Consumer Information Links and Forms
File a Complaint With the SC Department of Insurance
Auto Insurance Arbitration
Know Your Rights
Definition of Indemnify
transitive verb
1: to secure against hurt, loss, or damage
2: to make compensation for incurred hurt, loss, or damage
Aftermarket Parts From Insurance Companies
Most insurance policies state that you will accept aftermarket parts of the same quality, fit, and finish. These are replacement parts for car repairs that are made by a company other than the car's original manufacturer.
CAPA-Certified Parts vs. OEM Parts
The insurance companies created a certification company for vehicle repair parts, which is called the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA).
The parts are certified to be of the same quality, fit, and finish as those that were installed on your vehicle from the OEM. However, insurance companies have no experience in building vehicles, much less crash-testing parts. This makes it hard to fully trust them and their certifications.
Becoming a Victim of Using Unauthorized Parts
If you wish to know if you have decertified parts, you can sign up on their email list. They email the parts that will be removed from their certification list, however, they won’t let you know why they were decertified.
Crash Tests of IIHS
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performs 90 to 150 crash tests a year to study the effects and crashworthiness of a vehicle. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an agency of our federal government, holds OEMs to a higher standard.
If your vehicle doesn’t have a high crash test rating with the OEM, would you still feel safe accepting aftermarket crash parts? We have institutions that value our safety on the road, so it’s important that your insurance company will do so as well.
Considering Your Insurance Company
You should choose an insurance company that will stand behind you when you need them most. They should take great care not only of your car but also you and your life.
Treating Your Vehicles With Care
It is mind-boggling how much technology is being put into today's vehicles. That's why these vehicles should be repaired back to as close to pre-accident condition as humanly possible, so they can keep us safe on the road.