Help with dealing with insurance

[F80RN]

So today I was rear ended. Damage that I can see consists of drivers rear quarter panel, trunk, front bumper, passenger light and both fenders. I don’t *see* any frame damage. I was at a stop when an elderly lady hit me at a presumed 30+ given the damage on her car.


I’ve never dealt with this before. My car is paid off. I don’t have a declared value policy, and I informed insurance I will remove the E88s fo stock wheels.


If the car is reparable I’d opt for that (this has a very high sentimental value to me; it was a car my wife got me when we started our business).


I’ve filed an insurance claim and spoke to an an accident lawyer. I’m sitting in the ED waiting for more evaluation (I have a wrist fracture so far).


So any tips on working/dealing with insurance?

[Phillies8008]

Wow, she really got you – so sorry this happened to you, but at least the injuries weren't worse. From the look of it, they could've been, and I hope a broken wrist is all it ends up being.

As far as insurance goes, all you can really do at this point is wait for the adjuster to make a decision. Unfortunately, I'd be surprised if they don't total it just because of the amount of parts and work that's going to take to fix. You're looking at a minimum of the entire front and back ends plus at least the driver's side back panel. Given the damage I wouldn't be shocked if there were some frame damage in the rear either. But I'm certainly no mechanic, so hopefully it's not as bad as I think it is.

In terms of the payout they're going to give you fair market value. I'd start looking for comparable cars on the market in your surrounding areas and document their prices – if the insurance company comes in low you can use these to counter their number to something more realistic. Unfortunately the sentimental value of the car won't figure into the settlement. However, if you have anything like PPF or a ceramic coating on the car, be sure to let them know and if possible provide any documentation if it they were professionally installed.

I know this really, really sucks, but at the end of the day it's just a car and it's great that it took the majority of the force of the wreck leaving you with no serious injuries. The safety engineering in these cars is just amazing today – a few of decades ago you could've walked away with some very serious injuries, if you walked away at all. Get better soon!

[Janjohn]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Wow, she really got you – so sorry this happened to you, but at least the injuries weren't worse. From the look of it, they could've been, and I hope a broken wrist is all it ends up being.

As far as insurance goes, all you can really do at this point is wait for the adjuster to make a decision. Unfortunately, I'd be surprised if they don't total it just because of the amount of parts and work that's going to take to fix. You're looking at a minimum of the entire front and back ends plus at least the driver's side back panel. Given the damage I wouldn't be shocked if there were some frame damage in the rear either. But I'm certainly no mechanic, so hopefully it's not as bad as I think it is.

In terms of the payout they're going to give you fair market value. I'd start looking for comparable cars on the market in your surrounding areas and document their prices – if the insurance company comes in low you can use these to counter their number to something more realistic. Unfortunately the sentimental value of the car won't figure into the settlement. However, if you have anything like PPF or a ceramic coating on the car, be sure to let them know and if possible provide any documentation if it they were professionally installed.

I know this really, really sucks, but at the end of the day it's just a car and it's great that it took the majority of the force of the wreck leaving you with no serious injuries. The safety engineering in these cars is just amazing today – a few of decades ago you could've walked away with some very serious injuries, if you walked away at all. Get better soon!

Absolutely correct. I wish you the best. I would be fully tempted to walk up the other driver’s door yelling “What the f___ were you thinking?”

[JerseyM3]

Wow that sucks brother. Glad you are otherwise ok. She smacked you but good. Hopefully you'll get the car right and everything works out.
I would take it to a reputable shop that knows how to deal with the adjuster. They are going to nickel and dime the repair and want to cut a check right there, if its repairable. The bodyshop needs to do a deep evaluation to know exactly what's what before any payout is determined

[zx10guy]

What did the front of your car hit? Was it another car?

I just went through this at the end of November. I was driving my 2019 C-HR when it got rear ended by an X5. The rear end damage was similar to yours maybe not as bad. The at fault's insurance was Progressive. The initial estimate to repair was $3500. When the body shop tore into the car, there was additional damage which pushed the total estimate to $7800. At that point, Progressive totaled the car. Didn't make sense because the final payout for the car to me was $13,700. They would have saved money if they just repaired the car. One note is the estimate was for used/refurbished/aftermarket parts. The body shop said the estimate would be much higher using new OEM parts.

If the car really means a lot to you, I'd just go through the process with getting an estimate done and then having the body shop do their thing to see if there is anything more that's needed. If the car does get totaled, which I think it will based on the pictures, you can ask the body shop for their opinion on how close they'll be able to get the car back to original condition and assess from there. You always have the option to buy back the car and then proceed with the repairs. The risk you run is if the insurance payout doesn't cover all the costs to get the car repaired.

