Insurance Settlement Advice
06-25-2015, 06:36 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Insurance Settlement Advice
Hope the mods will leave this. Off topic is a joke
Wife heading home this afternoon in our 2008 Accord and a pickup pulls in front of her causing a big collision. Looks totaled to me. Thank goodness shes just shaken up. State police said he was getting 2 tickets. One for failure to yield and 1 for equipment violation (brakes). Car only has 72000 miles on it and in great condition. KBB says fair market value is $11430.
Put in a call to our insurance man and he said that I could claim in 2 ways. Go through my insurance but would have to wait for deductible to be returned when the 2 insurance companies settle or go through the other insurance and get settlement that way. All this is new to us. Never an accident of this magnitude in 40+ years of driving. What should I expect now?
Wife heading home this afternoon in our 2008 Accord and a pickup pulls in front of her causing a big collision. Looks totaled to me. Thank goodness shes just shaken up. State police said he was getting 2 tickets. One for failure to yield and 1 for equipment violation (brakes). Car only has 72000 miles on it and in great condition. KBB says fair market value is $11430.
Put in a call to our insurance man and he said that I could claim in 2 ways. Go through my insurance but would have to wait for deductible to be returned when the 2 insurance companies settle or go through the other insurance and get settlement that way. All this is new to us. Never an accident of this magnitude in 40+ years of driving. What should I expect now?
06-25-2015, 07:05 PM
#2
Instructor
You should expect to be given a number like it was not negotiable, which of course will be less than you can replace the car. I would know how much you are going to need for the replacement, plus any medical, time lost, etc and when they hit you low, hit them high... it will be a negotiation. If you know an attorney might want to just ask a question or two of them.
I just went through a HUGE insurance issue, car was not totaled and they wanted to have some hack do the repairs with less than desirable parts...in the end they want to avoid court...Good luck!
I just went through a HUGE insurance issue, car was not totaled and they wanted to have some hack do the repairs with less than desirable parts...in the end they want to avoid court...Good luck!
06-25-2015, 07:09 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
You should expect to be given a number like it was not negotiable, which of course will be less than you can replace the car. I would know how much you are going to need for the replacement, plus any medical, time lost, etc and when they hit you low, hit them high... it will be a negotiation. If you know an attorney might want to just ask a question or two of them.
I just went through a HUGE insurance issue, car was not totaled and they wanted to have some hack do the repairs with less than desirable parts...in the end they want to avoid court...Good luck!
I just went through a HUGE insurance issue, car was not totaled and they wanted to have some hack do the repairs with less than desirable parts...in the end they want to avoid court...Good luck!
06-25-2015, 07:35 PM
#4
Everything is regulated by the state. The other driver was ticketed and if he's well insured and the conversation goes your way then you could be in great shape. The damage once the sheet metal and cosmetics are removed looks to certainly be repairable. It doesn't look like there was any SIR deployment and I'd see no reason NOT to repair. Your insurance will likely not want to get involved unless you have issues that the "at fault driver" is disputing.
Whose yours and whose is the "at fault drivers' insurance. Can make a dramatic difference.
A typical collision repair/loss isn't difficult to negotiate any longer in most places. NY? I've no idea. With little or no personal injury it could go very fast. If the "dealer" has an excellent collision repair certification or reputation a dealer is certainly a good choice. In some cases it's NOT but generally speaking yes to the choice of a dealer repair.
Whose yours and whose is the "at fault drivers' insurance. Can make a dramatic difference.
A typical collision repair/loss isn't difficult to negotiate any longer in most places. NY? I've no idea. With little or no personal injury it could go very fast. If the "dealer" has an excellent collision repair certification or reputation a dealer is certainly a good choice. In some cases it's NOT but generally speaking yes to the choice of a dealer repair.
06-25-2015, 07:41 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Everything is regulated by the state. The other driver was ticketed and if he's well insured and the conversation goes your way then you could be in great shape. The damage once the sheet metal and cosmetics are removed looks to certainly be repairable. It doesn't look like there was any SIR deployment and I'd see no reason NOT to repair. Your insurance will likely not want to get involved unless you have issues that the "at fault driver" is disputing.
Whose yours and whose is the "at fault drivers' insurance. Can make a dramatic difference.
A typical collision repair/loss isn't difficult to negotiate any longer in most places. NY? I've no idea. With little or no personal injury it could go very fast. If the "dealer" has an excellent collision repair certification or reputation a dealer is certainly a good choice. In some cases it's NOT but generally speaking yes to the choice of a dealer repair.
Whose yours and whose is the "at fault drivers' insurance. Can make a dramatic difference.
A typical collision repair/loss isn't difficult to negotiate any longer in most places. NY? I've no idea. With little or no personal injury it could go very fast. If the "dealer" has an excellent collision repair certification or reputation a dealer is certainly a good choice. In some cases it's NOT but generally speaking yes to the choice of a dealer repair.
06-25-2015, 09:26 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Airbag didn't go off which I was surprised. Looks like the front end dove under bumper of the pickup missing the sensors.
