How to Never Ever Miss a Required Photo on an Auto Damage Inspection Ever Again
Let me tell you a quick story.
Once upon a time a young appraiser, me, had a large coverage area, 3hrs x 3 hrs x 3hrs x 3hrs. After spending a long twelve-hour day of inspection’s I sat down to input the damage from the many cars I had looked at. Upon review of the first file I realized that the very first one could not be completed. The reason why? I had forgotten to take a VIN photo. The owner and I had some great conversation about what had happened and I simply had gotten distracted and forgotten to take the photo. In the end this one photo cost me 6 hours (re-driving out to the border of my coverage area to re-take that photo and driving back) of my life.
My hope is that I can help you never experience that pain in your career.
As an auto damage appraiser or adjuster, there are few tasks we are given that are as easy to judge or be judged on as the photos you take.
When you receive an assignment from the appraisal company. You are contracted to complete (at minimum)
1. To document the damage with photos
2. To write an estimate
3. To fill out an appraisal report
Both the estimate and appraisal report’s validity are judged and based on the photos we upload to the appraisal and insurance company.
Within that assignment that is sent over is a set of guidelines and expectations for you. This is what must be completed for you to be paid for completing the assignment. Review these guidelines before completing an inspection.
Let’s look at the most commonly requested photos first.
Standard Required Photo’s
99% of all files that I have ever completed have requested the following photos;
· 4 Corners (Lt Front, Rt Front, Rt Rear, Lt Rear)
· License
· Vin
· Odometer
· Damage Photos (minimal of 3)
Now let’s go through the standard, total loss photos, and my recommend photos with an example and a brief description of why this photo can be so important. I will present them in the order I take them in every time. Doing photos in an order and rhythm will ensure THAT YOU NEVER MISS A PHOTO AGAIN!
4 Corners — The 4 corners allows anyone who looks at the photos to see the overall condition of the car. Many times you will be able to see a majority of the damage, license plate, and prior damage all from just the 4 corners.
The key to getting a corner photo correct is to ensure that you can see one end of the car and one whole side of the car. For example, when taking Front corner photo you should stand to the left and front of the vehicle. You should be able to see the entire front and left of the vehicle. a eft Front corner photo you should stand to the left and front of the vehicle. You should be able to see the entire front and left of the vehicle.
I take the photos of the four corners in this order,
Lt Front
Rt Front
Rt Rear
Lt Rear
Here is 4 corners done properly in the IA Path order.
License Plate Photo — The license plate photo is good for identification purposes. The insurance company will be able to verify if this is the correct and if stolen in the future have record of what license plate was on the vehicle they are insuring. It will also provide information regarding when the registration will expire. In the event of a total loss insurance companies will reimburse owners for the months of taxes they pre-paid.
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) Photo — The vin is the unique identifier for the vehicle. The vin is located in multiple places on the vehicle.
1. Windshield/Dash
2. Drivers Side Door
3. Engine
4. Frame of the Vehicle
The best vin photo to take is the one of the vin plate on the driver’s door. (or on inside frame or pillar of the door) This will also include the manufacture date which is important when determining if a vehicle qualifies for A/M or LKQ parts.
Odometer (or Mileage) Photo — Similar to a timestamp on a photo, this photo is a timestamp of when in the cars life span the insurance company inspected the vehicle. It can be useful in future investigations and claim, but once again it also can be a determiner or qualifier for A/M or LKQ parts depending on the insurance company guidelines.
The odometer is located in front of the driver, behind the steering wheel, on the dash. In newer vehicles they are all digital, but older models will be analog.
Make sure when you take a mileage photo that the displayed mileage you are taking a photo of is the “odometer” or “odo” and not a “trip” mileage. I’ve had this happen more than a few times and can be frustrating and embarrassing to call an owner asking them their current mileage.
If a vehicles digital dash is displaying the trip it can be a game of hide and seek to find the correct button to change that to display the odometer. Many owners are not aware how to change the dash to display the odometer.
Dash Photo — Although not required on all inspections I highly recommend taking a dash/radio photo after you snap your odometer photo. You only have to move the camera a little and will literally add on 5 seconds to your inspection. This is important in the case of a total loss, but it also will display a lot of options on the car that could come into question later.
Here are the examples for the last 4 photos
Headliner Photo — Right after I take the dash photo I point the camera (or phone) up and take a photo of the headliner. This shows the condition of the headliner and also shows if the vehicle has a sunroof. This is very important when a vehicle is a total loss or on hail inspections where performing R/I on a sunroof is a big item to miss. I recommend taking a photo of the headliner on every file.
Drivers Door Photo — Stepping back after the headliner photo I snap a picture of the driver’s interior door trim, front seat, and dash. Once again this shows the condition of the vehicle and a lot of the options that may come into question later if the vehicle is a total loss or a part is needing to be replaced. I recommend doing this on every vehicle not just total losses.
Damage Photos — Now onto the main event. After having a conversation with the owner, taking all of the “required” photos, you can no move onto the damage of the vehicle. Taking good clear photos is essential to the insurance company. If they can’t see it in a photo they will not want you write it on an estimate. Don’t be afraid to use your finger to point out what you are taking a photo of. I recommend even if the damage is a small scratch that you take at a minimum the following 3 photos.
1. Head on
2. One looking from the left of a scratch
3. One looking from the right of a scratch
If the damage is more extensive than a scratch make sure you take a photo of
1. Every part that is damaged
2. One of the overall damage from the front
3. One of the overall damage from the right
4. Anything that would justify why you are writing something on your estimate (example hood gap being different from side to side)
Total Loss Photo’s
Here is the standard total loss photo’s for most insurance carriers. Don’t forget to also check your guidelines for anything else the insurance company may require. If you have a feeling that vehicle will be a total loss I recommend you take all standard and total loss photos, before taking any damage photos. It is easy to forget to go back and get a picture of the carpet, but you won’t forget to take a photo of the front end smashed in.
Carpet/Front Seat Photo — Taking a photo of the carpet and drivers front seat will show the condition and allow for proof of whatever rating you condition the vehicle. The driver’s side carpet and seat are the most used part of the vehicle and will usually be the worst reflection of the condition of the vehicle. If the driver’s seat has a tear in it then that will justify a lower rating on the conditioning chart. Between this photo and the driver’s door photo you will have a proper representation of the driver’s seat condition.
Engine Photo — Taking a photo of the engine compartment with the hood up shows how well the vehicles engine has been maintained. If an engine compartment is sparkling clean this will justify a higher rating for total loss conditioning or vice versa. After I take the carpet and front seat photo I’m conveniently located by the hood lever and it makes it a perfect time to pull it and then walk up front and to take my engine photo.
4 Tread Depth Photos — Standard equipment for an auto damage appraiser or adjuster should be a tread depth gauge. You can easily pick one up for a few bucks at any auto parts store. This gauge shows how much tread is left on the tires. When a vehicle is a total loss the insurance company uses this measurement to rate the condition of the tires. You only have to provide a rating for front and back, but since you already have the gauge out go above and beyond and snap a photo of the depth of all 4 tires. The key is to put the gauge in the center of the tire to get an accurate reading.
I hope this helps clarify the required photos and maybe give you a new rhythm you can take photos in.
Never miss photos again by
1. Reading the guidelines prior to inspection
2. Take your photos in the same order every time
3. For obvious total losses take the standard and total loss photos before damage photos
I you’d like a quick reference to this information including my recommended photos for every assignment, these examples, and the order I take them in click the image below to get “IA Path’s Guide to Auto Damage Photo’s.”
