patrick.net

The insurance for the driver who hit you should payout whatever the standard rate is for a total loss on your vehicle. I believe it's usually tied to the resale value without the accident, but could be mistaken. Should be super simple open-and-shut case, but if adjuster gives you shit, consider getting a lawyer, just so you don't have to hassle with them. Although for a lawyer, their cut comes from the medical side, not the vehicle payout. Did your wife go to the chiropractor and massage therapist?

WookieMan says

We owe $30k,

The silver lining: congratulations on being able to get out from under that debt.

My Toyota truck was hit while parked on my street, the kid was drunk and it was a company truck.

The company insurance company totaled the truck and made me a low offer.

I didn’t accept it, and found ads for trucks similar to my truck.
You should go online and see what vehicles comparable to yours are selling for, use this as a guide.

I also called the company and said “I don’t mind going to small claims court and rolling the dice. Your employee damaged my truck and your insurance company doesn’t want to pay me. Ask your insurance company why you pay them premiums for years and they won’t pay a claim?”

I got more money and bought fenders and found a bed from the junkyard and rebuilt the old truck.
Later my friend came over with a compressor and painted it a Ford paint he had lying around his garage.
I drove the only tan Toyota truck around for a few years.

Edit:
Another time I had another Toyota truck and I was hit by a reckless (Mexican) driver, my truck was totaled.
I mentioned to his insurance company that I had just paid for extensive work on the engine a few weeks before.
I had receipts and I was paid more money (about the value of the repairs). I was happy.

This thread is useless without wreck pics.

Tell your wife to get medical attention Pronto. Do not wait.

I was rear-ended once and felt I was ok. I called the other driver's insurance company to get an estimate and they told me to bring the car in any day mon-fri between the hous of 9-5. I told them that in order for me to do that, I'd have to take time off work so I needed them to come to me or give me a weekend appointment. They said no can do. Well, fuck them...I went to a Dr. and a lawyer same day. It ended up costing them about $5-6 grand more than needed. Assholes.

I would expect them to give you the value of the car (but not initially)

Your job will be to listen to the offer and then give them a stack of printouts of car sale ads across the country that match your make/model/year/mileage. Also reference Kelly Blue Book.

Accept nothing less than the midpoint of those figures.

WineHorror1 says

Tell your wife to get medical attention Pronto. Do not wait.

I was rear-ended once and felt I was ok. I called the other driver's insurance company to get an estimate and they told me to bring the car in any day mon-fri between the hous of 9-5. I told them that in order for me to do that, I'd have to take time off work so I needed them to come to me or give me a weekend appointment. They said no can do. Well, fuck them...I went to a Dr. and a lawyer same day. It ended up costing them about $5-6 grand more than needed. Assholes.

Whiplash is a MAJOR ticking time bomb. If it was bad enough to total the car, you should get her an MRI ASAP. Brain injuries manifest over several days, and by the time she's feeling bad, the damage has already been done. If the brain is injured, it swells, but there's nowhere for it to go, so it squeezes itself against the inside of the skull until blood flow is cut off and grey matter starts dying. She needs anti-inflammatory medication ASAP if she's brain-injured.

Negotiate for replacement value. Prepare comps. Insist on being made whole, i.e. getting enough dough to go out and buy an equivalent truck from a used car dealer.

WineHorror1 says

I'd have to take time off work so I needed them to come to me or give me a weekend appointment. They said no can do.

That's ridiculous. Every insurance company should have a field adjuster who can come out and inspect the vehicle.

Considering what used vehicles are going for, they might opt to fix it.

BayArea says

Also reference Kelly Blue Book.

Edmunds is another good reference, but values between them and KBB can differ significantly. Take whatever the higher one is ;)

NuttBoxer says

WineHorror1 says

I'd have to take time off work so I needed them to come to me or give me a weekend appointment. They said no can do.

That's ridiculous. Every insurance company should have a field adjuster who can come out and inspect the vehicle.

Drop it off at a trusted bodyshop and let them deal with adjusters and such crap.

NuttBoxer says

That's ridiculous. Every insurance company should have a field adjuster who can come out and inspect the vehicle.

They now do inspections via video on phone. We had a wreck half a year ago and it was quite convenient for us.

If she's not hurt (and make real sure), you may want to try NADA to get a value for your Sequoia.

From what I understand it is the most used source in the industry.

https://www.nada.com/?source=patrick.net

FuckCCP89 says

Drop it off at a trusted bodyshop and let them deal with adjusters and such crap.

We did.

Bd6r says

They now do inspections via video on phone. We had a wreck half a year ago and it was quite convenient for us.

They (Liberty Mutual) had us send in photos. No one even came and looked at the car. Called it $10k in damage. Just all 4 light casing alone would be $1k. Hood. Both bumpers. Rear windshield. Rear hatch. Kids were in the car too. One couldn't open the door, so the frame is likely fucked.

