Turkey Total

[2sweet4me]

Hello all. Two days ago i hit a Turkey with my car and the insurance company deemed it totalled and offered me around $8400 as a settlement. After further investigation, the damage repairs would only cost the insurance company $2000 (Hood, Bumper/grille, radiator, A/C compressor, and all little parts between them plus labor and paint time included). Why is my car totalled when it is still worth over $10000, and why is my insurance company so adamant about it being totalled and not wanting to fix it or buy the car off of me in full. I read elsewhere on here that "insurance is there for you to keep in the same financial situation from before the accident." If that's the case why am i being screwed over here? The car isn't even actually totalled and they are trying to take every measure not to help me here.

 

[msturtle]

@2sweet4me This doesn't make sense, there is not enough information in your post for someone on here to answer. Have you called and asked your handling adjuster the same questions?

 

[ijrgerohnoxi]

@2sweet4me Agree with the other comment. This doesn't make sense. A turkey shouldn't cause enough damage to total a $8,500 car much less one worth $11,000. You need to get better information/details from your adjuster. As for valuation difference, that could be due to a couple of things, specs on the car listed wrong therefore throwing off the valuation, and/or the consumer (you) thinking the car is worth more than it actually is due to using valuation sites which are notoriously inaccurate in addition to sentimental attachment which people often do without realizing it but which has no monetary value. Nonetheless, if you can get better info hopefully we can help you better.

 

[2sweet4me]

I'm currently trying to find out why $2500 of repairs is totalled, especially when $500 will come from my deductible. All the comparison's show their offer for settlement matches the comparison's, but they haven't let me fix the car specs to the correct those aspects, so the value will go up, but I don't imagine it will go up the amount i need. I just don't fully understand how my car is totalled. The Estimate from the appraiser to fix the damages with labor and paint is approx $2500. They offered me $8400 for a "total loss settlement."

 

[billybob]

@2sweet4me I'm not in the insurance business but I did get into an accident once and can give you my experience.

Your insurance estimate of $2000 to repair is only preliminary. They will give you a low ball offer and hope you just take the cash.

Now if you want to go with repairing, take it to a few body shop of your choice and have them give you a real estimate.

This could be 2 or 3 times the cost of the insurance estimate. Once you decide on a shop, your body shop will contact your insurance to supplement the difference for actual cost of repair.

Google auto insurance supplement.

 

[ijrgerohnoxi]

@billybob Yeah, giving advice like that we can tell you're not in the biz and don't understand how it works.This is not at all true. Your insurance company never gives you a "low ball estimate hoping you'll just take the cash" and run. That could possibly be construed as bad faith as the company is violating its legal contract with their insured to make them whole after a claim. Paying their insured as little as possible hoping to entice them to just take the cash and forget about repairs isn't exactly making them whole. Insurance companies aren't in business to try to screw over their clients. Adjusters can only write for damage they can see. Once a shop tears the vehicle down, it's common to then find additional damages that were previously unseen. OP can get "real estimates" and have the work done at any shop they choose but if that shop throws in everything but the kitchen sink, which isn't unusual or charges more for parts and labor than prevailing rates, then OP is on the hook for that difference.

 

[billybob]

@ijrgerohnoxi I'm not saying it's how it works in general, but telling from my personal experience.

I got estimated by Allstate insurance $2500 for being side swiped. Needed to get 2 new doors shell, trim moulding, new paint, repair 2 wheels.

I went to 5 different body shops that were estimated between $4000-6000. No one would do it for $2500 for that amount of damage.

I don't see how that would make it whole. All damages was exterior so it wasn't like there was hidden damages.

 

[ijrgerohnoxi]

@billybob Anecdotal evidence is useless when you don't understand the industry of neither insurance nor body work