Miles Between Us
Take a listen about two sisters taking on business, adventures, life and all the miles between together!
Miles Between Us
Crash Course, Without the Crash
A calm voice helps more than a flashing hazard light when metal meets chaos. We break down the moments after a crash into simple steps you can follow under stress—how to move your car safely, what to photograph, which details to collect, and the fast decisions that protect your health, time, and wallet. Then we zoom out to the bigger traps: confusing no‑fault advice, incorrect police report data, surprise storage fees, and insurer steering that sidelines your right to choose a trusted repair shop.
From the bay floor, we share what “minor” damage really hides—bent rails behind perfect bumpers, hood gaps that become hazards, and the ADAS calibrations that make a safe car safe again. We talk costs with receipts: $1,500 headlights, $3,000 taillights, mirrors loaded with cameras, and why a simple rental can blow past your policy’s 30‑day cap. You’ll hear how AI photo estimates and rotating virtual teams fall short when they can’t see behind plastic, and why OEM procedures and post‑repair scans aren’t extra—they’re essential. Most important, we outline the coverage that actually helps when you need it: full coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist, higher liability limits, and gap insurance in a market where total losses are climbing and parts are backordered.
If you’ve ever wondered whether to file with your insurer or theirs, when to call 911, where to get checked within Florida’s 14‑day window, or how to avoid being funneled into a shop you didn’t choose, this guide is your roadmap. We stay candid, we stay practical, and we stay on your side—so you can focus on what matters: getting everyone home safe. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend who drives, and leave a quick review to help others find it.
I'm doing the production. I'm doing the lighting. I'm a one-man show.
SPEAKER_00:You did a great job. Very proud of you.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Hi.
SPEAKER_00:Hello.
SPEAKER_02:How are ya? I'm good. This is like the first time we've talked all day today, honestly.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so that's kind of how our days go, right? Which is why it's so nice to have this. We literally get to curl up on this couch and visit with each other.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. I'm excited because if you can see it front and center, we don't know what we're sticking with because again, we're so new to this that we're just testing all our prototypes, but those look nice. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You did good. I think they're great. I'm super excited about them. And you know, I just I want this to be a movement. I really do. I want it to be about inspiring each other and and really just be excited about what we have going on. So we've got to be able to do that. I just want it to be fun. Yeah. And that's what life should be at this point. So we've created this amazing merchandise and we're gonna have some giveaways, which will be exciting. So keep following for that. And uh, if there's certain products that you want that you want to see our logo on, then let us know because we're willing to look into them. Maybe like a tote bag or I don't know. Yeah, so whatever you want. I just ordered some leather koozies.
SPEAKER_02:I know. I don't think I've ever seen those. I have seen leather coasters, but never coasters.
SPEAKER_01:Actually, leather koozies, so they're they're really nice. Ooh, I'm excited.
SPEAKER_02:It's great. Yeah, these are great because I get little surprises because Misty's just doing all the merch stuff. So I'm like, oh, unboxing. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:No, my unboxing video was kind of fun. You were stoked. I was stoned. I was super excited to get something fun in the mail.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, absolutely. It's so fun to create and design and then see it actually in real life.
SPEAKER_01:Just so everyone is aware, I am only sourcing products that are made in the United States. So we're only using companies and manufacturers that are actually producing these products here.
SPEAKER_02:Nice. No Timu. No, no Timu.
SPEAKER_01:No Timu. These are these are all it's important that we, you know, support other small local businesses as well. So that's what we're doing.
SPEAKER_02:I love it. So on today's episode of Miles Between Us, I'm thinking we can dive into the collision world. Oh, yeah. Well, it's really fresh too, because I feel like in the recent couple of students are back.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So just new people in general, new to town, whatever, but even our staff that work here every day go through it and they don't know what to do. We have vendors that deliver to us every single day. They're in the realm, essentially, not the collision realm, but like auto repair in general.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And they don't know. And even when they start to get into it, they get steered in wrong directions or down rabbit holes or just don't have any advocates.
SPEAKER_01:So this is why this is so important. People have so much misinformation. And, you know, maybe your mom and dad told you to do it one way, or a police officer told you to do it one way. But I think it's important that you take it from the people that are working at the shops. Actually, fixing your cars. Actually, fixing your cars and dealing with your insurance companies or the other person every day.
SPEAKER_02:You may learn some new things today, which I really do think you will, but you may also be really surprised because I think I think I'm still getting shocked on the daily, which is not good, but you know, we're taking it day by day and going through it.
SPEAKER_01:I think I was shocked last week when I found out a Ford F-150's taillights$3,000 for a light. That makes no sense. It makes no sense. So it's wild. Yeah, let's dive into it. So let's talk about what you do when you actually get into a car accident. It's super scary.
SPEAKER_02:It's I mean, I do this every single day, and I swear tomorrow, if I were to get in a wreck, I would not panic, but your adrenaline's high, depending on where you are, what you're in the middle of doing. You just get frazzled. So at least we're working on creating these little like brochures for everybody to just keep in your car and like the glove box, and then you can just pull it out and be like, oh my gosh, what do I do? Yeah, step by step.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, it's really important because you know you can be in the middle of the road, there's traffic coming at you. Anybody that's been in an accident will know that there are a lot of people who will just drive around you.
