What is PICC's damage assessment standard for waterlogged vehicles?
2 Answers
The following are PICC's damage assessment standards for waterlogged vehicles: Preparation before assessment: After receiving the claim report, the insurance company staff will review the survey records, understand the accident loss situation, and inquire about the surveyor's opinions. Then, they will check the insurance coverage of the vehicle to determine the corresponding insurance type and payment limit. It is important to carefully review the claim records of the involved vehicle to avoid duplicate compensation. Damage assessment approval: Before disassembling and inspecting the accident vehicle, if the estimated loss amount exceeds the branch's assessment authority, the assessor needs to fill out the "Major Case Damage Assessment Report" and submit it to the provincial company for approval and authorization before proceeding with the assessment. Basic principles of vehicle loss: The repair scope of the vehicle is limited to the damage caused by this accident; repairable parts should be repaired as much as possible; areas that can be partially repaired should not be expanded to overall repairs; replaceable parts should not be replaced with assemblies; labor costs and spare parts prices should be accurately determined based on the difficulty of the repair process and the local labor cost level.
I've seen quite a few flood-damaged cars at repair shops before. PICC's damage assessment for such vehicles mainly depends on the water level height. If the water only reaches the wheel hubs, it might just mean some water got into the chassis or exhaust pipe—a simple cleaning would suffice with low costs. If the water rises above the seats, the interior and seats need replacement, along with electronic equipment checks to prevent short circuits and fires. When water reaches the dashboard or instrument panel, the car is generally considered totaled because the engine and critical components suffer severe damage—repair costs would exceed the value of getting a new car. They also check whether the vehicle was started; if the driver attempted to start it, the damage worsens, leading to reduced claim amounts. My advice is, if you find your car flooded, don't move it immediately—call a tow truck for professional assessment to avoid paying out of pocket. These standards ensure fairness but rely heavily on onsite experts' experience, sometimes requiring verification of past maintenance records.
