Truck hit, insurance issues, possible total? Input and advice appreaciated (1 Viewer)

[jayLC1]

My 2004 LC was hit in the rear by a vehicle that was moving quite fast and it ripped into that back driver-side corner. The damage managed to extend form the driver-side rear door to that back corner and around back to the lower back trunk.

I send in the photos to the opposing insurance company and they immediately take responsibility and offer to send me to a chiro (back was twisted bad). I thought things were fine until I took it to a shop. The estimator was pulling a fast one and had sent out a check for $2,000 saying it covered it all. The body shops, of which there are only a few in the VERY small town I live, start telling me the estimate is totally off base and they can't get the adjuster on the phone. In fact, they say it is SO far off base they won't start the work. I find a shop that will supposedly do the work and Allstate will not respond. I have Geico (my insurance) call them, they say "no one has called" yet I was THERE when he called.

Finally my car is hit by a tree from the neighbors yard, I go in to get it estimated and the guy tells me I have 20 hail pings across the hood. Geico tells me that the guy whose tree hit will not give insurance info (great!) so it goes on my comprehensive. They estimated like $1,800 in damage and mailed me a check.

The Gieco estimator tells me my car has $8,000 in damage from that original corner hit and that the shops are giving me the run-around because it will be totaled. I go back to the shop and the guy admits it and hands me an estimate for $8,700, the next shop for $8,200 -- the truck will be totaled. This IF they will respond.

I am now talking to the insurance folks at the state and they will open an investigation if they don't respond monday.

Huh? Someone fill me in on what this all means? So they give me 75% of what my truck is worth IF I AM LUCKY and I am just screwed?

I have asked a few shops about just repairing the back door and pulling out that one part where the body curves in but no one will do this if it's not the full $8,000 which it CAN'T be.
I was thinking I would just take what I got and have a bumper made that covers that back corner. The truck has just under 300K and is mechanically sound other then that annoying solder joint 60 issue on the dash (MFD issue).

Any ideas folks?

 

[ramangain]

I'm confused. What do YOU want to do?

 

[Trunk Monkey]

For the hood, if the other homeowner wouldn't provide their insurance, I maybe would have gotten an attorney. But, sounds like you took the hit on that. For the rear end damage, Allstate's a big company - you should have a claim number and an adjuster you're working with. If they decide to total it, you can (and should)_ negotiate the value and then you'll have the option to but it back for the salvage value. At that point you can take the difference in what they give you and decide if/how you want to repair.

 

[mmbirtcher]

I'm confused. What do YOU want to do?

I have the same question. But a few more specific ones and thoughts.

I‘m not surprised with $8k. Most body shops are going to be reputable and tell you what it costs. Not sure where the $2k came from- Allstate should be using company employed estimaters or have body shops that follow their specific criteria. As I recall, they aren’t cut-rate insurance. Your insurance should be able to get insurance info regardless of your neighbors willingness to share- did you ask your neighbor?

Bottom line, your car may be totaled, but if the frame is straight you may want to buy it back and do some repairs on your own. The insurance company should determine if it’s totaled, not the shop. The shop and adjuster says it will take X dollars to fix and the insurance company determines whether to total it or fix it. I’m guessing your car is worth about $11k, so you do the math there. Depending on your policy, you should get replacement cost, not 75%.

Now my 2¢.... I have had State Farm for, well, since I was 16, and now I’m almost 54. After many claims (almost none my fault), they have been the most dependable fair company I have had to deal with. I have avoided cut-rate insurance for a number of reasons including the recommendation of friends who own body shops. State Farm uses OEM parts, cheap insurance will use, well, whatever is cheapest.

good luck friend, I’m sure it will work out regardless.

 

[DuckLN]

If you keep it ask for “diminished value” consideration.

 

[AlpineAccess]

I have the same question. But a few more specific ones and thoughts.

I‘m not surprised with $8k. Most body shops are going to be reputable and tell you what it costs. Not sure where the $2k came from- Allstate should be using company employed estimaters or have body shops that follow their specific criteria. As I recall, they aren’t cut-rate insurance. Your insurance should be able to get insurance info regardless of your neighbors willingness to share- did you ask your neighbor?

Bottom line, your car may be totaled, but if the frame is straight you may want to buy it back and do some repairs on your own. The insurance company should determine if it’s totaled, not the shop. The shop and adjuster says it will take X dollars to fix and the insurance company determines whether to total it or fix it. I’m guessing your car is worth about $11k, so you do the math there. Depending on your policy, you should get replacement cost, not 75%.

Now my 2¢.... I have had State Farm for, well, since I was 16, and now I’m almost 54. After many claims (almost none my fault), they have been the most dependable fair company I have had to deal with. I have avoided cut-rate insurance for a number of reasons including the recommendation of friends who own body shops. State Farm uses OEM parts, cheap insurance will use, well, whatever is cheapest.

good luck friend, I’m sure it will work out regardless.

Just a question for better understanding, if you've used the same insurance co your whole life how do you gauge the efficacy of other insurance companies from experience.

 

[mmbirtcher]

Just a question for better understanding, if you've used the same insurance co your whole life how do you gauge the efficacy of other insurance companies from experience.

Fair question. Friends in the body shop business who have worked with many insurance companies over the last 30 plus years. From their perspective, State Farm is a better insurance company using OEM parts while cheaper insurance uses the cheapest parts available. IIRC, they had the same to say about Allstate. They don’t make any more regardless of the insurance company their customer uses.

 

[DuckLN]

State farm is not obligated to use OEM parts unless the vehicle is less than 3 years old. They have a huge database of used parts they’ll tap for parts on vehicles older than that and if they can’t find used parts they’ll look at aftermarket.