06-25-2015, 09:29 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Everything is regulated by the state. The other driver was ticketed and if he's well insured and the conversation goes your way then you could be in great shape. The damage once the sheet metal and cosmetics are removed looks to certainly be repairable. It doesn't look like there was any SIR deployment and I'd see no reason NOT to repair. Your insurance will likely not want to get involved unless you have issues that the "at fault driver" is disputing.
Whose yours and whose is the "at fault drivers' insurance. Can make a dramatic difference.
A typical collision repair/loss isn't difficult to negotiate any longer in most places. NY? I've no idea. With little or no personal injury it could go very fast. If the "dealer" has an excellent collision repair certification or reputation a dealer is certainly a good choice. In some cases it's NOT but generally speaking yes to the choice of a dealer repair.
Whose yours and whose is the "at fault drivers' insurance. Can make a dramatic difference.
A typical collision repair/loss isn't difficult to negotiate any longer in most places. NY? I've no idea. With little or no personal injury it could go very fast. If the "dealer" has an excellent collision repair certification or reputation a dealer is certainly a good choice. In some cases it's NOT but generally speaking yes to the choice of a dealer repair.
06-26-2015, 10:55 AM
#9
Burning Brakes
I would not make a claim on your insurance. That will reflect negatively on your future claims and your premiums.
We've only had a few minor accidents and the other driver was at fault so we had their insurance cover it.
If it is NOT totaled, you'll want to make sure that you get reimbursed for "diminished value" as you'll get less on your later sale/trade-in with the accident history.
We've only had a few minor accidents and the other driver was at fault so we had their insurance cover it.
If it is NOT totaled, you'll want to make sure that you get reimbursed for "diminished value" as you'll get less on your later sale/trade-in with the accident history.
06-26-2015, 11:56 AM
#10
Melting Slicks
I'm willing to bet they'll total that out. My insurance company has been VERY good to me. I've not had a total with them, but a few claims where I've been hit by other drivers, and they've taken great care of me with great work.
06-26-2015, 09:34 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
I would not make a claim on your insurance. That will reflect negatively on your future claims and your premiums.
We've only had a few minor accidents and the other driver was at fault so we had their insurance cover it.
If it is NOT totaled, you'll want to make sure that you get reimbursed for "diminished value" as you'll get less on your later sale/trade-in with the accident history.
We've only had a few minor accidents and the other driver was at fault so we had their insurance cover it.
If it is NOT totaled, you'll want to make sure that you get reimbursed for "diminished value" as you'll get less on your later sale/trade-in with the accident history.
06-28-2015, 04:51 PM
#12
I would not hesitate to make a claim on my insurance if I thought that there would be unsatisfactory results using the other guy's insurance to fix it.
I had some lengthy conversations with our agent when my wife was the front car in a 3 car pile-up. She stopped clear of the car in front of her, guy behind her stopped without hitting her, then the 3rd guy didn't stop and pushed the car behind her into the bumper on our Tahoe. In CT the person who is at fault foots the bill. Just so happened that the guy who caused the accident by not stopping in time did not have insurance. I talked it over with my insurance agent, and they said that we'd be out our deductible, but that since it was not an at-fault accident it would have no effect on our rates (and it hasn't). On top of that Statefarm then went after the uninsured motorist to recoup our deductible. We assumed we'd never get the deductible back, but low and behold almost 2 years later we got a check in the mail for our $500 deductible.
The benefit is that you have your insurance agency and all of their resources working to get your car fixed, and your money back to your satisfaction.
I would just call your agent and talk your options through with them. They're there to help you, not to screw you. Especially if it was not your fault. You're not with a fly by night operation, so I would suspect they'll help you out pretty well.
I had some lengthy conversations with our agent when my wife was the front car in a 3 car pile-up. She stopped clear of the car in front of her, guy behind her stopped without hitting her, then the 3rd guy didn't stop and pushed the car behind her into the bumper on our Tahoe. In CT the person who is at fault foots the bill. Just so happened that the guy who caused the accident by not stopping in time did not have insurance. I talked it over with my insurance agent, and they said that we'd be out our deductible, but that since it was not an at-fault accident it would have no effect on our rates (and it hasn't). On top of that Statefarm then went after the uninsured motorist to recoup our deductible. We assumed we'd never get the deductible back, but low and behold almost 2 years later we got a check in the mail for our $500 deductible.
The benefit is that you have your insurance agency and all of their resources working to get your car fixed, and your money back to your satisfaction.
I would just call your agent and talk your options through with them. They're there to help you, not to screw you. Especially if it was not your fault. You're not with a fly by night operation, so I would suspect they'll help you out pretty well.
06-28-2015, 07:14 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
I would not hesitate to make a claim on my insurance if I thought that there would be unsatisfactory results using the other guy's insurance to fix it.
I had some lengthy conversations with our agent when my wife was the front car in a 3 car pile-up. She stopped clear of the car in front of her, guy behind her stopped without hitting her, then the 3rd guy didn't stop and pushed the car behind her into the bumper on our Tahoe. In CT the person who is at fault foots the bill. Just so happened that the guy who caused the accident by not stopping in time did not have insurance. I talked it over with my insurance agent, and they said that we'd be out our deductible, but that since it was not an at-fault accident it would have no effect on our rates (and it hasn't). On top of that Statefarm then went after the uninsured motorist to recoup our deductible. We assumed we'd never get the deductible back, but low and behold almost 2 years later we got a check in the mail for our $500 deductible.