SPEAKER_02:They just don't care, they don't stop to help. And I'll I will be the first to admit, especially just like as a woman, if I did not see that accident happen, like it is clearly not fresh, I am not stopping.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, like I will call for you. Yeah, sometimes it's not you know safe for you to actually be out there and in that road, but but for the love of God, at least call. Yeah, don't just record as you're going by and then Yeah. And then I mean, I know everybody is is interested in, oh, that's a really bad accident or are posting stuff, but that's somebody's you know, daughter or son or wife or husband, and uh there's a lot of emotions at the scene, so we need to take that into account.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think things get posted way too quick, like especially in all the Facebook forums and Tallahassee and stuff. Like you have no idea the status of that person if loved ones have even been notified, because I'm all about like hey, blockage on Capitol Circle, whatnot. We don't need to post those extra crunchy pictures where you're like, is that person okay?
SPEAKER_01:Well, and I think for me, so I don't know why, but I have been first on scene to a lot of accidents. And there was a major one at Tennessee and Macomb. Oh, this was your recent one. Yeah, it was recent. So a guy, I was stopped at a stoplight, and the guy came up from behind me, probably going close to 60, and blew through that intersection and T-boned a Jeep, and then pushed the Jeep almost head on into a Tallahassee police car. Airbags deployed, things are leaking everywhere. I mean, it was an unreal scene. And I know first thing in the morning, like yeah, super early. And I immediately jumped out. You know, the officer's trapped in his car, the airbags are going out, he's vulnerable, so I'm I'm helping him, making sure he can get out and checking on the other drivers, turning vehicles off. If you've got an electric vehicle, there's there's a lot of hazards on a scene. But people were rude. Melissa, they were trying to like drive around us. It was like a demolition derby in the middle of the city. Because it's right there at rush hour, so they're like, I have to get to work, I don't care about your problems. Yeah, and shout out to the guys building that apartment complex right there because some of those guys came over and helped. I mean, it was a significant car crash. And you know, I'm glad I was able to get out and help. And for some reason, I'm I'm drawn to that. Yeah, you are. Yeah, I am. I'm drawn to that. But yeah, it's super important, right? And there was no screaming or yelling. Let's just make sure everybody's okay because that's what really matters. The rest of it can be fixed. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. We don't want to miss a step. We hope you don't need it. If you don't, you may know someone that does. You could be in the car of someone that it happens to, or just or you get the phone call from your daughter like I did. Yeah. Yes. Yeah, just knowing what to do. So step one, stay safe, stay calm. That's easier said than done. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:You know, especially if you are the one that's been run into. You're minding your own business, things are great, and somebody just plows into you from behind. It's happened to me twice that I have been in these car accidents, and both times weren't my fault, and person behind me, you know, just plowed into me. And your immediate reaction is, I can't believe that just happened, and I might get out and whip this person's ass. But that's not a good idea. It really is just take a breath for a second. Do an inventory of are we okay? Yeah. Yeah. So that's super important. A lot of people have this notion that they should leave the cars exactly where they are in the middle of the road. Not true. It is not true. If the vehicle is able to be driven out of the middle of the road safely, move it.
SPEAKER_02:Turn on your hazards, creep it where you need to. Correct. Stay inside the vehicle if you feel like, again, you're not in a safe place where you can be outside of the vehicle if it's a heavy traffic area or something like that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there's multiple accidents that happen when you've been in an accident and you're staying in your vehicle and you're in the middle of Thomasville Road, and now another chain reaction accident's gonna happen because they don't realize that you're there.
SPEAKER_02:So when I think they get worried that if we're not in the exact position they found us, they're not gonna know who's at fault and all the details.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's just not true. I mean, you've got a lot of cars that have cameras in them now. It's not even the officers that investigate this anymore, it's the insurance companies. True. Yeah. They're gonna use statements from each party and they'll figure it out. Yeah. The best thing you can do is get out of the road. Yeah. Immediately check for injuries. And that includes you, other people in the vehicle, any passengers you have. It also a lot of times can include an animal. I mean, I was in a serious accident when I had my Great Dane. And yeah, uh Which one? I was hit behind by a taxi cab driver who admitted to the case. This was your first one. It was, yeah. Yeah, I was driving an F-150 on Lafayette and had stopped at a stoplight, and then taxi cab driver was distracted and had the nerve to tell me he was watching a woman run. Oh Lord. So uh keep it to yourself. Yes. Obviously, you're not planning on being in an accident. I've got a 175-pound dog, so I had to check on him, right? And then you got to make sure they're contained because again, an animal getting out at a scene, more chaos. More chaos. So we're trying to limit this chaos. The next thing we have is to call 911. Tallahassee is a little bit different. You're in an accident on I-10 or maybe in another city. What you're gonna get to respond to you or how quickly they're gonna respond to you is up for debate at this point, is the nicest way I can say that. I will say the policy is that if there's an injury, you should be getting a sworn law enforcement officer.
SPEAKER_02:Should.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. You want to report it, right? Because you don't know the status of everybody involved. There could be a fire hazard with something leaking on the car.
SPEAKER_02:It's always good too to just have another paper trail of just kind of what happened, stamp it in time, details like that.
SPEAKER_01:Right. Yeah. I mean, let's be real. They're not arresting people for driving with no insurance. They're they're not even arresting people for driving with no license. So if you're freaked out because you get in an accident, you don't have insurance, I'm suck it up. Yeah. They're not doing anything. Uh which is kind of one of our next really important things is do not leave the scene. Huge.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know what the actual radius is, because I'm gonna say, I don't know, 50 feet is plenty to leave the scene. Correct. I mean, let's get to a safe space. If you're three miles down the road, you left the scene. It's okay.
