Pacesetter Adjustment A game of 3 card monty Baton Rouge Louisiana

 I got into a accident with a customer of theirs on 2/28/17. Took them 2 1/2 weeks to get me a rental car after they lied and said they couldn't contact me after I had given them all my information the day of the accident and it was on the police report. my injury claim still has not been resolved after providing them with Medicals records etc that was sent to them 3 weeks ago. I have called and left several messages and no call back. This was not my fault and the fact that I have to chase them for almost 2 months now is ridiculous. I feel your pain and agree if you have to deal with them get a lawyer!!!!

Clearly the people that have written complaints above have no clue about what they are talking about.

First, for anyone to think in this day and age that adjusters are sitting around with nothing to do but work on your one small claim is naive.  If this were true, your insurance would cost thousands of dollars more.

Second, you do have a right to get your car fixed anywhere you desire.  But insurance will only reimburse you for repairs that are charged at normal and usual prices.  Just because you might have been taken advantage of by your "reputable" repair shop doesn't mean they will get paid extra.

I'm sure that your reputable repair shop began the conversation with "So, is this an insurance claim?"  You probably said yes.  In their mind they just jacked up the prices sky high.  If you said NO, you will be paying it yourself, the price would most likely be cut in HALF.

Insurance companies have an obligation to all of their customers to keep their prices reasonable and that means they will only pay what is normal & reasonble. 

I hope this helps.

I don't doubt the experience of the previous writer, but it is totally at odds with my own.  I came to learn of the negative report as I was seeking a way to complement the handling of my case to the supervisor or manager of the adjuster involved.  Everything about their handling of my case was first rate from the adjuster at Pacesetter, the person who came out to examine and document the damage, and the prompt, fair settlement made by the company.  I'm not sure I could expect the same level of service from my own company.

My accident occurred in suburban Chicago, and it was a driver with Yellow Cab in Chicago that ran into my car.  I expected the worst, but I was very pleasantly suprised.

You are absolutely correct that you have the right to repair your car in the manner of your choosing.  However, you also do NOT need to have their appraiser come and examine the vehicle.  It's not needed, and is only a way for a company to stall.  Photos of the vehicle clearly showing the damage is perfectly fine.  If they insist, CALL THEM on it.  You can prove the vehicle is yours and have photo proofs of the damage.  The garage can also verify (it's a plus if you have a relationship with the garage).

However, you need to understand that there is NO insurance company on the planet in the business of paying out every claim in a prompt fashion and at whatever the price paid out is.

Insurance is a game, ESPECIALLY auto insurance.  ANY and EVERY insurance company will pay out based on THEIR opinion of damage, NOT yours.  Bottom line.  Assuming an insurance company pays out (and Pacesetter is notoriously slow, due to the small number of claims adjusters), they are ALWAYS going to pay out what THEIR estimate of damages are, regardless of what was paid for repairs or any other person's opinion of damages. 

THIS IS WHAT INSURANCE COMPANIES DO!

Additionally, it is also the job of the insurance company (any insurance company) to stall as long as possible in the hopes you will forget.  What does one do?  NAG!  Every single day, you should be putting in a call.  Again, this is EVERY company.  No insurance company is going to care about your loss.  It's not in their best interests to pay out, PERIOD.  Claims adjusters typically get any decision regarding a payout very closely scrutinised.  Several companies actually have instructions to be as rude as possible to make the experience as miserable as they can, and have explicit instructions to deny every single claim that comes through.  When they do pay, it's typically a figure under 50% of the damages. 

In those cases, depending on the amount of property damage, you may elect to sue.  Many of these companies gamble that you will NOT sue them, and thus can do what they want, especially with smaller dollar amounts.  However, in the event you DO elect to file suit, you find a good PROPERTY DAMAGE attorney.  Property damage is stressed because if you don't find an experienced property damage (PD) attorney, you're wasting your time.  Yes, these companies will spend money to defend their decision, but the real ripoff companies (and Pacesetter is NOT one of them!) will have a slick, experienced PD attorney to defend with experience in property damage, and if you don't have a good PD attorney, kiss your claim goodbye. 

Assuming you go into arbitration, these companies reject any decision and immediately prepare for trial.  At that point, a settlement offer is usually provided, due to trials being long and expensive.  Like anything else, do NOT take the first offer made.  It's like fine wine, it gets better with time.  As a trial date looms, depending on how good your case is (and police reports are NOT admissable in court), you can hold out for a better deal.

A tip for hiring an attorney is find one who works on a contingency basis.  That means, you pay court costs and filing fees (you can have them recouped in the settlement), and they take 1/3 of the total settlement.  Again, look for someone with much experience in dealing with property damage.