Insurance is totaling my truck.

[pig rig]

Originally Posted by SeanPaintsFlames

Just keep your cool, despite how much you want to punch the insurance guy in the throat

I think we're related because thats how I like to handle people that piss me off

[OlMech]

Was making a left hand turn in a no passing zone in my 80 4x4... guy passed three cars and hit me.. smashed the front end of my truck...
Insurance only wanted to give me 800 bucks and total the truck... by remaining calm, I managed to keep my truck, and get 1500 for the damages.. it took about five months.. I repaired the truck myself.. (didnt bend the frame) at a cost of around 1000 dollars...

In 1988 I had a new 88 stepside that also got hit... custom rims, hitch, sterio etc etc etc in that truck... insurance called and wanted to know if they could get the truck out of the local storage yard to save on storage expences... I said sure... "sure" cost me all of the stuff I had put in the truck, the rims sterio ALL of it!!!!!!!!!!!! i payed for three more years on that truck AFTER the case was settled... NEVER give them the truck!!!! Have it towed to your house!

[Fastest32]

They can't come pick up my truck until I sign some papers right. I felt like she was purposely ignoring my calls just letting time pass. They terminated the rental because they said they've settled with me already. I haven't settled with anyone on anything. I just hope there's no time limit and if I haven't proven my point in a certain amount of time they will just give me whatever they decide.
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[baclay9]

What insurance do you have? As in Who is the carrier and how good of insurance did you purchase?

[Fastest32]

It's not my insurance I'm dealing with. It's the other guys insurance and it's travalers insurance.
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[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by thepenguin99

Stated value you still have to prove to the insurance company that the car/truck is worth the stated value after the accident.

That is not true at all. The only reason you ever have to repair a vehicle after a crash is if it is financed.....and then only if you don't choose to just pay the bank off. You still owe the balance of the financed amount and no longer have their collateral. So you have to pay them from the insurance check you receive.
The insurance is covering the cost of your loss, you do not have to put this money anywhere but into your pocket.

Stay on the other guy's insurance....and sue him personally if you cannot get satisfaction from them. An under-insured motorist's liability does not stop at the limit of his insurance. He still owes you. It might take a court order to get it, but that's the way it is....

[D.FENS]

I've had a couple cars get totalled out and had to learn some stuff the hard way.

Don't let the insurance company pressure you into settling until they offer you what YOU think the truck is worth, and make it perfectly clear, up front, you want to retain salvage rights to the vehicle.

Also, stay in contact with them. Don't duck the phone calls from the adjuster, they may use that against you if things turn ugly.

I had a claims adjuster from Zurich (the insurance company LOL)telling me they were gonna sue ME for fraud if I didn't take their lowball offer ($1200). In the next breath he was saying a truck was on it's way to my work to pick up the car, and that they didn't care if I had a rental or any other way to get around. Told me that wasn't his problem. I dropped what I was doing, took the car home and locked it up in my garage.

After some wrangling, and me putting the overly-aggressive adjuster in the doghouse with his supervisor, I was able to keep the car to part out myself and they cut me a check for $3500.

[baclay9]

Oh yeah...duh
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[pvkj454]

Do not settle or sign anything until they pay you what it is worth. It took a guy that I know 6 months to get the other persons insurance to pay what his restored 1948 Plymouth was worth. He gave them the choice of finding another as nice as his, paying the body shop of his choice to fix it or paying what he had in it in receipts and letting him keep the car. They finally did the last option.

I am paying $405/6mo for $20k stated value on my truck. They told me to keep all receipts and a lot of photos. The also said an appraisal would be best.

[70BLAZERX2]

Find another truck on the web with about the same options...tell them you want replacement value..and if they say no, tell them you will contact the insurance comissioner about it..

I friend of mine was hit by a big wagon , he had a 70 shortbed cst with a/c

they wrote it up for $550 , he found one on autotrader..same thing 70 with a/c for sale..it was priced at $6700 and thats what they setteled for..

This is your right to get replacment value..and when you do , buy the truck back from them...give them 500 for it..then find another body and use the good parts on it.

