ORS 742.558

Dispute resolution process for total loss vehicles

If your vehicle totals, you have legal remedies if the insurer low-balls the value.

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Insurance Company Ratings

We’ve done the research to give you a one-stop resource for reviewing insurance companies so that you can make an informed decision when buying insurance. These ratings are based solely on Leif’s Auto Collision Center’s 33 years of professional experience and interactions with the top insurers, nationally and locally.

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Let Leif's Handle Your Claim.

We're on your side, not the insurance companies'.

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Leif's Auto Collision Center

14344 SW 72nd Ave
Tigard, OR 97224
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Contact

503-620-LEIF (5343) info@leifs.com

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