The benefit is that you have your insurance agency and all of their resources working to get your car fixed, and your money back to your satisfaction.
I would just call your agent and talk your options through with them. They're there to help you, not to screw you. Especially if it was not your fault. You're not with a fly by night operation, so I would suspect they'll help you out pretty well.
I had some lengthy conversations with our agent when my wife was the front car in a 3 car pile-up. She stopped clear of the car in front of her, guy behind her stopped without hitting her, then the 3rd guy didn't stop and pushed the car behind her into the bumper on our Tahoe. In CT the person who is at fault foots the bill. Just so happened that the guy who caused the accident by not stopping in time did not have insurance. I talked it over with my insurance agent, and they said that we'd be out our deductible, but that since it was not an at-fault accident it would have no effect on our rates (and it hasn't). On top of that Statefarm then went after the uninsured motorist to recoup our deductible. We assumed we'd never get the deductible back, but low and behold almost 2 years later we got a check in the mail for our $500 deductible.
The benefit is that you have your insurance agency and all of their resources working to get your car fixed, and your money back to your satisfaction.
I would just call your agent and talk your options through with them. They're there to help you, not to screw you. Especially if it was not your fault. You're not with a fly by night operation, so I would suspect they'll help you out pretty well.
06-29-2015, 04:53 AM
#15
Melting Slicks
What I learned a long time ago is to act hurt/sore from the wreck more than you really are. Its not to scam them its to put fire under their butts to settle fast.
I had a guy hit me with a Cadillac when I was on my motorcycle. I was pretty young and just wanted my bike replaced so I could get a way back to work. The guys insurance company was dragging their feet and giving me the run around for about 3 weeks. One day I mentioned my back was hurting and my neck and commented on how nice the guy that hit me's rolex was.
That evening I had a loaner car and a settlement which paid off the bike, my helmet (which was strange since it wasn't that nice a helmet and wasn't hurt from what I could tell), money for a second helmet (umm didn't have but the one I was wearing), clothes reimbursement and $500 for my trouble (may of been missed wages. Not sure on that one).
Basically if they think paying a fair value for your car will make future problems go away they sure seem to treat you nicer
I had a guy hit me with a Cadillac when I was on my motorcycle. I was pretty young and just wanted my bike replaced so I could get a way back to work. The guys insurance company was dragging their feet and giving me the run around for about 3 weeks. One day I mentioned my back was hurting and my neck and commented on how nice the guy that hit me's rolex was.
That evening I had a loaner car and a settlement which paid off the bike, my helmet (which was strange since it wasn't that nice a helmet and wasn't hurt from what I could tell), money for a second helmet (umm didn't have but the one I was wearing), clothes reimbursement and $500 for my trouble (may of been missed wages. Not sure on that one).
Basically if they think paying a fair value for your car will make future problems go away they sure seem to treat you nicer
06-29-2015, 06:37 AM
#16
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
06-29-2015, 03:23 PM
#17
Melting Slicks
06-29-2015, 04:48 PM
#18
Race Director
Member Since: Oct 2011
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St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
Unless she's planning to see a private doctor on Monday, that's a big mistake, huge. She needs to see a doctor in order to document potential injuries and treatment. Then file the doctor bill as part of your claim. Insurance companies have been known to drag their feet settling automobile claims. Begin an injury claim and they trip over themselves trying to get a settlement on the books. Years ago I had a problem when a guy insured by Allstate who hit my first Vette. Their agent/representative pulled all kinds of crap. I told my agent who contacted Allstate to ask what drugs they were taking. He informed them, the guy (me) has injuries but has not hired a lawyer. He asked if they were going to keep messing around until I hired an attorney, and that my insurance wanted nothing to do with them if that was their plan. They had an adjuster out to look at the Vette within 4 business days of that phone call and settled on the spot. Insurance companies will run, not walk to settle claims that involve an injury, but no lawyer is involved.
06-29-2015, 04:54 PM
#19
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Unless she's planning to see a private doctor on Monday, that's a big mistake, huge. She needs to see a doctor in order to document potential injuries and treatment. Then file the doctor bill as part of your claim. Insurance companies have been known to drag their feet settling automobile claims. Begin an injury claim and they trip over themselves trying to get a settlement on the books. Years ago I had a problem when a guy insured by Allstate who hit my first Vette. Their agent/representative pulled all kinds of crap. I told my agent who contacted Allstate to ask what drugs they were taking. He informed them, the guy (me) has injuries but has not hired a lawyer. He asked if they were going to keep messing around until I hired an attorney, and that my insurance wanted nothing to do with them if that was their plan. They had an adjuster out to look at the Vette within 4 business days of that phone call and settled on the spot. Insurance companies will run, not walk to settle claims that involve an injury, but no lawyer is involved.
Allstate told us before all this that they would be responsible for any medical and the other company for the vehicle because the driver was at fault. Maybe a NY State thing?