SPEAKER_01:Melissa is alluding to the fact that we're just gonna throw this out there. My daughter was hit, T-boned with her and my granddaughter by a driver who then took off and made it three miles away. And it wasn't written up as a hit and run, so I can't really testify as to what a hit and run is in Tallahassee, because that would have been what I would consider it to be. It's okay. It's okay. We're gonna move past that every single day. We see vehicles come in here from a hit and run.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Whether it's in the parking garages, that's a huge one. Parking lots in general, even like the side of the streets. Yeah. And it's sad how often people just come out and they're like, I have no clue what happened. Some other witness came to me and said, Hey, somebody hit your car.
SPEAKER_01:No, and it's and they're not small things. I mean, it's not like there's a little bitty scratch on your bumper or somebody danged your dog.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, it'll be like three to five grand in damage.
SPEAKER_01:Right. And they just left. Like, I I don't know who does that, but don't comment. Yeah, don't do that. In fact, I'll tell you, somebody tapped into my bumper and they actually left a note on my windshield. And because they left a note, I didn't call them. Yeah. Because I was like, you know what? That was so nice of you. There's really not much damage, and I own a collision center.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I know that's why I'm slightly salty because I have never had a brand new car. I finally get a brand new car a couple years ago. And then within what, like six months, yeah, it was either at the FSU parking lot or my money is on Trader Joe's. If you've been to Trader Joe's or any place in that godforsaken parking lot, you know it's a cluster. It's insane. But yeah, so I had that one happen, and then I had another incident in Trader Joe's, and I'm like, can't I please damage my own car for once? Like, let me.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I've told many of people when you first get a car, you should just go out there and like kick it or you know, put a little dent in it. That way at least we did the first one. We talked about do not leave the scene. It really can result in charges.
SPEAKER_02:If you got in a wreck and then you just flee, you have no idea, just human to human. Is that person okay? Like it's just deeper than that. So there's just many reasons why you shouldn't, and you'll get arrested.
SPEAKER_01:So there's that. Exchanging the information. So this is really important. And I'm gonna give you some tips here. Listen, nobody carries their insurance card anymore. It's on your phone. What should happen is you've got an officer on scene and you're gonna give them your insurance information. And there's gonna be a driver of exchange form. Just because I gave you some insurance information doesn't mean it's valid.
SPEAKER_02:Or it's even auto.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. I forgot we had that situation.
SPEAKER_02:Another experience of Misty's daughter.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, where she actually got somebody's homeowner's insurance.
SPEAKER_02:From the actual report, she didn't exchange it. This is just my own personal take on it. You should definitely double check and exchange information with the person, see it for yourself. Don't just go off of that police report because we've seen it so many times where it's wrong. They've put the wrong address, they put somebody else's address on there, which that's that's pretty good.
SPEAKER_00:They even have the wrong driver. I mean, yeah, so I wasn't even in our own car.
SPEAKER_02:And again, this is back to kind of what we said in a previous episode where just because certain people are in a certain rank or in a certain position does not mean it is all accurate, even with police reports. Like just make sure to do your own due diligence. Be like, oh, that tracks.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and we and we've got to say, like, we are not bashing first responders. Like we are a first responder family. Yeah, we just keep seeing it. What's being told to people at the scene is not accurate. You know, we need to go back through some training with that, I think. But it's really important, obviously, insurance company, policy number, get the vehicle, make model, and color of the car.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, everyone's got a smartphone on them now. So just take as many pictures and videos, the road around you, debris, skid mark, all the details is better. You can always delete things, you can never get it back from that incident.
SPEAKER_01:Jot down, do a voice recording of any of the details you can remember. That can be really important. And again, this isn't because you're necessarily gonna end up in a lawsuit or that type of stuff. Your insurance is gonna ask you these questions. Yeah. They're gonna ask you what color the car was that hit you. They're gonna ask you all.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and once the adrenaline fades, all of a sudden it can be really hard to recall it. And you may not ever file with the other people's insurance, you may stay out of pocket. We do plenty. It's a college town. Yeah, they don't go through insurance, it's really high for kids on their parents' policy. They don't want to get dinged again. So we're not saying exchanging information is the only thing you're gonna do when it comes to, oh, you have to file.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:You may not, but at least having it in case something gets weird, they try and ghost you. It's a safety net. And then if you already know you're going through insurance, you have everything you need.
SPEAKER_01:We've talked about the adrenaline in an accident scene. That first car accident that I was in that I talked about, I thought I was perfectly fine at the scene, right? You've got all this adrenaline going through your body and and you think everything is okay. And I knew that I was hit hard from behind. I mean, it totaled that car. And I thought that I was okay. And the next day you wake up and you're a little bit sore. And it wasn't until about a week later that I was actually at work and I stood up and I was super, super dizzy, and everything went black and I collapsed. And I spent the next week and a half in the hospital. I had actually torn some nerves in my neck and uh C1, C2 were unstable. This isn't to scare you. It's not to scare you. It's to say you don't know. Visibly, I looked okay. And I thought I was okay.
