LOOKS LIKE BUSINESS AS USUAL
DOWN THERE IN GALVESTON.
SO FOLKS, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE
WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR CAR, YOU
PROBABLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO DID.
AND HERE TO HELP WITH QUESTIONS
ABOUT FILING A CLAIM OR GETTING
REPAIRS, MAYBE EVEN REPLACING
YOUR CAR, PLEASE WELCOME JEREMY
ROBERTSON AND BRAD FINK OF
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AUTOMOTIVE.
HI, GUYS.
SO A LOT OF CARS DAMAGED HERE.
THAT'S A MESS.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS
AFFECTED.
AND SO WHAT DOES IT ESSENTIALLY
MEAN WHEN THE CAR IS TOTALED
OUT, THAT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO
GET A NEW CAR, RIGHT?
>> CORRECT.
>> EVEN IF THE CAR IS NOT FULLY
COVERED UNDER INSURANCE.
>> CORRECT.
THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS GOING
TO WRITE YOU A CHECK FOR WHAT
THEY FEEL THE VALUE OF THE CAR
IS.
>> AND WHEN IT COMES TO MOVING
FORWARD WI REPAIRS, A LOT OF
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUTTING OFF
DEALING WITH THEIR INSURANCE
BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY A
DEDUCTIBLE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEIR
CAR.
THEY DON'T WANT THEIR CAR TO BE
TOTALED ESSENTIALLY.
SO STEP ONE, WHAT DO YOU DO IF
THAT'S YOUR CAR RIGHT THERE IN
THE DRINK?
>> SURE.
SO IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY IN THE
WATER, YOU WANT TO CALL A TOW
TRUCK OR SOME SERVICE TO GET YOU
OUT.
YOU CAN CALL THE CHRISTIAN
BROTHERS SHOP CLOSE TO YOU AND
WE CAN HELP ORGANIZE THAT.
BUT IT'S JUST VITALLY IMPORTANT
TO KNOW NOT TO START THE CAR.
DON'T TURN THE KEY.
DON'T PUT POWER TO IT AND DON'T
START THE CAR.
YOU CAN CREATE MORE DAMAGE.
>> WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CAR IF
YOU TRY TO START IT?
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE?
YOU RISK FLOODING THE ENGINE?
>> YEAH.
SO THINK OF YOUR CAR LIKE YOUR
BODY.
WHEN YOU GO UNDER WATER, IF YOU
TAKE A DEEP BREATH, WATER GOES
IN PLACES WHERE IT'S NOT
SUPPOSED TO.
THE SAME THING WITH YOUR CAR.
IT NEEDS AIR TO BREATHE AS WELL.
AND SO IF YOUR EN -- ENGINING
HAS BEEN SUBMERGED AND YOU START
IT, IT SUCKS IN WATER.
YOU'LL CAUSE IMMEDIATE DAMAGE TO
THE ENGINE.
>> HOW INTERESTING.
I FEEL THE IMMEDIATE INSTINCT
WOULD BE TO TRY AND START THE
CAR AND SEE IF IT WORKS.
>> JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> BUT DON'T DO THAT.
>> RIGHT.
>> IS IT GAME OVER?
IF YOUR CAR WAS SITTING IN TWO
PETE OF WATER, AND -- TWO FEET
OF WATER AND THE ENGINE WAS
PARTIALLY OR FULLY SUBMERGED IN
WATER, DOES THAT MEAN CONCERNS
YOUR WAR -- 100% YOUR CAR IS A
GONER?
>> NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
WE CAN DETERMINE HOW SIGNIFICANT
THE DAMAGE WAS, HOW FAR IT WENT.
WE CAN REPORT BACK TO YOUR
INSURANCE COMPANY.
ONCE YOU MAKE THE INITIAL CALL
TO START THE CLAIM, AND WE
RECEIVE THE CAR, WE HANDLE THE
REST OF THE PROCESS FOR YOU.
AND SO WE'LL MANAGE HOW
EXTENSIVE IT IS, GET BACK WITH
YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY, AND
TOGETHER WE'LL PARTNER WITH THE
INSURANCE COMPANY TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE GET THE BEST
DETERMINATION FOR YOU AND YOUR
NEEDS.
>> WHAT'S THE FIRST THING.