I'll get what I need out of it, but thanks for the feedback. I'll try to update this and let everyone know hows it goes. Wife has been on the phone with them. And yes, she did go to the chiropractor and has had multiple massages. Body shops are backed up like a mother fucker so it's take weeks for it to get looked at. It was a commercial leased vehicle (insured) that hit her. Refrigerated box truck.

I'll look into the NADA thing. Never heard of that. I'll look shortly. Nothing happened for 3 weeks and now shit is moving. Not sure if it's because of covid or the holidays. Either way I want a damn car. One car life sucks. 1st world problems.

WookieMan says

Any tips or experiences would be appreciated.

My time to shine. I specialize in a European marque known for extreme longevity. I've worked with dozens of customers whose car with another 20 years/250,000mi life expectancy gets lowballed by an insurer that just sees an old car with a lot of mileage.

First of all, are you working with YOUR insurance company? There's often a "duty to defend" clause in policies, and if you have collision and uninsured motorist coverage, they will do all the legwork of subrogating the bills to the other party's insurer. Everyone reading: If you don't have uninsured motorist coverage, add it, it's cheap and worth it if there's a loss.

If they are firm on a lowball offer, print out all of your service history from the last 3 years or so. When the customer has documented that they've invested 4 figures in maintenance, even stubborn other-party insurers will start to change their tune. On the flip side, a bushel of just Jiffy Lube receipts will impress nobody in the repair or insurance industry.

Behave friendly and professionally with the adjuster, it's a human doing their job, and attitude alone can change outcomes substantially. I had a large flatbed trailer struck while parked by a drunk several NYE ago. The initial offer was a lowball one, but I put together the actual costs of necessary replacement parts (complete axle with brakes, a used special trailer wheel) and worked with the adjuster. The long side rail had a sliiiiight wave to it, I told him frankly I wouldn't fix that but it's part of the claim. He added another $125 for "diminution of value" for that one line item, and accepted my list of repair parts and prices. When we were finished, he came back with a payout that I cheerfully agreed would make me whole again. I fixed the trailer using new parts and still use it years later.

Good luck working through the claims process. Expect the used car market to be an overpriced shitshow right now, for the forseeable future.

FuckCCP89 says

Negotiate for replacement value. Prepare comps. Insist on being made whole, i.e. getting enough dough to go out and buy an equivalent truck from a used car dealer.

Yep, @WookieMan might even make money on the deal.

WookieMan says

Either way I want a damn car. One car life sucks

The insurer will pay for a rental car while yours is inoperable because of their insured. You have to ask, maybe insist a little, but this is 100% ROUTINE.

@Automan Empire, what do you do for a living?

B.A.C.A.H. says

WookieMan says

We owe $30k,

The silver lining: congratulations on being able to get out from under that debt.

We run our cars into the ground. That was the only one financed. Good credit so not too bad monthly. Most people we talk to spend more on cars than we do on our PITI for housing. We live more frugal than anyone we know by a long shot with our income. Wife also get $600/mo for car allowance, so it's not like we really were paying for it.

Adjuster is calling early next week to talk about the value of the vehicle. That will be crunch time. Our insurance will cover the loan I'm sure, as that's what I'm pretty sure they're required to do. The question is how these fuckers negotiate behind the curtain about vehicle value. It's a unique position because there's equity in a car. That's not very common unless fixing one up.

Like I said, if I could have sold it 3 weeks ago for $50K before the wreck, I want $50k for the car. If I buy a $100k house replacement cost wise for $20k, insurance still pays out the cost to make you whole and rebuild. They don't pay you $20k or whatever your mortgage balance was.

Yep, if it's a vehicle you need, they have to pay for rental. If you paid for rental coverage in your policy, can use your insurance for it. Otherwise just keep receipts from rental company.

Automan Empire says

If you don't have uninsured motorist coverage, add it, it's cheap and worth it if there's a loss.

This is a must have in SoCal where the person that hit you may be an illegal, or from TJ. Although the one time it happened to me, the person was black.

WookieMan says

And yes, she did go to the chiropractor and has had multiple massages.

I assume you informed them it was related to car accident? They keep separate/additional paperwork for car accidents to submit to insurance. If you have med-pay on your insurance, they'll actually cover those costs. If a lawyer is handling the case, you don't pay till settlement. If not, unsure if you have to pay or not.

Automan Empire says

print out all of your service history from the last 3 years or so.

2018 Toyota Sequoia. Purchased April of 2021. 32k miles, put 8k on it. Rounding so just calling it 40k miles total.

We bought it from a Toyota employee/manager, NOT dealer. Manufacturer basically. The transaction occurred at the dealer, but literally bought it directly from Toyota. Used price would have been $55k when we bought it for $35k. I could have flipped it for $60-65k out in Montana, but our guy is a friend and it felt unethical and we needed a car anyway. We usually get to 200-250k miles before dumping a car.

And yes, we financed a lot. Our income is a roller coaster due to seasonal payout. We make chunk payments and hopefully pay it off in half the time. Low interest, so free cash flow when it comes in can go to better opportunities to make money instead of sunk into a car down payment.