SPEAKER_02:And instead, I ended up with when you could have been like you never know when you get hit, you could be like this, this, however. And honestly, if I just sleep wrong on a pillow, I'd be hurting these days, let alone someone hit me from behind, sideswiped me, whatever.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and everything in your car is moving at the same speed as your car. So listen, if you've got all those water bottles in your car, which I know you all do, a book in the back. I'm more scared about the Stanley cups these days that are so popular. I'm like that to the head. Right. So you suddenly stop and those things in your car become a projectile. They're moving. Pay attention, maybe secure some of the items that you've got rolling around in the car.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, this is a great opportunity to go ahead and purge all the random stuff you're keeping in there, or at least put it in like your trunk, secure it, things like that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, cooperate with the police. They're out there to do a job, hopefully get you the accurate information, make sure everybody's safe and fire. Absolutely incredible guys gonna come out there and the EMTs and paramedics if they're needed. Let's just hope that it's a bump and a scrape and your car's a little bit damaged. We can replace vehicles, we can't replace you. So that's really the most important thing. And people have got to remember that. Whether you're gonna file a claim through your insurance, their insurance, call your insurance company and say, hey, I've been in an accident. What you don't want is to not say anything, and then it wasn't your fault, but the other driver's like, Well, let me try and see if I can get this covered, and they're gonna call your insurance and file a claim. And now all of a sudden your insurance is shocked, has no idea what's going on, and you're gonna get super upset when you realize somebody tried to file the claim against you.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and we can backtrack a second with the cops not having accurate information. So Florida's a no-fault state. And I think that's gotten a little mucky with the way that gets kind of transpired to people who've been in accidents where they're just like, oh, just file through your insurance. You you have full coverage. That's just not exactly how it should go.
SPEAKER_01:Well, not everybody has full coverage. That's the problem, right? So an officer at the scene will say just that. Florida's a no-fault state, file for your own insurance. If you don't have full coverage, they're not covering your vehicle. They're not gonna pay for anything, right?
SPEAKER_02:Well, it's more so misguiding because that's telling you just go ahead and go your own route when essentially if you weren't at fault, the other people have coverage, that's the route you're going.
SPEAKER_01:So this is just where we're getting at with better information and knowing. Absolutely. I mean, if you've got a large deductible, again, the accident wasn't your fault. You've got a large deductible. Why would you file with your own insurance and have to pay that deductible instead of just going through their insurance?
SPEAKER_02:Now, if they don't have coverage, then obviously that's what you have to do.
SPEAKER_01:Which again, we're gonna get into kind of the insurance thing and what our suggestion is. We don't sell insurance, but we deal with it every single day. So there are some changes that need to happen with that as well.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, but after witness info, cooperate with police, notifying your insurance, then this one's particular to here in Florida. Yeah. Seek medical attention. Like Misty's saying, she wasn't aware that she had any injuries, but you only have 14 days.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's 14 days from the time of the accidents, and you only have two options. Your only options are to go to an ER or to go to a chiropractor. Most people don't realize that. Your primary care physician is not going to see you for a car accident. You've got to get checked out. If you don't get checked out in those 14 days, you're giving up your right to the benefits of them paying for any care or coverage that you need. Um, and for me, it ended up being hundreds of thousands of dollars in care and time in another state and all kinds of things. We cannot stress that enough. Get checked out. I mean, just go and get checked out. We have some incredible chiropractors in town.
SPEAKER_02:Because if you're great, amazing, then they just give you a bill of health and you're like, okay, great. But if not, then you have that window you're covered within, and then you'll take the next steps for whatever care you need.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. You gotta know your rights, right? So you get into a car accident and your car's disabled, it needs to be towed. You have a right to call whatever tow company you want to use. There's a thing called rotation, and the officers can call the company that's on rotation to come get your car. Usually what we see happening is those cars then go from the accident scene to a storage charge and they immediately start occurring storage charges. I would say go ahead and kind of come up with a plan. Know who your collision center is, who you want to have a relationship with. We hope you never have to see us for collision. Just come see us for an oil change. Go ahead and know those relationships. There's some incredible shops here in town and across the country. So go ahead and have in mind where you think your car would go. And if you don't know, have it towed to your house.
SPEAKER_02:To your house. Because also you don't have, say it's an older car, you don't think you need full coverage. This is never gonna happen to you. Say the other party does not have coverage. So you are SOL. Your car then gets towed to a storage lot, and it is, these are not normal storage targets. This is not like, oh, my car just got towed, I'll pick it up tomorrow or the next day for 120 bucks, whatever the rates are now. No, it's like double. And so imagine then you're out of pocket, whatever that is, to then just get it towed to potentially your house. It it just becomes a mess. Like you just either need to know your shop, just have it in the back of your mind if you ever need it, yeah, tow it there, or last resort, tow it to your house.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. And then listen, if it's drivable and it's safe, so what we deem drivable and safe is different than sometimes what most customers think is drivable and safe. Hit in the front end, let's check for a coolant leak. If your car is leaking coolant, don't drive it. Yeah, we've got cosmetic damage, we don't want to have engine damage because we've driven it with the coolant leaking.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, if your hood is gapped, do not drive it. A to B in town low speeds, I think that's fine.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you get that wind underneath there, the safety catch doesn't work and it's flying up into your windshield, and we've seen that a couple of times. A couple times. Yeah, something's pushed into your tire, don't drive it. You know, you're heading up. Even your headlights, yeah. You know, I mean, yeah, we see we see a lot. It was well before you were born, but there used to be safety inspections in Florida. And uh never heard of it. Yeah, it's not a thing anymore. But we we do want to talk about this federal law. It's a federal law that you can take your vehicle anywhere you want to be repaired. We're suggesting you choose someplace licensed and insured. It is your choice where to get this vehicle repaired.