The other issue is the title of the car is going to be branded. You'll have to find out from your state what you have to do to get the car approved to be back on the road after the repairs are done.

This is a pic of the damage to my car. The bumper/bumper cover, miscellaneous body parts, and tow hitch was already removed by the body shop when the pic was taken.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

The other issue is the title of the car is going to be branded. You'll have to find out from your state what you have to do to get the car approved to be back on the road after the repairs are done.

Be aware that if the title is branded as totaled or salvaged, the brand is going to remain on the title even if the car is repaired and passes whatever inspection is needed for it to be road-legal again. The brand may change to "rebuilt" or something like that, but it won't ever go away.

The potential problems with this is that a lot of dealers and buyers won't touch the car at all, and if they do it's going to be at a significantly reduced price. If you're sure you're going to keep this car long-term and don't care about resell value then maybe this isn't an issue for you, but otherwise I'd give it some serious consideration.

Some insurance companies also won't cover cars with branded titles or won't offer anything but liability coverage. If you were to choose to go through with the repairs and live with the branded title, I'd first check with my insurance company to make sure they'll even cover the car and if so what they're going to charge you. If they won't cover it, I'd get some quotes to find out who will and at what cost. It'd suck to find out later on that the insurance is going to cost an arm and a leg.

[F80RN]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

What did the front of your car hit? Was it another car?

I just went through this at the end of November. I was driving my 2019 C-HR when it got rear ended by an X5. The rear end damage was similar to yours maybe not as bad. The at fault's insurance was Progressive. The initial estimate to repair was $3500. When the body shop tore into the car, there was additional damage which pushed the total estimate to $7800. At that point, Progressive totaled the car. Didn't make sense because the final payout for the car to me was $13,700. They would have saved money if they just repaired the car. One note is the estimate was for used/refurbished/aftermarket parts. The body shop said the estimate would be much higher using new OEM parts.

If the car really means a lot to you, I'd just go through the process with getting an estimate done and then having the body shop do their thing to see if there is anything more that's needed. If the car does get totaled, which I think it will based on the pictures, you can ask the body shop for their opinion on how close they'll be able to get the car back to original condition and assess from there. You always have the option to buy back the car and then proceed with the repairs. The risk you run is if the insurance payout doesn't cover all the costs to get the car repaired.

The other issue is the title of the car is going to be branded. You'll have to find out from your state what you have to do to get the car approved to be back on the road after the repairs are done.

This is a pic of the damage to my car. The [...]

If the car is repairable, I’d opt for that. It’s very sentimental to me ( bought it for me after we started our business) and it’s a bucket list car. I had thoughts of selling it before but she shot it down immediately because she knew it was a dream car for me. She would rather me buy another car than replace this.


I was pushed into a trailer hitch of an f150. The other truck drove up a bit thinking we could pull over to the side but saw my car and stopped. It had no damage. Not even a misaligned bumper.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Be aware that if the title is branded as totaled or salvaged, the brand is going to remain on the title even if the car is repaired and passes whatever inspection is needed for it to be road-legal again. The brand may change to "rebuilt" or something like that, but it won't ever go away.

The potential problems with this is that a lot of dealers and buyers won't touch the car at all, and if they do it's going to be at a significantly reduced price. If you're sure you're going to keep this car long-term and don't care about resell value then maybe this isn't an issue for you, but otherwise I'd give it some serious consideration.

Some insurance companies also won't cover cars with branded titles or won't offer anything but liability coverage. If you were to choose to go through with the repairs and live with the branded title, I'd first check with my insurance company to make sure they'll even cover the car and if so what they're going to charge you. If they won't cover it, I'd get some quotes to find out who will and at what cost. It'd suck to find out later on that the insurance is going to cost an arm and a leg.

Absolutely, I just didn't get into more details around what a branded title means. I was facing this decision with my car. The car was great. Cheap and reliable. But I knew the next set of things I had to do to the car would involve a suspension overhaul due to age and mileage plus Progressive giving me such a high payout on a car with 185,000 miles on it, I decided to take the money and run.

I also did check with my insurance, State Farm, on what the implications would be if I decided to repair the car. My agent said I would still be able to maintain my current coverage.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Absolutely, I just didn't get into more details around what a branded title means. I was facing this decision with my car. The car was great. Cheap and reliable. But I knew the next set of things I had to do to the car would involve a suspension overhaul due to age and mileage plus Progressive giving me such a high payout on a car with 185,000 miles on it, I decided to take the money and run.

