I will be writing a handbook/guide that will be published and distributed by the largest classic car insurer in the business. It will be based on the accident we had in our 68 Firebird and it will walk people through proper steps to take in the event they are unfortunate enough to ever have an accident involving their classic/collector car.
It will discuss fixing/repairing, finding correct parts and or making the difficult decision not to fix/repair etc.
This will be a complete guide that will walk through, discuss and touch on every aspect of an accident/loss involving a classic/collector car. It will also discuss the usual taboo topic of legal issues and how to pursue your losses. This part of this will BLOW your minds and is something YOU ALL should know NOW. READ YOUR collector car policies, understand your daily driver policy and how they interact together in the event you are involved in an accident!
You all need to know if your ins. coverage on your car(s) is an "agreed upon value" policy NOT a "stated value" policy! I repeat, NOT a "stated value" policy.
Lucky for us we had an "agreed upon value" policy with Hagerty. In addition, you need to have a SOLID appraisal, not some piece of crap from some dude who spends 7 minutes with your car or in some cases NEVER looks at the car!
You must also look at your regular auto policy, IT DOES COME INTO PLAY when you have a wreck with your classic/collector car. TRUST ME! If you do not understand it, call your agent and ask them to explain it to you NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you have a wreck and have lifelong injuries, your car will be the least of your worries. My wife has now had two back surgeries and I may also have one soon. I still have 5 ruptured discs in my lower back from the accident and my wife had multiple fusions. Again, make sure you are covered in your classic and understand EXACTLY how your TWO policies are going to work TOGETHER in the event you have a claim! By sheer luck, I happened to check the right boxes, initial the correct lines etc. for stacked, unstacked, blocked, unblocked policies.
Sorry for your grief Earlybird, you never know what the day will bring when you get out of bed.. Three years ago we woke up one day and decided to go to an afternoon movie on the weekend, and by early evening we were homeless and had lost all of our possessions to a house fire.
You never think it will happen to you- till it does.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention, I will definitely check this out when I find my Firebird.
Cant wait for summer... 68HO4004spvert Sleddog Iowa
God Bless the men and women past and present that have served this country. Thank you. Support D.A.V. - it helps gives a life back to those who gave so much for us.....
It was three years ago this past Christmas for us that we were sitting for 20 minutes, waiting for a drawbridge to reopen as it was lifted for a boat parade. We were the last car in line coming home from our car club Christmas dinner. 6pm, sitting and talking in our car and BANG! An illegal runs right into the rear end of our 68 Firebird at 45mph never touching her brakes.
Turns out she had a driver's license, auto ins. and was texting! Our 12 year old son was/is fine in the back seat and I give all the credit to the frame connectors we had installed on the car for saving someone's life that day. Wife and I both have lower back problems now and the illegal has been deported!
Anyway, as Sleddog says, you don't think it will ever happen to you, BUT, it can and IF it does, know ahead of time NOT after how you will be protected!
