FC.
Flashlight Enthusiast
MVAs suck...
Car crash
- Thread starter PhotonWrangler
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robstarr-lite
Newly Enlightened
that's tough pw, greymage ---- don't mean to hijack your thread but i'd appreciate any advice to watch out or in dealing with one's insurance company/agent when one's car is subject to a possible totaling out situation.
i just had a small crash myself 3 weeks ago, early morning, missed the 3 foot concrete pole barriers in a parking lot but hit the broken 1.5 foot one ( didn't see it at all) .....was only going 1 or 2 mph. apparently i'm now at the 90% total loss cause of the frame being dinged.......body shop just sat on it all this time while they waited to hear back from insurance, car rental place kind of mislead me into believing i had a daily $ limit that if i did not use i would lose ( insurance co is reversing those screwballs)
can anyone advise what to expect from the insurance adjustors, i would like to get the car fixed, i have maybe $1.5k in stereo/alarm/fog lamps, new tires and over $ 7k in receipts from the dealer [done over the past 40k- engine work etc], [ includes $1k last month too….and the car was in good shape before this happened..
car is worth $4k, damage is estimated about that
[since the body shop treats every possible part being replaced!!!]
PM any advice or what to watch out for.... thxs
rob
i just had a small crash myself 3 weeks ago, early morning, missed the 3 foot concrete pole barriers in a parking lot but hit the broken 1.5 foot one ( didn't see it at all) .....was only going 1 or 2 mph. apparently i'm now at the 90% total loss cause of the frame being dinged.......body shop just sat on it all this time while they waited to hear back from insurance, car rental place kind of mislead me into believing i had a daily $ limit that if i did not use i would lose ( insurance co is reversing those screwballs)
can anyone advise what to expect from the insurance adjustors, i would like to get the car fixed, i have maybe $1.5k in stereo/alarm/fog lamps, new tires and over $ 7k in receipts from the dealer [done over the past 40k- engine work etc], [ includes $1k last month too….and the car was in good shape before this happened..
car is worth $4k, damage is estimated about that
[since the body shop treats every possible part being replaced!!!]
PM any advice or what to watch out for.... thxs
rob
Greymage
Enlightened
Wow, that's a lot of damage from a 1-2mph crash.
I don't know how the adjusters handle situations where the repair bill is close to the car value. I think I read once somebody saying they took the money for the totalled car, bought it back from salvage for $100, and got it fixed much cheaper.
My repair bill only came out to about $3500 (ha ha, only, good thing I had insurance). I've never had a problem with my insurance company (State Farm) - have had two accidents including this one over the past twenty years plus three comprehensive claims - two windshield damage (one from a rock and one when I put a windsurfer mast through it by accident) and one from when someone keyed my door. In all cases I just call them, give them the info, and then take it to the shop for repair. A lot of body shops here are what State Farm calls "Service First" shops, they do the damage inspection and estimates as well as repair, and my Acura dealer's body shop is one of those, so I just dropped it off there.
In this case, since multiple cars were involved, they also sent out a separate claims adjuster to divvy up the repair costs on my car, but I wasn't involved in that. I also had to talk to three claims adjusters on the phone, but only one of the calls (the one to my adjuster) took more than a minute; the others, from the people who hit me from the back, just seemed to be courtesy calls saying they'd be picking up the bill for part of the damage (all three were State Farm). The only thing I have to pay a deductible, they even have the rental car company bill them directly.
That's why I don't switch to those "lower-cost" auto insurance companies, you don't find out how good your insurance really is until you have to use it.
Hmmm, the above sounds like a State Farm commercial... but it's true, I'm really happy with their service.
I don't know how the adjusters handle situations where the repair bill is close to the car value. I think I read once somebody saying they took the money for the totalled car, bought it back from salvage for $100, and got it fixed much cheaper.
My repair bill only came out to about $3500 (ha ha, only, good thing I had insurance). I've never had a problem with my insurance company (State Farm) - have had two accidents including this one over the past twenty years plus three comprehensive claims - two windshield damage (one from a rock and one when I put a windsurfer mast through it by accident) and one from when someone keyed my door. In all cases I just call them, give them the info, and then take it to the shop for repair. A lot of body shops here are what State Farm calls "Service First" shops, they do the damage inspection and estimates as well as repair, and my Acura dealer's body shop is one of those, so I just dropped it off there.
In this case, since multiple cars were involved, they also sent out a separate claims adjuster to divvy up the repair costs on my car, but I wasn't involved in that. I also had to talk to three claims adjusters on the phone, but only one of the calls (the one to my adjuster) took more than a minute; the others, from the people who hit me from the back, just seemed to be courtesy calls saying they'd be picking up the bill for part of the damage (all three were State Farm). The only thing I have to pay a deductible, they even have the rental car company bill them directly.
That's why I don't switch to those "lower-cost" auto insurance companies, you don't find out how good your insurance really is until you have to use it.