[PORKY]

Originally Posted by Fastest32

So I got rear ended on Tuesday and of course they're gonna total my truck. I was hit from behind and shoved into the truck in front of me. I get that they wanna total my truck cause it's old but they're telling me that market value is only 2500 and that's all they have to pay me. This week has been a huge headache and now I have to go through all this bs just cause I was hit. I'm so pissed. I faxed them a bunch of trucks like mine on craigslist that are going anywhere from 5 to 10k. So heartbroken. I just got spindles and a notch to flip it too.
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Sorry to hear that. Don't give in to the the insurance co., fight them all the way.
There job is to pay you as little as possible. YOUR JOB is to get as much as you can. It seems this accident wasn't your fault. If this is the case you are in control. Rear end collisions come with neck and back injurys often. They will be anxious to settle. DON'T sign that check till you get all you want. If they don't want to pay you what you want, tell them to "find you a comparable truck". They hate that! Another angle is to get them to total the truck at an agreed value then you have 1st chance to buy it back, for maybe as little as $1.00. They don't want to deal with it. Been there before on this situation, hang tough. Good Luck, Frank

[motornut]

they wrote mine off and paid me wensday
voice mail first offer was 1200
called back second 1500
i laughed said no more like 5000
they laughed and said not with out reciepts
we agreed this monday 2200 and i keep the truck
this was my 3rd truck hit by drunk drivers
2nd 4X4 wrote off,while parked

[primrrd]

Sorry about your troubles... I often wonder what would happen in the same situation on my truck.....
I am a insurance claims professional licensed in the state of Tx and Claims Manager for over 16 years. Your situation is a pretty common one when somthing different than a stock late model car is involved. Treetop and White Elephant have some good information for you.
I agree, behave yourself and be as patient and professional as possible. What you are dealing with is an adjuster, who is uninformed about classic chevy trucks, trying to get your square truck to fit into their round hole evaluation system.
It helps if YOU know what your truck is worth and have the figure in mind that will satisfy you. If you decide 5k will do it, then 15 to 20% of that would be the salvage value. Let them know, "I'll take 4000.00 and retain the salvage". This gives them something to work with and they will at least know that you are reasonable and you should have info to back it up. You should insist on them considering additional comparable trucks, provide all of the reciepts and upgrades to your truck and then be the nicest squeaky wheel you can be.
Your goal is to appeal to the highest level of management that you can.
They are often more likely to make exceptions and/or have the experience of similar claim situations to judge a fair resolution. Get your info together and continue to elevate until you get to, at least, a regional manager level. You simply have to ask them to elevate to their manager, or you can ask:
who is your supervisor, may I have their phone number, who is their manager-may I have their phone number, who is their manager-may I have their phone number.... get the idea?
If all else fails:
In Texas you have the option of petitioning the Board of Insurance. This "complaint" makes it's way, typically to the highest levels of your area or state. And they are required to answer it.
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/consumer/complfrm.html
**
Are you feeling sore at all from the accident? Looking at the wreck, you at least had some soreness, stiffness and minor discomfort. Though you might not consider that an "injury", you may have a legitimate claim for your bodily injury, inconvienience and pain and suffering. You should of, at least, been asked if you were injured.. Sometimes a company will leverage the bodily injury claim with the physical damage settlement.
**
feel free to PM me- I'll give you my phone # and we can talk.

[babyJay]

Sad to see such a nice truck bite it. I too say stand firm. Like Longhair said, sue him personally if you have to.

[Fastest32]

thank youeveryone for your advice. i've sent them examples of trucks like mine and I'm working on as many receipts as i can .

[gvchevy]

I manage a collision shop in Missouri and the laws are different accross the board. Can you buy the truck back ? Dont be fooled the field damage apraizer is not making all the decissions he is being guided by people above him. 90% of claiments don't fight back like you are dont back down. Do not let the truck leave until you have settled. Here in Mo. they like to take totals to the salvage pool and the settle because they try and convince you that you have no options. I agree with other posts that if you have full coverage ? work with you Ins. and they will sebrogate against Travlers. It is the insurance companies goal to keep there severity down (ie dollars spent) Good luck.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by primrrd

...
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feel free to PM me- I'll give you my phone # and we can talk.

Fastest32 please take this man up on his offer. The information he is providing is coming from an industry professional in your area. This is the best advice you can have without retaining a lawyer.

[thepenguin99]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

That is not true at all. The only reason you ever have to repair a vehicle after a crash is if it is financed.....and then only if you don't choose to just pay the bank off. You still owe the balance of the financed amount and no longer have their collateral. So you have to pay them from the insurance check you receive.