LET'S SAY YOU'RE IN A SCENARIO
WHERE MAYBE YOUR CAR WAS IN THE
DRIVE AND WAS TAKEN OUT TO THE
STREET IN THE FLOOD.
CALL INSURANCE?
>> AT THIS POINT, YES.
WITH THE AMOUNT OF CLAIMS THAT
HAVE BEEN FILED ALREADY, CALL
YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY, BECAUSE
THEY'RE EITHER GOING TO SET A
TOW UP FOR YOU.
IF THEY'RE INUNDATED WITH CALLS,
YOU CAN CALL YOUR CHRISTIANS
BROTHERS.
WE'LL GET A TOW FOR YOU.
BUT THEY NEED TO BE INVOLVED
FROM THE BEGINNING.
>> IS IT TRUE, 500 ,000 CARS,
AN -- 500,000 CARS, WERE
DAMAGED?
THAT SEEMS UNBELIEVABLY HIGH.
>> THAT DOES.
WE HEARD THIS MORNING.
CAN'T VAR IT.
WE'VE HEARD THAT NUMBER IS
ALMOST DOUBLED AT THIS POINT.
>> ALMOST DOUBLED.
>> ALMOST A MILLION CARS?
>> THAT HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF
DAMAGE.
>> DOES THAT MEAN EVERYBODY'S
CAR INSURANCE IS GOING TO GO UP?
>> I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT
INSURANCE TO ANSWER THA
QUESTION.
BUT IN A CATASTROPHE LI THIS,
I WOULD ASSUMPTION WOULD BE NO.
IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.
THIS IS A NATURAL DISASTER.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S -- IT'S JUST A
MATTER OF TRYING TO GET THROUGH
TO AS MANY CLAIMS AS THEY CAN AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN START THE REPAIR
PROCESS IF THE CAR CAN BE
REPAIRED.
GETTING THAT GOING.
AND IF THE CAR NEEDS TO
TOTALED, START DOLING OUT FUNDS.
>> ONE THING I DIDN'T THINK
ABOUT NUMB OUR -- ONE THING I
DIDN'T THINK ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT
CARS THAT ARE WATER-LOGGED OR
DAMAGED AND THEY GET SOLD AT
AUCTION BECAUSE MAYBE
THEY'RESIVE DRIVABLE.
-- THEY'RE STILL DRIVABLE.
ARE WE GOING TO SEE THE MARKET
FLOODED -- NO PUN
INDESIGNEDDED -- INTENDED PUTT
MAYBE WITH DAMAGES BECAUSE AN
INSURANCE CLAIM WAS NEVER MADE.
IS THIS LIKE A BUYER BEWARE
SCENARIO MOVING FORWARD?
>> I THINK ANYTIME YOU HAVE A
SITUATION LIKE THIS, THERE'S
GOING TO BE BUYER BEWARE.
BUT THAT JUST GOES DAY TO DAY
WITH CARS.
WHEN YOU'RE PURCHASING A NEW
CAR.
WE COULD PREPURCHASE INSPECTIONS
AT ALL THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AS
WELL WHERE WE CAN TELL YOU
HERM -- HELP YOU DETERMINE IF
YOU'RE GETTING A GOOD CAR AND IF
YOU SHOULD PURCHASE THAT CAR.
WE CAN LOOK IF IT'S BEEN
WRECKED, IF IT'S BEEN FLOODED.
WE CAN CHECK A FEW THINGS TO
HELP YOU WITH THAT
DETERMINATION.
AND YEAH, WE DO NEED TO BE
CAREFUL.
>> YEAH.
JUST GOING TO ANY USED CAR
DEALERSHIP, THEY'RE OFTEN
PURCHASING CARS AT AUCTION.
MAYBE THOSE CARS WOULD HAVE BEEN
FLOODED.
SO SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
LOOKS LIKE HARVEY IS STAYING
WITH US, RIGHT?
THE AFFECTS OF HARVEY WILL STAY
WITH US FOR QUITE SOME TIME --
THE EFFECTS OF HARVEY WILL STAY
WITH US FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
>> YES, QUITE SOMETIME.
>> IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFO ON
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS OR TO FIND A
LOCATION NEAR YOU, YOU CAN VISIT
THEIR WEBSITE.
THANKS AGAIN.
THE AIR-CONDITIONING IS SO COLD
HERE TODAY.