Insurance Payment to who?

I wrecked my motorcycle and it was towed to the local dealership where the adjuster made his estimate. I owe about half of the total value of the bike to a finance company. The damage was mostly cosmetic and I have decided to do the work myself. Can the insurance company refuse to pay me directly for the claim? Do I have to use an "authorized" repair facility to do the work in order to receive compensation from the insurance company?

[racer72]

In order to maintain your insurance policy to company standards, the insurance company can request the bike be repaired by an authorized repair facility. If you are allowed to do the repairs and you were injured or killed due to the repairs, the insurance company could be liable for all the costs. By having a repair facility do the repairs, if you are injured or killed, the repair facility will be on the hook, not the insurance company. I would also be willing to guess the company financing the motorcycle would agree with the insurance company too.

[tammy8]

Racer is right (of course ) about the liablities of an authorized repair shop making the repairs. Also the insurance company has an obligation to the leinholder to make sure the repairs are done. The insurance company will usually either make the settlement out to you and the body shop or you and the leinholder. If you feel you can repair the "mostly" cosmetic damages yourself, then have the ins company make the check out to you and leinholder. Then after you have repaired the bike to the leinholder's satifiaction, the lein can sign the check over to you.