Car is totaled, now what?

[MaggieBailey]

Please, any insight is appreciated on this matter ! Here's my "rant"

Last week, someone rear ended me, (they were in an SUV) and shoved my little car under the pick up in front of me. In my state (NC) I was told 99% of the time they find everyone at fault -- it's very rare that just one is. Praise the Lord, the fellow who hit me was ticketed on the spot, and found solely at fault. My car was totaled we were not planning at anytime soon to get anything "new" so we haven't been saving like we should have. Did I mention the guy who hit me has the same insurance? I was told by many this is very unlucky, since they won't want to compensate me hardly anything! How do I get them to agree to a decent number? I was told to not take anything less than what the value was on my car tax bill from October... I also just had $1200 worth of work done, and had just filled up on gas - plus I had just bought a gallon of paint for the house and when he hit me is splattered everywhere... I have receipts from all. In NC you are charged 3% of whatever car you buy, plus a $500 document fee, and $90 tag fee. I know this was a long post, but I have never been in this situation before! Thank you so much in advance

 

[RitaE]

Well, I have to start by first asking if the insurance company has offered an amount? If so, can you replace your old car (plus contents etc) with a similar vehicle for that amount?

If you can't get anywhere close, then you need to get on the phone with them and start negotiating. It helps if you have documentation - blue book values, prices at local car dealers etc - to back up your claims of value.

 

[MaggieBailey]

Well, I have to start by first asking if the insurance company has offered an amount? If so, can you replace your old car (plus contents etc) with a similar vehicle for that amount?

If you can't get anywhere close, then you need to get on the phone with them and start negotiating. It helps if you have documentation - blue book values, prices at local car dealers etc - to back up your claims of value.

They haven't called with a number yet - they are going to do that later today. KBB values it at $3,000 and the state values it at $3200. I went to dealers and asked, and they said without seeing it they couldn't give me a number. Although, a few weeks ago the dealership where it just had work done called and offered me $4000 as trade in if I came and bought something new off the lot. Which I refused since I loved my car and it was paid for....

 

[leebee]

DH totaled his 1987 Volvo by sideswiping a guard rail; it broke the lens caps on the front and rear lights and took the door handles off... car is still drivable but the insurance won't cover repairs as they are more than the car is worth. We had about $700 of work done a month ago. Our insurer is giving us the value of the car and reimbursing for the work done within 60 days of the accident. Good thing... car isn't worth anything and the money from the insurance co ($850) is just a drop in the bucket on what it cost to get another used car. They WILL give us $500 and a salvage title, but that means that although we can keep driving it, they won't insure our car, just cover any damage we do to other vehicles. Not sure what we are going to do... we are looking in the $5000 range and there's nothing out there for used cars in that price range unless we want something 10+ years old or a land-boat that gets gallons to the mile!

 

[MaggieBailey]

DH totaled his 1987 Volvo by sideswiping a guard rail; it broke the lens caps on the front and rear lights and took the door handles off... car is still drivable but the insurance won't cover repairs as they are more than the car is worth. We had about $700 of work done a month ago. Our insurer is giving us the value of the car and reimbursing for the work done within 60 days of the accident. Good thing... car isn't worth anything and the money from the insurance co ($850) is just a drop in the bucket on what it cost to get another used car. They WILL give us $500 and a salvage title, but that means that although we can keep driving it, they won't insure our car, just cover any damage we do to other vehicles. Not sure what we are going to do... we are looking in the $5000 range and there's nothing out there for used cars in that price range unless we want something 10+ years old or a land-boat that gets gallons to the mile!

I know what you mean about looking at other vehicles in the $5000 range and finding nothing! It makes me so sad to think about having a loan on a car that gets horrible mileage and is super old, oy. My car had to be towed... it was so not driveable. Leaking fluids, trunk smashed into the back seat, hood crumpled up, and my door had to be pried open to get out. Its just so frustrating, I loved my car and it was paid for! And now this... Ughh... Good luck to you!

 

[Monte Cristo]

1987 Volvo ~snip~. car isn't worth anything ~snip~ they won't insure our car, just cover any damage we do to other vehicles.

Sorry to the OP and your situation, but just wanted to comment on the above....I wouldn't want to pay the premium to insure my own car in this scenario...I would only want them to cover damage I did to another car...I would then take the part of the premium I wasn't paying and put it in the bank for a new car. Once a car reaches a certain age and mileage, I kind of think it's a waste to insure it.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Our van got totaled in september. It was actually a bad time to even look for new vans. They only had 2011 leftovers that were limited in color etc.

