The ratio on all claims processed in the month of July where “fixed property” losses occurred was 2.5%.  Fixed property is when a vehicle hits a wall, fence, building or an object other than another vehicle.

2.5% means that for every 100 claims assigned out to field appraisers, 2.5 will involve property. That average fixed property loss in which walls, etc are damaged in 2009 is currently $2,994.56.  AutoClaims Direct, unlike other IA firms has a complete property division with full adjusting teams who write in property adjusting software for repair accuracy.  If your claims office is simply redlining estimates or paying “auto ” appraisers to “guess” on repair costs, your loss expenditures may be needlessly inflated.

I was driving along the San Diego freeway when I saw this truck with crushed cars. It made me wonder if I paid $4500 for each of them in the Government’s “Cash for Clunkers” program?

Here’s a recent snapshot of a dealership rates posting in San Diego.

The Cash for Clunkers program, where we the taxpayers are buying old cars for up to $4500 each, and many of these wouldn’t normally even fetch $750 in the salvage market, is about ready to fold unless Congress snags even more taxpayer money  to keep it going. Click here for the story.