SPEAKER_03:Yep.
SPEAKER_01:They're called anti-steering laws. The insurance company isn't supposed to steer you to a certain shop or a certain place to go.
SPEAKER_02:And yeah, those are your DRPs. They're in contract to have to stay within certain realms, whether it's you, certain parts. I mean, there's it's a whole thing. I love it when our customers come and they're initiating the claims so I can see it from their vantage point. Do it with us. Yeah, and I love it because then I can help you all more. But state farms really rub me the wrong way because they're notorious for the steering on their app. Yeah, no, literally on their app, you take the photos and there's a drop-down and you pick your repair facility. And there's a way that you're supposed to be able to search, and they only give you like six options.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's it is completely 1000% against the federal law. You like you cannot go any further and you cannot go to the next step. You can't go to the next step.
SPEAKER_02:And most of us, like I'm just being real, most of us don't already want to deal with this. They want to just go ahead and go to the next step, get it handled, initiate the claim. So they're just gonna pick one of them. Yeah. And they don't realize how wrong that is and that it is against a federal law, which is a big deal.
SPEAKER_01:Well, the problem with that is listen, it's about a relationship. We are fixing something that's gotta be safe. It's gotta be back to pre-accident condition, it's gotta protect you and your family if it's in an accident again. That relationship that you have with the repair facility is incredibly important. You know, this podcast is probably a little more serious than some of our others are gonna be, but you wanna make sure that they're doing the right repairs and they're fixing the right things and there's no shortcuts.
SPEAKER_02:Let's just say this shop has progressives and they do all the drive-in estimates. I have gotten some of those and I'm looking at the estimate. I am looking hard. I am looking at that car, and it'll have 10 hours of repair on this quarter, and I am getting at every angle you could possibly imagine. Even before your car is even being touched. I don't know if places are overriding because they want to stay in their sweet spot.
SPEAKER_01:So they don't want to do the work.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So there's certain things that again, I don't work for these companies, I don't know their business models, but I've just gotten the ones that either people didn't feel comfortable getting their cars fixed there, or they essentially booted them out and was like, we're not fixing your car. Like with repairs on repair time, that's objective. Yes. Again, it just matters being able to choose a shop that you feel comfortable that one, they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing, and two, you're able to ask those questions. Because I think no question is a dumb question.
SPEAKER_01:No, you need, I mean, really what it boils down to is you need an advocate on your side, right? So that's what Melissa and I do is that we want to be your kind of concierge, help you file the claim, help walk you through the process. You're entitled to a rental car, help you get that set up, and then really advocate for you getting the best repair, right?
SPEAKER_02:Which is getting harder to do every day.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, it's a joke. Like it's getting really hard. Listen, if any of you insurance companies want to come after me, come. But I'm just gonna tell you it's bullshit. I mean, the vehicle needs things, the dealership says, hey, this needs to be calibrated, this needs to be fixed. We should I had to argue about replacing seat belts in my daughter's car in the previous accident where the seat belts were locked up. The OE says, absolutely replace the seat belts. It was our own insurance company, and I spent almost 30 days arguing with them to replace seatbelts. Yeah. You know, it's it's insane. Like the seatbelts worked before the accident.
SPEAKER_02:And this is more of like the behind the scenes that you all will get intel to, but the amount of arguing any shop has to do to fix your car properly to pre-accident condition to OEM standards is absolutely maddening. If you saw on a daily basis what shops went through to just make sure your car is so clear.
SPEAKER_01:And so, yeah, we try to protect the customers from understanding that all that arguing is going on. My background, again, was that I wanted to go to law school, so the arguing doesn't bother me and I'm constantly doing research. Melissa, on the other hand, is a little bit over the arguing.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's what works out great. We had all our hands and everything from the very beginning when we moved to Lake Bradford. We were all answering the phones. I did mechanical, she did collision, but then it got large enough to where it was insane for all of us. It was chaotic. So we decided to divide and conquer. Misty does mechanical, I do collision. Yeah. But what works out great is collision's a little bit more in-depth where there's a lot more moving pieces all the time. So she's got more free time in pockets. So in her free time, if there's one that has it has just exhausted me and it still needs that further step, further research, further arguing, whatever it may be, she then takes that because she likes it. She likes the research, she likes reading. And I'm like, here you go.
SPEAKER_01:There's a lot of it. I mean, again, you've got to go through, they call them position statements or P pages. And so that is the manufacturer. Let's say that it's a Chevy, and Chevy says, This is how this needs to be repaired, this is how this needs to be done.