I also did check with my insurance, State Farm, on what the implications would be if I decided to repair the car. My agent said I would still be able to maintain my current coverage.

Yeah, I think I'd only do it if the car really meant something special to me, and if I was pretty sure I was keeping it forever. Otherwise I'm not sure it'd be worth the hassle of trying to sell it one day, and there's the possibility you'd couldn't sell it for enough to recoup the money you spent repairing it.

That being said, I've never dealt with a branded title, so maybe it's not as bad as I'm thinking. Everything I've ever read about it pretty much boiled down to "don't", lol.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by F80RN

So today I was rear ended. Damage that I can see consists of drivers rear quarter panel, trunk, front bumper, passenger light and both fenders. I don’t *see* any frame damage.
I’ve never dealt with this before.
If the car is reparable I’d opt for that (this has a very high sentimental value to me; it was a car my wife got me when we started our business).
I’ve filed an insurance claim and spoke to an an accident lawyer. I’m sitting in the ED waiting for more evaluation (I have a wrist fracture so far).
So any tips on working/dealing with insurance?

First of all, sorry to hear you got hurt. Hopefully you recover quickly and fully.

You did all the right things, under the circumstances. Now it's up to the insurance adjuster / body shop to estimate the cost of repairs. Given the extensive damage to both ends of the car and likely full-car repaint, my guess is that it might get totaled.

I know you said this car is special to you, and that it was your dream car. Unfortunately, it may be time to formulate another dream!

Good luck,
a

[25 V8 IS]

Yeah, I don't want to rain on your parade, but the car really does look totaled to me. Most insurance companies really love to just total the car out these days. I forget how they deem the car total. I think it is if the total repairs on the car exceed the value of the car, they total it out.

[Grease23]

The insurance company is going to declare it a total loss -- I don't think this is even a close call. These days, they are so wary of 'repaired but diminished value' sorts of claims that they are pretty quick to total them even in situations where the car looks a lot less damaged then yours.

You should begin your research on finding comparable values so that you know to object or agree to what you are offered. (I've always found "adjuster" an odd job title; it implies that something is wrong and needs to be adjusted.) Check Autotrader, Craigslist, forums and any other source you can find for values in the ballpark of your mileage. After you settle on the dollars, you might well find them plenty interested in having you pay something quite reasonable for the salvage value of your car. But then you'd have to fix it, which will cost an awful lot.

I am sorry this happened to you, hope the wrist heals up well.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by 25 V8 IS

Yeah, I don't want to rain on your parade, but the car really does look totaled to me. Most insurance companies really love to just total the car out these days. I forget how they deem the car total. I think it is if the total repairs on the car exceed the value of the car, they total it out.

In general, the individual states set the limit where a car gets totaled. Some states set it at ACV (actual cash value) where the repairs can't exceed the ACV/market value. Some states set a percentage that can range anywhere from 70 to 80% of ACV. While these are the legal limits, an insurance company can set a lower threshold.

[Desking101]

If they end up repairing it, you should absolutely pursue a diminished value claim. You can use a third party service, or you can do it on your own if you can run your own comps (I am in the business so I can pull auction transactions).

My 991.2 Carrera was involved in a seemingly minor collision that ended up costing about $60k (during COVID parts shortage) and required some small frame repair (radiator mount) along with all the other stuff. At the time, I think the car had a wholesale book of around $95k and retail around $105k FWIW and I got about $20k cash, on top of the repairs. It ended up being a VERY expensive collision for the other insurance company and I would guess only a small number of consumers pursue this. Had they known I would go this route, I'm sure they would have just totaled the car out.

You have to pursue this on your own with the other party's insurance company. Your insurance company is not involved with this. I was lucky and dealt with AAA who was fair and easy to deal with, and all through email. You may want to use a third party service if the person who ran into you has a smaller insurance company.

This is something you do after the car is fully repaired.

[Saker_]

Desking101
I concur.
If the vehicle is not totaled, you can and should definitely filed a diminished value claim.

I’ve had to make one of those claims before and glad I did. It put thousands in my hands.

[F80RN]

Originally Posted by Desking101

If they end up repairing it, you should absolutely pursue a diminished value claim. You can use a third party service, or you can do it on your own if you can run your own comps (I am in the business so I can pull auction transactions).