Wife also transports clients, so we can't have a beater. Not that a Sequoia is some bastion of luxury. 3 kids, we need the room. Minivan ain't happening. Kids might have been injured pretty badly in a minivan.

Dewey, Cheatem and Howe recommends: Your wife was on the way to get your kids vaccinated when struck by the van, preventing your kids from getting the vax, and subsequently, they got COVID. The driver of the van was anti-vax, and this was no accident. Their usual fee is 90% of the settlement.

Automan Empire says

Behave friendly and professionally with the adjuster

Story time about this. One time I was working with a guy who was NOT a regular client but needed a hoist inspection with the adjuster after hitting an object on the freeway, so he ended up at my shop already pissy and impatient "because all this trouble." He was some corporate muckety-muck at a regional hospital chain and quite full of his fat phlegmatic self.

The adjuster arrived and documented the clear and obvious damage and wrote up a fair repair estimate right on the spot using his sophisticated collision estimation system. The customer stood still with his hands at his side as the adjuster held out the repair bid which was as good as money at the planned body shop. "What about THIS though?" he says petulantly, pointing to a slightly bent wheel with obvious bruising of the tire that was MUCH newer and several feet away from the collision damage on the other half of the undercarriage. Both me and the adjuster immediately acted skeptical, prompting this guy to go into Male Karen mode. He doubled down INSISTING this was caused by the same loss event, and that they were GOING to PAY for that too!

Long story short, the insurer unusually reached out to us later to thank us for working with them and to mention that the guy's annual premium would be going up by an amount greater than the idiot-self damage he was trying to grift onto the accident claim. Lots of respect for Traveler's after this.

To get the approximate value for your vehicle, input the info into Carvana, Vroom, etc as if it were not wrecked to see what the offers for it would be.

zzyzzx says

input the info into Carvana, Vroom, etc as if it were not wrecked to see what the offers for it would be.

Sort of. Use these to get an average valuation for the year/model/build, not cherry pick a highball number. It's kinda like casually using Zillow to build up unrealistic expectations using not-very-comparable comps, or comparing retail restaurant meal prices to your grocery receipts.

Small point of order…uninsured motorist keeps you from paying a deductible. Otherwise any repair/total goes against your own insurance and your own insurance will cover the repair or tota.

Pay your deductible and it’s the same effect. Pay your $300 or $500 and hand the task to your insurance company. You can still reject the other parties offer. When your insurance company collects from the other parties insurance they’ll refund your deductible unless you are at fault.

If it's all still intact, you could pull the back axle, as much of the front suspension that is still good, the Motor the Trans, and part it all out.
You could probably make more money like that, than selling it as a wreck heap.

Or you could take all of those parts and build a Swamp buggy, and go to the next Red Neck Mud fest in Punta Gorda Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQl0DPte9n8

Google "Diminished value" consultancy or mediator.

One of my kids' auto was involved in an accident in which the other driver admitted guilt (shocking!). Other parties Insurance company was happy to pay for repairs but (little known fact) once your car is involved in an accident it's resale value is reduced by thousands.

My wife found one of these "diminished value" guys and for $300 he was able to represent my daughter and wrangled an extra $4,000 above and beyond the cost of repair to make up for the diminished value. Pretty good return on investment.

My state has laws in place which enable this, not sure about yours.

stereotomy says

Whiplash is a MAJOR ticking time bomb. If it was bad enough to total the car, you should get her an MRI ASAP. Brain injuries manifest over several days, and by the time she's feeling bad, the damage has already been done. If the brain is injured, it swells, but there's nowhere for it to go, so it squeezes itself against the inside of the skull until blood flow is cut off and grey matter starts dying. She needs anti-inflammatory medication ASAP if she's brain-injured.

WineHorror1 says

Tell your wife to get medical attention Pronto. Do not wait.

Agree.

The liabilities associated with the property damage are rounding errors compared to medical damages. This is why homie has no collision but millions in liability. Someone close to me had a liability claim in excess of 1 M from a rainy-day accident.

Several years before I was rear ended I had received chiropractic care. It was all in the past when the accident occurred. The day after the crash I made an appointment for him to reassess me "just in case". I could see the Greedy Daffy-Duck type dollar signs in his eyes when I told him about the accident.

Moreover, my ten year old was in the vehicle during the accident. The chiropractor examined the kid and determined that to be sure there was no injury that might have latent effects, the kid would require several follow up exams.

The insurance company kept checking up on us, asking how we're doing. I only answered, "we're under the chiropractors care: ask him."

Eventually, the chiropractor cleared the ten year old from "needed follow ups". The insurance company was thrilled, and without me asking, proffered a large cash sum that would more than cover the piddly-ass amount the OP is worried about for his property damage, if (as his guardian) I would release them from liability for my child. It was a nice start for the college fund.

As for my separate claim, I had many more visits to the chiropractor. Then I waited till one year after the accident for the insurance company to settle the claim. At no time did I ever ask for a penny of pain and suffering or lost time or anything. They just settled because they were glad to get rid of us.

Property damage is nickel and dime stuff.