SPEAKER_02:If it's sectioning procedures, if it's required versus recommended, because that's another ridiculous thing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. Well, and let's be real, these adjusters aren't fixing cars. Back in the day, they were trained. They were trained to know what an ABS speed sensor was or what an axle was or what a strut was or they understood when this metal was bent it wasn't gonna be fixed back and have the same amount of strength. And and now they're not. I mean, it's purposely done by the insurance companies because if they're naive, then they're not gonna really take a lot of responsibility for that. So you've got to have somebody again that's doing that battle, and and Melissa's doing it for you, you know. I will be happy to to argue with an adjuster. There's not a lot of negotiation in it. The plain and simple fact is the car's got to be fixed right. You know, your life depends on it. So with all these radars and the calibrations and the cameras, so there's a lot that goes into that. So it's one of the reasons we need to talk about insurance. None of us want to pay any more money for anything. It's expensive. Life is so expensive right now.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and it's it's crazy because you don't have just auto, you have auto, you have health, you have home, and you're essentially buying into this lottery that you pray you don't need. Correct. But let's just say you do. Yeah, please let's just not make it a headache. I'm paying all this money. Yes. I know my coverage, just cover. Yeah. That's it. But yet it's not that way.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, it's not that way. And Florida has, I think, the second highest rate of those that are uninsured. So I think it's one in five. Yeah. Your chances of getting hit by somebody that's uninsured is extremely high. We also have one of the youngest driving populations at all in this area. We've got three colleges. You need to be covered. Insurance is to protect you, right? It's to protect your asset, protect you. Florida has had this$10,000 liability requirement forever. And as we just talked about, a tail light on an F-150 is three grand. You and I looked at a hood two days ago on an F-650. That hood was over$8,000 for the part. Yeah. Right.
SPEAKER_02:So if you know the Hyundai Fender. Oh my gosh. We just had a$24 Hyundai and the Fender is$1,500. That is the highest one I've seen yet. That is wild. It makes no sense. Headlights on average are about$1,500. They can get all the way up to three grand.
SPEAKER_01:So mirrors, we've seen mirrors that are$2,000,$3,000.
SPEAKER_02:Some of the Fords.
SPEAKER_01:Again, they've all got these electronics and modules and stuff built into them.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, so we're saying all these parts though, because you just have, let's say, 10 parts you need. So you have the cost of the repairs, then you have the cost of the rental car if that's involved. And then it just keeps stacking up. And before you know it, we've had so many customers that wasn't their fault. They're the claimant. And they're like, I'm so sorry, but your 10K is capped and you should file through your own insurance.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there's nothing we can do.
SPEAKER_02:And nobody knows. They're they're shocked by it. And I was honestly shocked by it the first time it happened because I'm like, what do you mean? Like that's just it. They're not well right.
SPEAKER_01:So if you don't have uninsured or underinsured coverage, you don't have full coverage, your insurance isn't going to help you out either. Yeah. So we've got cars currently in the parking lot that were hit by somebody else. Wasn't their fault. They didn't carry full coverage on their own car, and the car's sitting out there with$12,000,$13,000 in damage, and they're going to save money to try and fix this car because they have to pay out of pocket. Yeah. So it happens a lot. What I'm saying is insurance companies make it more affordable for a policy with maybe, I don't know, a$25,000 limit. Look at a$50,000 limit. Because the average new car, I mean, you've got trucks that are$70,000,$80,000. New Yukon,$108,000. It's insane. So if you hit one of these vehicles, it's more than$10,000 to fix it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, there's plenty. We have a traverse that is going through the ringer right now, and it's technically repairable at this moment for about$18,000. It wasn't that long ago that you had a little fender bender and it was like$1,500.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah. I mean, the average bumper, even at our last location, you're talking about four or five hundred dollars for the part painted, put on everything. Uh, we're nowhere close to that now. So the prices of everything have gone up. And we all know that.
SPEAKER_02:And that's another thing to keep in mind too for all these tiny little parking lot incidents. It being under a thousand is very rare because it doesn't all the cars are designed now, which is to keep you safe, which is great. They're designed to crumple at the zones. And so essentially they collapse. You'd be surprised. It looks totally fine. The bumper's barely nicked. You take it off and the frame rails smash. It's so good.
SPEAKER_01:That's what we have with that traverse right now. So this traverse got hit in the front. The the bumper actually, you know, popped in but then popped back out because it was plastic. And then when you get it off, that rail all the way through to the firewall is crumpled.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so it's actually only crumpled probably like five inches. But on other manufacturers, they have sectioning. Right. This has no sectioning. Yeah. So you have to replace the entire piece, which goes all the way back to the firewall.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so the engine's got to come out of this car. I mean, when you look at a customer and say all the suspension. Sorry, you were hit in the front and it looks okay, but your engine's got to come out of the car. You guys are looking at us like we're crazy. That's one of the things we do all the time is we want to take our customers out there and show them. We want them to see where the damage is, see what's happened.
SPEAKER_02:Because it's really hard to grasp. Honestly, if you're looking at it the way you were before that car got fully disassembled, it's really hard for someone who's not in this industry to even understand what the part is I just said. What is an apron? Am I wearing it to cook? Like, I don't understand. So there's certain things that like there's just that disconnect. And because we're in it every day, we don't realize it until someone's like, What do you mean? And I like that when people they're comfortable enough to say, I don't know. And I'm like, Oh, good, let me help you understand it better. Because that matters.
SPEAKER_01:Well, we love educating people. We love the the more knowledge you have, the more powerful you are. And so we're about creating some really powerful consumers and and individuals. So if you've got questions, you want to know something, you want to know. We've got and we've got amazing technology. We've got a 3D CAD system that's great.
SPEAKER_02:I love it.