We ended up getting a used 2009 to replaced our 2005 one since the ins. co. totaled it.

Another poster said and it turned out to be true, we got the NADA value plus fees I think and they reimbursed us for some of the rental car fees.

Hope it all works out for you and glad you are safe. Thats the important thing. A second or two sooner or later and my dh would not be here today. All because a young girl was talking on her cell phone and blew through a red light.

Hope you can find a good replacement vehicle.

 

[leebee]

Sorry to the OP and your situation, but just wanted to comment on the above....I wouldn't want to pay the premium to insure my own car in this scenario...I would only want them to cover damage I did to another car...I would then take the part of the premium I wasn't paying and put it in the bank for a new car. Once a car reaches a certain age and mileage, I kind of think it's a waste to insure it.

I don't have a choice about insuring the Volvo... state requires proof of insurance to register a vehicle. Our insurance premiums will go down about $100 a year if we accept the salvage title. They get us coming and going on this one...

 

[swilshire]

Did I mention the guy who hit me has the same insurance? I was told by many this is very unlucky, since they won't want to compensate me hardly anything!

That sounds like nonsense. My daughter was hit by someone who also had Farm Bureau Insurance and was treated very well. If you have good insurance, they'll do the right thing regardless.

Sheila

 

[RitaE]

Hopefully it will work out. Right now you're going on what a bunch of people have told you but until they come back with a number ..... just wait and see.

The one time we had to total out a car they actually gave us more than we thought we'd get and we also were provided with a rental vehicle for a time so we could look around for a replacement car. Hopefully it will go okay for you too.

 

[tlbwriter]

I've had two cars totaled in the last 12 years. In both cases, my insurer paid (once because the at-fault driver had the same company, and once because my car was stolen and then totaled). In both cases, their original offer was about 25% less than the value of the car. In both cases, I was able to determine the value of the car not from Kelley, but from local comps. In both cases, the insurer eventually paid what we requested, after being presented with these comps (the first time we really had to fight, and the second time was a piece of cake. In both cases they also paid for the tag for the totaled car, but only after we asked. They also paid for an installed carseat, but would not have paid for damages to any items that were inside the car.

 

[MSLRAC]

In NC you are charged 3% of whatever car you buy, plus a $500 document fee, and $90 tag fee. I know this was a long post, but I have never been in this situation before! Thank you so much in advance

OP sorry about your car, I would wait for a settlement figure from the insurance and go from there. I wouldn't worry about having the same insurance as the at fault driver because that should not matter if you have a reputable company. I will also say that from my experience, most insurance companies pay average NADA value.

Also can you elaborate on the $500 document fee? I'm following you on the 3% highway use tax and tag fees but you lost me on the fee. I have lived in NC all of my life, my father owned his own car dealership and I work in finance at a dealership myself and I have never heard of this fee. Dealership are allowed to charge a small documentation fee but I would run fast and far from a dealer charging $500.

 

[angierae]

Michigan has weird insurance laws, but when I totaled my car (I wasn't ticketed, but the other car fled the scene - I swerved to avoid hitting him and lost control and spun into the concrete divider) my insurance company gave me an average of what similiar cars had sold for in my area in the last 60 days, minus my deductible.

Since we got my car very, very cheap (It was used, and we were buying two cars that day, me and my MIL each bought one) I actually came out ahead by several thousand dollars and was able to replace my 2007 Cobalt with 50k miles on it with a 2008 Cobalt with 23k miles on it, along with remote start and some other fancy things the first car didn't have.

 

[timmac]

I don't have a choice about insuring the Volvo... state requires proof of insurance to register a vehicle. Our insurance premiums will go down about $100 a year if we accept the salvage title. They get us coming and going on this one...

I think PP was saying to get liability insurance, but forego the comp/collision. I would agree that on any vehicle not worth much (less than, say, $3000?) it's probably not even worth it to have collision insurance.

 

[kelly1218]

We just had a vehicle totaled in september. Our neighbor slammed his motorcycle into the back of my husbands PARKED SUV, shoved it over 100 feet into a light pole, and totaled the truck. It was a '98. It was in perfect condition though, we purchased it from a friend.

NADA value was $5300... KBB was $5200-5600.
After arguing for over a week with the other guys insurance, we finally got them to accept liabilty. (yes... our legally parked car I guess could have been at fault)

The first 'offer' they came back to us with...was for $2800. seriously, the rep told me they wanted to give us TRADE IN VALUE for the truck.

