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Major Damage, or Just a Few Dings? Either Way, a Car Accident Can Be a Major Time Drain – But Not Anymore for Hartford Area Drivers

HARTFORD, Conn.--More than 25,600 car crashes happen in the Hartford metropolitan area each year thats nearly 500 a week and 70 a day. When you consider that drivers involved in crashes generally report spending at least four full days either managing the process of getting their cars repaired or shopping for another car to replace the one that was totaled, that adds up to a lot of wasted time. In fact, area drivers involved in accidents collectively lose more than 3,000 hours of time thats just over one year managing the claims/repair or vehicle replacement process because of accidents that happen in Hartford every day.

But it doesnt have to be that way. The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, which sells vehicle insurance to consumers under the Progressive Direct® and Drive® Insurance from Progressive brands, today announced its concierge level of claims service has now arrived in Connecticut. The two new voluntary services drastically reduce the amount of time drivers have to spend repairing or replacing their cars after accidents.

One of the services is Total Loss Concierge, in which Progressive will help you find a replacement car if your car is declared a total loss after an accident that is, if your damaged car would cost more to fix than its worth. All you have to do is describe the vehicle you want such as the year, make, model, price range and color and your concierge specialist will take it from there.

The other service is for cars that are able to be repaired and is available at the new Progressive Service Center in Newington, the first in Connecticut. There, specially trained claims representatives handle all aspects of the claims/repair process for you including overseeing the work that the body shop does, so you dont have to spend time getting estimates, arranging for alternate transportation, finding a shop, getting updates, etc.

Both of the optional time-saving services are available at no charge to all Progressive Direct® and Drive® Insurance from Progressive auto insurance customers and anyone involved in a claim with these customers.

Typically, an insurance company writes you a check and sends you on your way to take care of everything yourself, said Paul Lamison, Progressives Total Loss Concierge manager. With these services, we take care of all the details, making the process easy. This can be a huge help to busy people who just dont have the time to drop everything after a car accident to get their cars repaired or find another car on their own.

About Total Loss Concierge

If you get into a car crash, chances are better than ever that your vehicle will be declared a total loss. An estimated five million vehicles, or about 20 percent of those involved in insurance claims each year, are totaled in crashes thats a 40 percent increase over the past seven years. If your car is declared a total loss, your insurance company typically writes you a check for your cars actual cash value (ACV), minus the deductible amount you selected when you bought your policy. In exchange, you sign over the cars title. After that, youre on your own you have a check but you dont have a car.

This can cause a couple of different problems. First, youre faced with the inconvenience of unexpectedly having to shop for another car. And second, if youre like a lot of people and are upside-down on your auto loan (meaning you owe more to the financing company than your car is worth), you may find yourself in the position of owing money on a vehicle you dont own anymore. This can make it more difficult to find a car comparable to the one you had using your total loss settlement amount.

Total Loss Concierge makes these problems easier to deal with by using Progressives large network of carefully selected car dealerships and lenders to find you the car you want, at the price you want to pay. Progressives network of lenders can even help you arrange financing if you need it.

Because of the resources weve put together, theres a good chance well get you a better deal on both the purchase price and the financing than youd get shopping on your own, said Lamison. Some companies advertise total loss replacement coverage, but the coverage generally only helps you if you drive a newer car. By contrast, Progressives Total Loss Concierge service is free and is available regardless of the age of your totaled vehicle and even if you want to replace it with a used car.

Because new cars have a higher dollar value, its very unlikely that following a crash theyll cost more to fix than theyre worth, so a service that only replaces newer cars doesnt help a lot of drivers, said Lamison. Our service is designed to help the people who need it the most that is, people whose cars may be a few years old and who may want help finding replacement cars and financing.

About Service Centers

If your car isnt totaled but instead needs to be fixed, dropping it off at the Newington Service Center can reduce the time you spend managing the claims/repair process from about four days to about 15 minutes. After you choose to drop off your car at the Service Center, a Progressive claims representative prepares a repair estimate and contacts an auto body shop based on its track record of providing superior service and ability to begin work promptly. Both Progressive and the shop reach agreement on the cost of the repairs; the shop then takes the vehicle from the Service Center to its facility and the repair work begins. When the work is finished, the vehicle is returned to the Service Center where representatives from both Progressive and the body shop inspect the quality of repairs. Once satisfied with the repair quality, Progressive calls you to return to the Service Center where, together with the claims representative, you inspect the repairs. Once youre satisfied with the repairs, you leave with your car and a written guarantee that both Progressive and the body shop stand behind as long as you own or lease the vehicle.

The Service Center approach is simple and it works, said Brian Finn, Newington Service Center manager, Progressive. By using a service that handles the claims/repair process from start to finish, people can save time and spend it the way they want to.

The new Service Center at 40 Commerce Court in Newington is the 49th Progressive Service Center in the U.S. and the first in Connecticut. Total Loss Concierge is available to drivers statewide.

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, ranks third in the nation and in Connecticut for auto insurance based on premiums written and provides drivers with competitive rates and 24/7 in-person and online service. The products and services of the Progressive Direct Group of Insurance Companies are marketed directly to consumers by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE and online at www.progressivedirect.com through the Progressive Direct® brand. The products and services of the Drive Group of Progressive Insurance Companies are offered by more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies and online at www.driveinsurance.com through the Drive® Insurance from Progressive brand. More information can be found at www.progressive.com.