I am thinking maybe you misread my post or I wasn't clear. I never said you have to repair the vehicle. Only that with a stated value policy, it is exactly that. What you state the value of your vehicle to be. You still have to prove to the insurance company that the vehicle is worth that amount when you have a claim. All of this goes out the window when dealing with someone elses insurance though.

[motornut]

i dealt with my company....sorry argued with my company.
Here it is some new "no fault"....
yet it took three days to have his company agree to be at fault.....i was sleeping
my company deals with me and then goes to him, ithink
but ya i sent lots of links via email to trucks like it
my rental is paid by him
start a list of mods big or small, time spent,time lost due to loss of truck
put a build book together info and pics

but free advice is a great start

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by thepenguin99

You still have to prove to the insurance company that the vehicle is worth that amount when you have a claim.

The "proof" of value comes way before any claim can ever happen. The premium that you pay is based upon the "agreed value" when the policy goes into effect. You don't just get a policy based upon what you(the customer) say it is worth. It is, at best, a compromise between your opinion (receipts,etc) and what an appraiser says it's worth.
If you can't "agree" with them, you move on to another company. Either way the cost is based on the agreed value, so you have to reconcile that too. The more it's "worth" the more it costs to insure....and there is a point of "diminishing returns".
It is very possible to "over insure".

[thepenguin99]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

The "proof" of value comes way before any claim can ever happen. The premium that you pay is based upon the "agreed value" when the policy goes into effect. You don't just get a policy based upon what you(the customer) say it is worth. It is, at best, a compromise between your opinion (receipts,etc) and what an appraiser says it's worth.
If you can't "agree" with them, you move on to another company. Either way the cost is based on the agreed value, so you have to reconcile that too. The more it's "worth" the more it costs to insure....and there is a point of "diminishing returns".
It is very possible to "over insure".

That is the difference between a stated value policy and an agreed value policy. Stated value you can insure your car/truck for say 20k but unless you can prove the trucks value when you have an accident, they aren't going to pay out the full 20k. Agreed value everything is taken care of on the front end. You supply pictures/receipts and/or an appraisal when getting your policy. The insurance company and you agree on a price and when something happens to your car/truck that is exactly what you will get if it is a total. I actually went through this with my corvette a few years ago and the stated value policies struck me as a scam more than anything else because I still had to prove the value of my car if I had a claim that might total the car.

EDIT: After reading dammitmitchell's post below I thought it worth mentioning the specialty insurance companies like Hagerty were the only places that gave me the option of an agreed value policy.

[dammitmitchell]

this is why i have "custom and hotrod" insurance on the things i REALLLY like.
my cheby no... because the salvage title is like 500 bucks. and i'll make my money back on parts.

but the Zcar.. will have 10k into in parts alone etc.. an only values at 3500..
they sell for 15 grand still with the build im doing...
it sucks and it's a PITA.. but that's how it rolls. Insurance is a huge scam..

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by thepenguin99

I actually went through this with my corvette a few years ago and the stated value policies struck me as a scam more than anything else because I still had to prove the value of my car if I had a claim that might total the car.

That seems like a huge scam. They "allow" you to pay premiums based on a value that they are going to "debate" with you later? I would run from that as fast as I could.

[rayfinseats]

Stand your ground. They have to settle. The ball is in YOUR court.

[tucsonjwt]

In my experience in AZ, insurance companies only are obligated to pay you the market value of the vehicle of the vehicle if it is totaled. This means they can use KBB or local vehicles sold price (not for sale price) to value your vehicle. The only thing that counts is what your insurance policy states. Even if you produce documentation of the extra value in your vehicle, they are entitled to depreciate any repairs or modifications, or find the value of those items as used parts. My hat it off to those of you who were able to get full compensation for your restored vehicles using a standard policy.
As mentioned above, agreed value is the way to go for vehicles that are not daily drivers with a lot of money invested in them. I have never had comprehensive or collision on my old trucks because although I keep them mechanically in top shape, the additional cost for that coverage does not make sense on a $2500 purchase price truck (even though I put another $5000+ in repairs and mods in the truck over 8 years of ownership I still could not sell it for more than $2500 -so that is the current value of the truck.)