CAIA Automotive Damage Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When assessing hail damage on a vehicle, which tool is most commonly used to measure dent size and severity?
- Depth gauge micrometer
- PDR measuring card with dent mapping grid (Correct answer)
- Feeler gauge
- Ultrasonic thickness meter
Correct answer: PDR measuring card with dent mapping grid
PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) measuring cards with dent mapping grids are the standard tool for quantifying hail dent counts, sizes, and severity across panels.
Question 2: A vehicle frame shows a 'diamond' deformation pattern. What does this indicate?
- Front-end offset collision impact
- Side impact that has racked the frame out of square (Correct answer)
- Rear-end collision with lateral force component
- Rollover damage to the roof structure
Correct answer: Side impact that has racked the frame out of square
Diamond deformation occurs when a side impact pushes one corner of the vehicle forward or backward, causing the frame to distort out of square into a diamond shape.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a 'blueprinting' inspection in auto damage assessment?
- Creating scaled drawings of the damage for court evidence
- Identifying all damage before disassembly to produce an accurate repair estimate (Correct answer)
- Documenting pre-existing damage excluded from the claim
- Verifying that OEM parts were used in a prior repair
Correct answer: Identifying all damage before disassembly to produce an accurate repair estimate
Blueprinting involves a thorough pre-repair inspection with partial disassembly to uncover all damage and produce a complete, accurate repair plan before work begins.
Question 4: An adjuster notes corrosion along the lower rocker panel that existed before the covered loss. How should this be handled in the estimate?
- Include full rocker panel replacement in the claim
- Exclude pre-existing corrosion and betterment the repair cost accordingly (Correct answer)
- Deny the entire rocker panel claim
- Document it but include full repair costs as incidental
Correct answer: Exclude pre-existing corrosion and betterment the repair cost accordingly
Pre-existing corrosion is not covered by the current loss; the adjuster must exclude or apply betterment to the portion of repair attributable to prior deterioration.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'sectioning' a structural component?
- Measuring a panel in multiple sections to calculate total damage area
- Replacing only a portion of a structural part rather than the entire component (Correct answer)
- Dividing labor time into sections for billing purposes
- Using a sectional mig welder on non-structural panels
Correct answer: Replacing only a portion of a structural part rather than the entire component
Sectioning involves cutting out and replacing only the damaged portion of a structural component at approved splice locations rather than replacing the entire part.
Question 6: A total loss vehicle has a salvage value bid of $4,200 and an ACV of $14,500 with a $1,000 deductible. What is the insurer's net settlement to the insured?
- $9,300 (Correct answer)
- $10,300
- $13,500
- $9,200
Correct answer: $9,300
Net settlement = ACV − deductible − salvage value retained by insurer = $14,500 − $1,000 − $4,200 = $9,300.
Question 7: When writing a supplement after hidden damage is discovered during repairs, what must the adjuster do first?
- Authorize the shop to proceed immediately to avoid delay
- Inspect and document the newly found damage before approving additional costs (Correct answer)
- Issue payment for the original estimate and handle the supplement separately
- Obtain a second opinion from an independent appraiser
Correct answer: Inspect and document the newly found damage before approving additional costs
The adjuster must physically inspect and document the newly discovered damage before approving the supplement to verify it is related to the covered loss.
CAIA Automotive Damage Assessment 2
When assessing hail damage on a vehicle, which tool is most commonly used to measure dent size and severity?