My 991.2 Carrera was involved in a seemingly minor collision that ended up costing about $60k (during COVID parts shortage) and required some small frame repair (radiator mount) along with all the other stuff. At the time, I think the car had a wholesale book of around $95k and retail around $105k FWIW and I got about $20k cash, on top of the repairs. It ended up being a VERY expensive collision for the other insurance company and I would guess only a small number of consumers pursue this. Had they known I would go this route, I'm sure they would have just totaled the car out.

You have to pursue this on your own with the other party's insurance company. Your insurance company is not involved with this. I was lucky and dealt with AAA who was fair and easy to deal with, and all through email. You may want to use a third party service if the person who ran into you has a smaller insurance company.

This is something you do after the car is fully repaired.

Presuming the car isn’t totaled, I will choose this. However myself and the other party both have AAA. Not sure if that makes it easier or complicates things?

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Wow, she really got you – so sorry this happened to you, but at least the injuries weren't worse. From the look of it, they could've been, and I hope a broken wrist is all it ends up being.

As far as insurance goes, all you can really do at this point is wait for the adjuster to make a decision. Unfortunately, I'd be surprised if they don't total it just because of the amount of parts and work that's going to take to fix. You're looking at a minimum of the entire front and back ends plus at least the driver's side back panel. Given the damage I wouldn't be shocked if there were some frame damage in the rear either. But I'm certainly no mechanic, so hopefully it's not as bad as I think it is.

In terms of the payout they're going to give you fair market value. I'd start looking for comparable cars on the market in your surrounding areas and document their prices – if the insurance company comes in low you can use these to counter their number to something more realistic. Unfortunately the sentimental value of the car won't figure into the settlement. However, if you have anything like PPF or a ceramic coating on the car, be sure to let them know and if possible provide any documentation if it they were professionally installed.

I know this really, really sucks, but at the end of the day it's just a car and it's great that it took the majority of the force of the wreck leaving you with no serious injuries. The safety engineering in these cars is just amazing today – a few of decades ago you could've walked away with some very serious injuries, if you walked away at all. Get better soon!

Originally Posted by Grease23

The insurance company is going to declare it a total loss -- I don't think this is even a close call. These days, they are so wary of 'repaired but diminished value' sorts of claims that they are pretty quick to total them even in situations where the car looks a lot less damaged then yours.

You should begin your research on finding comparable values so that you know to object or agree to what you are offered. (I've always found "adjuster" an odd job title; it implies that something is wrong and needs to be adjusted.) Check Autotrader, Craigslist, forums and any other source you can find for values in the ballpark of your mileage. After you settle on the dollars, you might well find them plenty interested in having you pay something quite reasonable for the salvage value of your car. But then you'd have to fix it, which will cost an awful lot.

I am sorry this happened to you, hope the wrist heals up well.

These are your two best answers. Both in terms of predicting it will be totaled and in educating yourself on the reasonable value of the car is that you have the right to expect from the insurance company.

Lots of times I see damage somewhat similar to yours and tell the poster it’s going to be a close call as to whether it’s declared totaled. Your damage is far enough across the threshold I would be quite surprised if they don’t declare it totaled.

Sorry this happened to you and sorry for your injury. I hope the wrist was the extent of it.

[DavyNM]

quick question:

assuming the OP's car can be repair, how much value has it lost as a result of the accident and the repair?

[GA///BIT]

I'd consider contacting a trial lawyer for the physical and emotional damage, and follow their every instruction as to the medical treatment and pursue a civil suit for damages. Your wrist could heal but in the long run it could cause you long lasting pain that should be compensated. Stay blessed and gl on the journey to repairing that beauty!

[Desking101]

Originally Posted by F80RN

Presuming the car isn’t totaled, I will choose this. However myself and the other party both have AAA. Not sure if that makes it easier or complicates things?

If there's any loophole where they can get out of it, this might be it. But you don't know until you ask. My experience with AAA is they weren't trying to hide anything (although they certainly didn't offer it to me without me bringing it up)

[Saker_]

Originally Posted by DavyNM

quick question:

assuming the OP's car can be repair, how much value has it lost as a result of the accident and the repair?

Value lost has to be determined by an adjuster to determine value before the accident vs value after repaired.
When I was paid on another vehicle for diminished value, the paperwork was straight forward with a comparison to another vehicle with comparable mileage and year that was never in an accident.
The claim value is determined by an independent company so either insurance companies cannot interfere.

[F80RN]

Originally Posted by Desking101

If there's any loophole where they can get out of it, this might be it. But you don't know until you ask. My experience with AAA is they weren't trying to hide anything (although they certainly didn't offer it to me without me bringing it up)

I’m so sorry; I’m still dealing with post concussion fog therefore I’m having a hard time following. Can you explain it a bit more for me?