There are a couple ways to handle the repairs. You can take a check from the insurance company or you can have them pay and deal with your preferred and chosen body shop directly. Personally, I would stay clear of the insurers preferred shop because they are more concerned with lower costs than a quality job. That is why the insurer tries to sway you with the lifetime guarantee, to use their low cost provider.
Or you can take the check from the insurer and pocket it and not repair your vehicle. They low ball you with the first check because they realize you may do this. So they do not give you the full amount of repairs with the first check like mentioned above.
Or you can take the check from the insurer and pocket it and not repair your vehicle. They low ball you with the first check because they realize you may do this. So they do not give you the full amount of repairs with the first check like mentioned above.
The irony is I have a custom plate bumper with a tire carrier on order. It will be here in two weeks. So I want a check and then I will have my bedside fixed and install my new bumper. Scrap the smushed one.
If they lowball me huge on the check, fine. Then I want it fixed to stock with OEM parts. And a rental.
If they come close on the check amount I will accept it. I'm easy to deal with but hate being screwed.
Rush hour traffic slowed on the highway. I even put my hazards on before he hit me! Texting I assume.
That's the way it was when we got in a wreck and totaled my wife's car. I wanted fair market value for the car, and medical costs covered. They fussed and faught and lowballed, and so I fought back, cost them an extra $4k over the value of the parts and meds.
My one and only rear end collision was almost a tragedy. I had just completed a total rebuild of a disk with all new bearings, blades, tires,and a spiffy paint job.
Couldn't exceed 17 mph as it would start fishtailing behind the taco. I saw the vehicle coming up behind me, and told my buddy, he isn't going to stop. He hit us at 70mph, popped the disk up in the air which then came down on his vehicle with one blade completely through the windshield next to his head. 6" difference and he wouldn't have walked away.
It shot my vehicle into the ditch. Caused a whiplash for both of us, as well as spine damage to my lower back that resulted in lost time at work, and months of chiropractic and medical care. Bent the frame on the Taco.
OHP found a GPS, bag of cheeto's and a map on the drivers side floorboard of the vehicle that hit us. The driver wasn't injured.
The disk was an older model, and their adjuster wanted to give a couple hundred for it. That's when the Lawyer came into play as well as the injuries. The lowball offer backfired for them.
It turned out well for me in the end.
Couldn't exceed 17 mph as it would start fishtailing behind the taco. I saw the vehicle coming up behind me, and told my buddy, he isn't going to stop. He hit us at 70mph, popped the disk up in the air which then came down on his vehicle with one blade completely through the windshield next to his head. 6" difference and he wouldn't have walked away.
It shot my vehicle into the ditch. Caused a whiplash for both of us, as well as spine damage to my lower back that resulted in lost time at work, and months of chiropractic and medical care. Bent the frame on the Taco.
OHP found a GPS, bag of cheeto's and a map on the drivers side floorboard of the vehicle that hit us. The driver wasn't injured.
The disk was an older model, and their adjuster wanted to give a couple hundred for it. That's when the Lawyer came into play as well as the injuries. The lowball offer backfired for them.
It turned out well for me in the end.
That's some scary stuff right there! I always look at things like that being hauled and think to myself how bad it would be to rear end something like that. Especially the trucks carrying rebar hanging way off the bed.
Arggh. I was in a bad wreck 10 years ago, again both of us had state farm. They were kind of dicks and lowballed and I got mad and fought for more than I originally would have settled for.
Hope this compartively minor hassle isn't too bad. Just noticed he scraped my tailgate up pretty good too. Can't see any frame damage but I want it checked.
Seems stupid/insulting on the adjusters part. I only ever want/wanted what I'm owed. No more, no less. I ain't got time to play Trailer Park Lottery and fake hurt, etc. But lowball me and I'll take time out of my day to spite you.
I get adjusters have to deal with lying trash but it annoys me to be treated as such when I just want a fair deal.
I have a reputable body shop. They agree to within even $200-$300 of the estimate I get tomorrow, we're golden. Offer 50% of my estimate? They'll be hearing from me daily until they go insane.
If the insurance companies would step up, and handle the situation properly, there wouldn't be a need for an attorney. Unfortunately they want to screw around sometimes, and you need someone else to push on them.
The way I look at it, the person that caused the wreck set a chain of events into motion. My life was going on, just fine, and now I have to spend my time, and efforts dealing with the fallout from the wreck. My time is valuable, I can't buy more of it, and deserve to be compensated for it when someone is negligent. If it's a small amount of time, then it's OK, but if it is weeks worth of PT appointments to resolve an injury then I'm not OK with them just covering the PT expenses.
My wife was rear ended by a Semi 20+ years ago, their insurance company tried to screw us around from the start. Undervalued the totaled car, didn't want to cover medical expenses, etc. Got an Attorney involved and I didn't have to deal with the frustration of them trying to screw me. Got what was fair money wise for the issues we had, and the Attorney was paid on top of that.
I've had a number of claims in the 20+ years since that accident, haven't involved an attorney in them, but didn't have the severity of injuries, nor the issues with the claims. But I've never felt like the time I had to invest was considered, nor was I compensated for it.
The way I look at it, the person that caused the wreck set a chain of events into motion. My life was going on, just fine, and now I have to spend my time, and efforts dealing with the fallout from the wreck. My time is valuable, I can't buy more of it, and deserve to be compensated for it when someone is negligent. If it's a small amount of time, then it's OK, but if it is weeks worth of PT appointments to resolve an injury then I'm not OK with them just covering the PT expenses.
My wife was rear ended by a Semi 20+ years ago, their insurance company tried to screw us around from the start. Undervalued the totaled car, didn't want to cover medical expenses, etc. Got an Attorney involved and I didn't have to deal with the frustration of them trying to screw me. Got what was fair money wise for the issues we had, and the Attorney was paid on top of that.
I've had a number of claims in the 20+ years since that accident, haven't involved an attorney in them, but didn't have the severity of injuries, nor the issues with the claims. But I've never felt like the time I had to invest was considered, nor was I compensated for it.
You don't know if you were hurt. When I was rear ended, I had no problems for 2yrs. The Dr. says all my neck and back problems are from that car wreck. GET YOU an ATTORNEY