SPEAKER_01:We have for every single vehicle make and model. And so we can literally look at all these different things that are hidden. And yeah, the technology plays an important part in what we do. Listen, guys, please, we're seeing it every single day. There's more and more cars being totaled. It's harder to replace a vehicle. Cars are more expensive. So I I really want you to consider having full coverage on your cars and having that uninsured and underinsured motorist.
SPEAKER_02:Just even if like I had an older escape and even then I still kept it on full coverage because I'm like, yeah, my car itself is not worth much. But if I got in a wreck and it went away, I'd still need a couple grand to find something to alleviate some stress to go towards something else because you're gonna get at least something for it. May it be pennies, but you know.
SPEAKER_01:No, it's it's very, very true. Your insurance is going to write for the cheapest repair possible.
SPEAKER_02:The most cost effective. Yeah. Let's play with their terms since they use them.
SPEAKER_01:Let's play with their terms. They're not paying enough to fix these cars correctly. Paint's expensive. So you need to know what your rights are as a consumer. You need to read your policy. Most people haven't read their policies.
SPEAKER_02:I have not read it since the day I did it because I felt confident in what I got. I hope I don't need it. I do not know if I have rental car coverage because at the time I had a secondary vehicle. I don't now. So I'm going to go look at my policy after this.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so that's important. Rental car coverage is interesting. If you have rental car coverage on your own and it's going through your own insurance, you're kept at 30 days. No matter what. No matter what. Back ordered parts, discontinued parts. Yeah. Or a payer that's going to take 45, 50 days, you know, but we're seeing a lot with back ordered parts. You get to this 30 days and your insurance says, uh, turn your rental car and we don't really care if you walk.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. And I don't know if you all have rented a car lately. Oh my gosh. Holy casting, first of all. I think on average they're like$500 a week now. Yeah. I just found this out, by the way. We need to fact check it. Apparently, with Costco, they do rental cars and they're like half the price. Look into that if you need one. But even the, I think it's called Turo, they're expensive now. They used to be like 20 bucks a day. So on average, it's gotten to like$40,$50 a day.
SPEAKER_01:You're capped at this 30 days, but sometimes you're also capped on the dollar amount per day. Yeah, and I don't know why Tallahassee is this way. We're out of rental cars all the time.
SPEAKER_02:Supposedly, right now, it's because there's many that have recalls.
SPEAKER_01:Uh, some ones that don't. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I you're in the business of a you know what is driving me nuts? This is a PSA. I have had so many customers talk to me about this. The rental car companies that will then make their customers go get an oil change on these cars.
SPEAKER_01:I have heard that lately.
SPEAKER_02:All the time. We just had one, he had to service the tire. It got a nail in it, and instead of just bringing the car back and having them handle it, they had to go to a shop, they had to wait there for hours. They don't get reimbursed for any time. It is wild to me.
SPEAKER_01:Again, it's the customer service thing. So we're always gonna stay on that side of customer service. But yeah, rental car experience is a whole different thing now. Let's talk about the total loss percentage of claims and what we're seeing with that. It's creeping, creeping higher and higher. We're expecting next year at least 50% of vehicles that are in an accident to be a total loss. That means you will not get your car back.
SPEAKER_02:Which is important again if you're deciding under your policy what you're doing, gap coverage.
SPEAKER_01:You probably owe more on the car than you're gonna get for it. They depreciate so fast. Yeah, we also need to talk about these insurance companies that are going virtual because we're about technology, but I'm I'm not about this technology.
SPEAKER_02:See, I'm okay with it to an extent. The ones that are so Misty doesn't deal with it as often, so she's got her take on it. The ones that are still assigned to an adjuster, you've got the same person. It's relatively very easy to communicate with them. I don't mind it at all. And I think some companies are told to err on the side of like, okay, some of them are meant to argue and say, no, that's not three hours, that's one, but they're physically not there and they're doing a FaceTime, and you're like, how can you you can't see it? Whereas some other companies have been told, hey, you're not there, you can't see it as well. You need to see it.
SPEAKER_01:What she's talking about, in case you guys don't know, is is people come in all the time and you've got the back part of your car and you've got a big dent in the quarter panel or the bedside even, and you've got a dent. Well, there's no book time on that repair. It's really based on the size and the depth of the dent and the type of the metal. Right, all of that. So when we say it's subjective, it's up to the experts to decide what it's gonna take to fix that car.
SPEAKER_02:The ones fixing your car.
SPEAKER_01:Right. Not the adjuster who's never touched the car.
SPEAKER_02:But I don't mind those ones that have a tied adjuster, it is other ones that have express teams, right? Or whatever they're calling themselves, where you will never ever talk to the same person. So if that person you talk to who is already maybe a pain, maybe giving you some grief, does not note your file at all or well, the next person you talk to is gonna say, Well, you didn't call. We don't have any recordings. Though every call is recorded for quality and training purposes. So it's just a little maddening. So when you have a person that you're assigned to or you have an in-person that you've created a relationship with, the in-person ones are great for the shop. There's one person that's for multiple claims.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, good for the customers. Listen, most customers still believe you call insurance, you talk to a human being, you file a claim, and somebody will come to your house and look at it.
SPEAKER_02:They're starting with that virtual AI, and then you're assigned to it, but you may still never see them.
