How do you ask for a second opinion?

After a loss, the insured and the insured can disagree about what compensation should be paid to the insured. This indemnity is based on a motor vehicle expert report that the insured can object to. To achieve this, he asks for a second opinion. How does it behave? What are the consequences of compensation actions?

After an accident, the insured and the insured may not agree on compensation. The insured can then request a second opinion.

In what cases can there be a second opinion?

If your car suffers a significant loss, your insurance company can call an auto expert to assess and determine the amount of damage and the cost of repairing it. The insurance company can also request this expert report if the circumstances of the accident are unclear or if it is difficult to determine the relevant responsibilities.

An important step for the insured, because if the damage is repairable, then car insurance compensate him. If repairs are impossible or expensive, the insurance must provide compensation to the insured at the real value of the vehicle, so that he or she can purchase an equivalent vehicle.

After that, the insured has the right to consult the expert and object to the expert’s report commissioned by his insurance company. He can present his arguments, with supporting evidence (eg with repair bills, classification of arguments for a vehicle or maintenance history).

In the event of a dispute, the insured may, at his own expense, request a second opinion from the Motor Insurance to object to the initial report. He must inform his insurance company by mail, which cannot refuse.

How do I get an auto insurance counter appraisal?

The insured must find a motor vehicle expert himself. Of course, it is advisable to call an expert only if the sums involved are large. It is also important to know the qualities of the expert you hire: reputation, areas of expertise, deadlines …

There are listings for independent auto experts or members of a specialist company (eg on the Road Safety website). In practice, many of the adjusters are affiliated with insurance companies. Therefore the insured must first check the expert’s affiliations before contacting him, in order to obtain an impartial second opinion.

The motor vehicle expert decides only the damage to the damaged vehicle and no other damage to the insured (in particular bodily injury, assessed by the doctor).

It is better to conduct competition and compare offers of experts, by asking for quotes. It takes an average of 150 to 250 euros to secure the services of an expert.

Some experts sometimes accept online expertise or rely on images (then generally cheaper). Other big brands of experience also charge reasonable prices (less than 150 euros).

Thus, the expert appointed by the insured will make a second assessment (given that the insured pays for it, he tends to give a report more favorable to him than the first assessment). This counter-assessment is carried out in the presence of the first expert, so that the experts can agree on the amount of compensation that will be awarded to the insured.

Consequences of a second opinion for auto insurance

Several scenarios can occur:

1. The two experts agree on an amount of compensation to be allocated to the insured in order to repair or replace his damaged vehicle. The appraisers can thus set a new amount or agree to the compensation suggested by the first appraisal.
2. Experts disagree. In this case, a third auto expert is appointed with the mutual consent of the insurance company and the insured. Otherwise, this expert shall be appointed by the Court of First Instance. Half is paid by the insurance and half by the insured. This expert will have to decide, in order to appoint a Final compensation amount.
   If this amount is challenged by the insurance company or the insured, the insurance broker may be contacted if the insured is a member of the French Insurance Federation. The broker will propose compensation to the parties involved. If this does not happen, the proceeding continues before the District Court or the Supreme Court, depending on the amount involved.