Hmmm, the above sounds like a State Farm commercial... but it's true, I'm really happy with their service.
Sub_Umbra
Flashlight Enthusiast
Cars have the ability to inject more chaos into your life than anything, short of relatives on crack. I'm wrapped way too tight for that.
robstarr-lite
Newly Enlightened
yep, agree on not going with a cheap insurance co, proof is in the claim...could not believe that i just hit it right on the pass corner front in a way to cause that much damage, no air bag deployed, no glass broken.
[ still think the body shop is charging too much and in Calif everything costs $$]
sort of lucky with my agent, somehow my other non-drivable car somehow mixed up on the insurance papers, so when this happened, there was no comp/coll or towing but my local agent fixed that for a few bucks to update that policy correctly plus that had $1k towards a rental... but I'm about burned though that with waiting and no real contact/feedback from the insurance department that deals with this specific claim [as the local agent just writes up the policy ..been with same insurance for 14 years ]...last couple of days seems like everyone is on vacation at the Ins comp....try again tomorrow i guess..
was also thinking of doing the salvage thing if it came to that but don't know how the ins com would re-insure the vehicle afterwards, plus it would have a salvage title...and I'd have to find a cheaper shop...tow it there, continue a rental or fix up my the other car ....deal with another shop...etc....either way seems just another pia....we'll see how the rest of the week goes!!
rob
[ still think the body shop is charging too much and in Calif everything costs $$]
sort of lucky with my agent, somehow my other non-drivable car somehow mixed up on the insurance papers, so when this happened, there was no comp/coll or towing but my local agent fixed that for a few bucks to update that policy correctly plus that had $1k towards a rental... but I'm about burned though that with waiting and no real contact/feedback from the insurance department that deals with this specific claim [as the local agent just writes up the policy ..been with same insurance for 14 years ]...last couple of days seems like everyone is on vacation at the Ins comp....try again tomorrow i guess..
was also thinking of doing the salvage thing if it came to that but don't know how the ins com would re-insure the vehicle afterwards, plus it would have a salvage title...and I'd have to find a cheaper shop...tow it there, continue a rental or fix up my the other car ....deal with another shop...etc....either way seems just another pia....we'll see how the rest of the week goes!!
rob
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
I've just learned that the guy who crashed his car into mine a few weeks ago is 96 years old.
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Draco_Americanus
Enlightened
That sucks! hopefully that guy will not be driving anymore. I My self have had a few close calls with silver haired humans. I loved the one that allmost came to a stop in the fast line while trying to get into an empty left turn lane. I was towing a 13 foot long trailer and could not stop intime so I survered around, I think I was going side ways for a short time! I would like to them instate manditory driving skills tests for older people at more freaquant intervals. I do belive they should be allowed to drive as long as they can safly do it! My grandmother used to stop at highway on ramps!! talk about terrified passangers! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/str.gif
Allmost got ramed into a cement dividing wall on the highway by a carless truck driver. There was a lane shift and He was in the middle lane I was in the fast lane passing the semi and at the lane shift He did not shift. I allmost whent head on into the begining of the wall. I quickly thought to My self "I hope the guy behind Me is paying attention" and then locked up(no abs on that car) the brakes on my buick century. I was narrowly missed by the truck and not rear ended so things worked out good. I now have CB radios in the vehicals I drive most times.
Sadly a Ford Tarus slayed My buick and that ford tarus was inturn slayed by a teen in a ford ranger that did not stop at a red light. He slamed into the tarus and that car slamed into Me, The impact knocked my flip flops off and bent the seat back and also bent the unibody frame along with cruching the trunk. Luckly I stoped with a safty gap and did not hit the car infront of Me. I had to wear a neck brace and was inturn called "Mr. Call Sam" at my place of work even though I did not try to sue. The sad part is i just paid the car off and removed full coverage inshurance.
Allmost got ramed into a cement dividing wall on the highway by a carless truck driver. There was a lane shift and He was in the middle lane I was in the fast lane passing the semi and at the lane shift He did not shift. I allmost whent head on into the begining of the wall. I quickly thought to My self "I hope the guy behind Me is paying attention" and then locked up(no abs on that car) the brakes on my buick century. I was narrowly missed by the truck and not rear ended so things worked out good. I now have CB radios in the vehicals I drive most times.
Sadly a Ford Tarus slayed My buick and that ford tarus was inturn slayed by a teen in a ford ranger that did not stop at a red light. He slamed into the tarus and that car slamed into Me, The impact knocked my flip flops off and bent the seat back and also bent the unibody frame along with cruching the trunk. Luckly I stoped with a safty gap and did not hit the car infront of Me. I had to wear a neck brace and was inturn called "Mr. Call Sam" at my place of work even though I did not try to sue. The sad part is i just paid the car off and removed full coverage inshurance.