SPEAKER_01:And let's talk about that because you just briefly kind of skirted that in there, this virtual AI. Well, it is in very fine print with an asterisk, so it is in very fine print with an asterisk. So a lot of your estimates are being done by virtual AI. You're sending in pictures and a computer is then kind of running it through and going, well, this is based on how many pictures we've seen of this type of car damaged in this area, this is what it should cost.
SPEAKER_02:So just like Chat GPT, it is learning. Yes. And it is getting better.
SPEAKER_01:Listen, I like some of the technology. I I really do. I like streamlining some of it. I mean, there's some really cool stuff that's out there that I want to eventually have where you just drive through it and it does a whole bunch of. She's obsessed with this idea. I'm not obsessed with it. I'm going, we're gonna get it one day. Yeah, which is please. But again, you can't see behind that bumper. It's not opening the deck lid and taking the spare tire out and looking at that pan to see if it's pushed in. It's not opening the hood and looking to see if the fan is broken. It takes hands-on to really look at this stuff and look at it accurately. You know, we want the majority of this stuff to be fun, but we are really about educating people.
SPEAKER_02:And this is a big deal. This one's big because no lie, I'm having this conversation every single day. So that's another reason why we wanted to do the podcast, is because if I'm having this conversation every day on an individual level, why not spread it to our community? And it touches way more people who may not even see us. Correct. They may never come to our shop prior, be a customer, but then they've heard this information, they feel a little bit more at ease.
SPEAKER_01:Whether you're coming to our shop or not, if you've got questions about the process, call us.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You know, I know that there are other shops in town that you can call that would be happy to help you, but don't just take insurance word for it.
SPEAKER_02:Just don't just take only take the word from someone who owes you money. I'm just saying. Like they're the ones putting the bill. Essentially, the insurance companies are just a bank account.
SPEAKER_01:You know, most importantly, again, we want you to be safe. Don't drive distracted. Get off the phones, watch out for these crazy kids on these scooters. I don't think the problem's the cars with them. I'm just saying, I think it's actually the scooters and the people.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, I maybe pull it out in front of you. Have you ever ridden one? No. Why would I do that? I'll tell you. I rode one finally because I'm like, I see them all in town. We go to Nashville. Okay. I'm like, okay, we'll rent it. It was annoying to rent because you got to do all this, you gotta download an app, whatever. But we're committed because we are going further than walking distance. I regret the whole thing. But, anyways, what happened is this thing hauls ass. Oh no. Like it has way too much power to be like a little scoot scoop. In my mind, I was thinking this is gonna be a leisurely stroll, went through my hair. I was fighting for my life. I have my purse on like a crossbody, so luckily that was safe. A lot of these kids are new to the area. We have some jank roads that are a one-way here, stop, sidewalk stops, then over here, the one way goes the other way.
SPEAKER_01:They all change names.
SPEAKER_02:The sidewalks just halt with no warning. So imagine not knowing an area. You're on this scooter, you gotta come to a complete halt. And then all of a sudden, the sidewalk ends, and I'm in a roundabout. Okay, I can't. I was terrified. Finally, we didn't even go to where we wanted to go. We just ended up looping around for like 15 minutes and we both got off. And me and Zach looked at each other. We're like, never again. I know why these kids are getting super hurt on these things because they are wild. You should be wearing a helmet. Sorry to sound like a mom, but like I could have died that day, okay?
SPEAKER_01:I've seen glad you didn't, and I will take it back. I won't blame it on all the crazy kids on the scooters. It's the scooters themselves. You guys stay safe out there. I mean, accidents happen. I don't think there's anybody out there intentionally getting in an accident.
SPEAKER_02:I do not think anybody wakes up and says, you know what I didn't do today? Yeah. Hit somebody with my car. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Nobody's intentionally doing it. They're called accidents for a reason. We talk about this all the time. We see things differently because after our dad died, things just aren't as critical as they used to be. We can replace the vehicle, we can replace the parts, we can fix those. We can't replace our friends and our family. Drive a little more courteous, let the person in.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe like simmer down on the road rage because it's not that serious.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I mean, what are we all rushing to do?
SPEAKER_02:Put on some good music, listen to a podcast. Maybe ours. It's a very serious matter. We hope we still bring some lightness to it because at the end of the day, it's really scary. It's just a process, right? Everything's a process. So as long as you know the steps and you have somebody that can hold your hand through it, again, just get through it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:It'll it'll go away. It'll be a distant memory before you know it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:We're glad that you guys listen to us and we're glad that we're able to bring you some information.
SPEAKER_02:We hope it's helpful.
SPEAKER_01:Truly. I hope you learned something. If you've got questions you want to ask us about something more in-depth, you know, go to our website.
SPEAKER_02:I'm sure there's plenty we didn't cover.
SPEAKER_01:Because again, it's it's a lot. Yeah, it's a it's a daily battle and a daily grind.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and each one's though it's got its same process and procedure, every claim, every incident, like the back and forth, it's unique. You go through different things. That's why we're constantly learning and seeing different scenarios from pair side, but then also the what the customers are dealing with.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, and I really want to do honestly a shout out to the body men and the painters all across our community because they are artists. Oh, yeah. It's not just about replacing a part. I mean, they are crafting and making these so that your family is safe in them. Yeah, we have an incredible community of those people, so good job. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Way to go, teams.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. So again, we're Misty and Melissa. We're gonna keep it unscripted, unedited, real life.
SPEAKER_02:Thanks for tuning in to the Miles Between Us. Yeah. See you next time.
unknown:Bye.