Number of insured Sandy-damaged vehicles estimated at 250,500

Roughly 250,500 vehicles have been damaged from Superstorm Sandy, suggests a new estimate from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) in the United States.

According to the preliminary estimate, New York’s number of damaged vehicles has increased to 150,000. The figures reflect insured losses based on the NICB’s claims data. The numbers also include claims with varying degrees of damage, the organization notes.

The estimates of vehicles damaged are:

“By now there could be many Sandy damaged vehicles that are in the process of being reconditioned and sold to unsuspecting consumers all across the country,” the NICB noted.

“It is not illegal to buy or sell flood vehicles, or vehicles declared as salvage as long as the parties to the sale are aware of the vehicle’s status,” it added. “Consumers should be aware that severely damaged vehicles may appear advertised for sale without any indication that they were at all affected by Sandy. As always, buyers should be careful when considering a used vehicle purchase in the weeks and months following a disaster such as Sandy.”