NEED HELP WITH INSURANCE ADJUSTER

[ray66v]

Well, according to the adjuster the damage is and he has suggested to the comp.
the truck is totaled . Come Tue. or Wed. I will be contacted and given
an amount they feel the truck is worth. This is what scares me, being low balled
and unable to replace the truck.

If the insurance company does not want to fix it, but you do, you have 2 choices.

1. Let them total it, buy it back, and fix it.
2. Ask them to write it at 75% of the value, (that is the threshold they usually stop at when they total a vehicle). And, you will accept that amount as full compensation. Then, you can fix it, but you will be liable for the entire bill, and perhaps some out of pocket expense.

The second choice is preferred because you will not have a salvage title. (If they do that in your state).

Ask the shop for what is called an agreed price to fix it. This means they will take care of whatever additional damage is found, without charging you more than the price you agree to. If they need work right now, they may be open to doing this.

Used, or aftermarket parts are concessions you can make to lower the repair cost. But, tell them you still expect them to warranty the entire job for at least a year.

If you fix it, you have a vehicle you know, vs. buying another one, and not knowing if it is reliable or not. Some people find this worth paying a little out of pocket to do.

 

[duke7595]

TO RAY66v,

First, thank you for your input, you have many years, and experiences in this subject
and certainly know your business.
My question to you is why would this guy insist on totaling this truck?
I have to agree, their dose not seem to be enough damage for a total but
he seems to think their is.

Do you have ant other advice when dealing with the adjuster when he calls me?
I don't want to keep beating a dead horse or bore anyone but this is my primary
means of transportation.

sincerely, Duke

 

[aczlan]

My question to you is why would this guy insist on totaling this truck?
I have to agree, their dose not seem to be enough damage for a total but
he seems to think their is.
Do you have ant other advice when dealing with the adjuster when he calls me?

Ask for his calculations via email or fax so that you can go over them before he calls. When my Volvo was hit, they sent me an itemized estimate for everything that needed replacing along with prices for each item, comps for my car and a salvage estimate ($50).

Aaron Z

 

[duke7595]

RAY66v Thank you very much I really appreciate you helping me

sincerely, Duke

 

[s219]

If the insurance company does not want to fix it, but you do, you have 2 choices.

1. Let them total it, buy it back, and fix it.

Make sure your state will also let you continue to register/drive the vehicle. My mother-in-law's car was totaled when a tree fell on her carport during Hurricane Irene. The damage was purely cosmetic, but enough that it cost more to fix than the car was worth. She bought it back from the insurance company for $2500 and kept driving it, happy as a clam. But about 6 months later, she got a letter from the Virginia DMV telling her that the car was no longer eligible to be legally registered and driven on public roads! She complained to the insurance company, and they gave her the money back then hauled off the car.

This was the first I heard about totaled vehicles no longer being eligible for registration in Virginia (heck, many of the vehicles I see on the road everyday are far worse than my mother-in-law's car looked after the tree fell on it). One of my buddies is a cop, and he suggested it is as much due to concern about fraud as it is a safety issue.

 

[aczlan]

Make sure your state will also let you continue to register/drive the vehicle. <SNIP/>
This was the first I heard about totaled vehicles no longer being eligible for registration in Virginia (heck, many of the vehicles I see on the road everyday are far worse than my mother-in-law's car looked after the tree fell on it). One of my buddies is a cop, and he suggested it is as much due to concern about fraud as it is a safety issue.

NY allows you to re-register, but you must tow it to an inspection station and have them check the VINs there to make they are all there and that they all match. Your title then is stamped with "Salvage" or something to that effect.

Aaron Z

 

[Bird]

In Texas also, you can get a "salvage" title and register a once totalled, then rebuilt or repaired vehicle.

 

[duke7595]

Thank you for your information I will be sure to ask for the value sheet and look at any vehicle they may have in mind as a replacement.

I should know something by Wed. will post the results.

Duke

 

[ray66v]

TO RAY66v,My question to you is why would this guy insist on totaling this truck?

I have to agree, their dose not seem to be enough damage for a total but he seems to think their is.

It's business, and it's about the $.

How it seems, and how we feel are not primary considerations. If the shop, and the appraiser can't, or won't work with you, it becomes more difficult.

Make sure your shop knows you want to fix the truck, if they want the work, they will have to come up with an equitable way to do it.

Do you have ant other advice when dealing with the adjuster when he calls me?
I don't want to keep beating a dead horse or bore anyone but this is my primary means of transportation.
sincerely, Duke

My last post was the best advice I can give you right now.

The worst part for most people is, once they declare your vehicle a total loss, your going to have a very limited number of days to find a new one. Because they will stop paying your rental bill. (Assuming you have one).

 

[kootch88]

Remember, adjusters will steal from you just like anyone else. Think of them as used car salesmen without the ethics.

You may have the right to hire an independent adjuster, but probably not worth the money.

You know, I've been in this business for 20 years and I never once stole or tried to screw a single individual. Are there particular companies who are less inclined to be fair? Absolutely, but most cases are decided by book value as a base and then condition comes into play. Perhaps you had a bad experience with an adjuster, well, we have all had bad experiences with different people, but that doesn't mean a majority are the same.

A lot of others actually had valid responses, I suggest you take the educated responses.