I emailed, I CC'd, and I refused until I got documentation telling me WHY they wouldn't give us a fair value. After numerous back and forth arguing they told us $3700.

When she finally emailed me the quote showing where they got the numbers... they showed our vehicle in 'poor' condition. And they compared it to ones that had double the mileage!!!!!!!

I called back and argued again. I was told that they never even sent an adjuster...they just put in the VIN # and went by that. We actually went back to the collision place and took over 40 photos to prove that there were no dents (other than the back) the paint wasn't rusted anywhere, the interior had no stains, rips, wear. And that the mileage was about 110,000... NOT 250,000 like the ones they compared it to.

They finally classified it as excellent condition...and we received a check for $5600.(it includes tax and tags )


basically I'm saying do your research...don't let them convince you that there's nothing they can do if you think the number is wrong.


Oh, and I learned that I will never voluntarily deal with Foremost insurance again

 

[reginaastralis]

I didn't read any of the other posts, just wanted to give you a "quick" rundown on what happened to me.

I was driving home from work one night, and a woman was going in the opposite direction. She was in the right turn lane and decided to turn left, only I was in the middle of the intersection. I didn't even have time to stop, she was just there and taking off the front half of my car. The firefighters had to be called on scene because she worked for DCF and had a child in her custody, and they said if I hadn't turned in the last second, she would have struck my door and I would have, more than likely, ended up in the hospital. She went on to tell the cop that I had run the red light going the wrong way and that my lights were off Luckily the cop believed me, I didn't even know how to turn off my automatic headlights and was in my work shirt. UGH, I hate this woman.

Needless to say, we had to same insurance company, and she tried to tell them the same story. I really hate this woman. Again, they ended up believing me (thank goodness!) However, it took forever to get anything accomplished. At first, they were going to fix my car. For four weeks I was under the belief that my car would be fixed, it was a '04 Suzuki Grand Vitara, and all the dealerships around here had closed and they couldn't get parts or something. Any ways, they went to start on the work and found out my engine block had shifted four inches, which meant there was definite issues with the frame and the car had to be totaled.

Because we were on the same insurance, I was told it would be a PITA to get any sort of worth out of my vehicle. I was told by a lawyer friend to not settle for anything lower the $12500, and I still owed $13000 on the car. He also told me to never, ever except the first offer. I did a lot of research, and the only comparable Suzuki's were going for $15000, and they had a lot more miles than mine.

Shockingly, they offered $15500 as there first offer, and I took it. I lucked out and a relative had a car they no longer needed and gave it to me. I would have been in the same boat of needing a loan, and I ended up walking away with a little more than $3000 after it was all said and done. I miss that car, and I still really hate that lady.

 

[MaggieBailey]

OP sorry about your car, I would wait for a settlement figure from the insurance and go from there. I wouldn't worry about having the same insurance as the at fault driver because that should not matter if you have a reputable company. I will also say that from my experience, most insurance companies pay average NADA value.

Also can you elaborate on the $500 document fee? I'm following you on the 3% highway use tax and tag fees but you lost me on the fee. I have lived in NC all of my life, my father owned his own car dealership and I work in finance at a dealership myself and I have never heard of this fee. Dealership are allowed to charge a small documentation fee but I would run fast and far from a dealer charging $500.

I went to 2 dealerships, and both times was told there is a document/filing fee. They didn't elaborate on what for (just to file the documents) but I was shocked that they add that onto the price, and it makes it that much more! Maybe it was just the dealers I went to? Both were Ford places, as they had good specials in the paper.

 

[MaggieBailey]

Thank you everyone, for all the replies. I am so thankful that I wasn't hurt, nor was anyone else.... I just have to take deep breaths, and wait for that phone call with the number

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Well the good thing is that dealerships will be having big end of the year sales in the next couple weeks so you might get lucky and find the perfect car.
Most newspapers publish car ads in the Saturday paper so start scouting the ads.
Just be thankful that no one was seriously injured and your car can be replaced.

 

[swilshire]

I went to 2 dealerships, and both times was told there is a document/filing fee. They didn't elaborate on what for (just to file the documents) but I was shocked that they add that onto the price, and it makes it that much more! Maybe it was just the dealers I went to? Both were Ford places, as they had good specials in the paper.

Document fees are just a way for the dealers to make money. I refuse to pay them. No dealer has ever refused to sell me a car without them after some negotiation.

Sheila