Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Truck totaled? Any insurance adjusters here?

Not an option in some states. In Georgia the insurance company will not pay you out until they have received the title. They process it and send a salvage title back to you, and the vehicle has to pass a state inspection BEFORE it is painted (assuming body damage/repair has been performed) . Only once it has passed the inspection can you get a tag.

Be sure to gather up all of the paper on the improvements you have made.

They will have to make you whole.
They will try their best to get you to take less but hold to your guns.

OP

Youre bout to get screwed.

Another tip from someone else in the business. Treat the guy like family. Shake his hand and look him in the eye and try to listen to what he says and be respectful. You know how often I life we run into the idiots who yell and complain and dig I their heels and make everything about themselves and become us vs them aND what a pain in the ass those people are. You're working with someone who has to talk to those people all day long, who grind him down. If he knows you just want to talk and fairly figure something out it will go a long way.

They hear from so many people who think their particular 1995 civic is worth 15 grand still and start out by threatening and arguing. Guess whether they get the benefit of the doubt later or get someone to feel like working hard for them.

I am not an adjuster but I see a lot in the industry as an agent and going into the conversation with assumptions and trying to twist arms just isn't a good way to do well. You gotta remember that most of the people who say they got screwed didn't read their policy or cooperate or simply ask questions and dont listen, and then when something happens later and they don't remember being told that...its all of a sudden being screwed.

Calibrated Performance 64mm Turbo
Exergy 60hp Injectors
Exergy CP3 pump
FASS 150 lift pump
S&B cold air intake
EFI Live tuned
Auto meter a-pillar 3 gauge set
Firepunk full billet transmission
B&W goosneck turnover ball
Firestone air bag system
Black Rhino wheels
Nearly new 33" toyo tires

Filed a claim yesterday morning they will send someone out to look at it this week so I guess we'll see. With the replacement value being what it is and the fact that the truck didn't roll 360 degrees, only up on the drivers side, I'm thinking it may not be totaled?

The parts listed don't include the fact that I recently rebuilt the entire front end including hub and bearing assemblies as well as rebuilding the transfer case. All this work has been done in the past couple years so despite having 200K miles on it, it is basically a new truck. Salvage title or not, I would like to have it back.....

Thanks to everybody for your concerns, well wishes and advice. All are appreciated!


X-VERMINATOR

Do let us know how it shakes out please.

It'll shake like this.
Totaled!
The pay out will be based on the value of the truck as it was stickered unless the OP added the 20k dollar add one to his policy.
If you put one on the roof it's going to be totaled.
I'd take the salvage title and small check if they will allow.

Yes, I would not spend a whole lot of time, driving to multiple cities to get quotes from dealers, etc. Just know what its worth and don't take a lowball offer.

Former auto appraiser her. The value of the vehicle is normally determined by using the NADA or Blue book retail value in combination with an average of the retail value of similar values in your market. In order to collect anything for your add-ons, you will probably be required to list them and provide invoices. Insurance companies usually total a vehicle when the cost of repair reaches 75% of its retail book value. Some companies will let you buy back the salvage, others wo'nt.

If you didn't add the upgrades to your policy you only screwed yourself. You didn't pay premium to cover them.

Now back to the value...if your truck isn't brand new or the current model year chances are that they will do a market comp search, now through large companies who provide that service for a fee. These are based upon the field adjuster's report on the vehicle. They have guidelines that establish the truck's Actual Cash Value at the time of the loss, and the value will be for what you insured, only. This is a valid and fair way to establish a settlement value. It's strictly market data driven from actual sales, adjusted up and down for less/more than average miles and by the vehicles OEM equipment, also up or down, as well as general condition and wear.

You DO have the right to retain salvage for the high bid or contract salvage price. Many companies have salvage conglomerates who buy based on year and model, averaged out in severity. Sometimes it's high or low that way, so ask that they get bids if you think it's too high.

I'm sorry for your misfortune and hope you come out well on the settlement.

L2S

Yes, but if you put steel wheels on it with baldies, where the standard truck had alloy, they'll ding you for it when they pay the ACV. Replace your mega-stereo with a junkyard OEM, etc, or they can start deducting.

Did the value you paid your premiums bsed on include the 20k?

"Somebody hit my paid for pickup "

Can you read and comprehend English? I'm pissed because the repair cost so much and they expected me to take it to their "preferred" body shop. I know the cost of the parts/labor and they only took one day to do the repair including paint. The labor cost was over 5 times the cost of the parts. I did pay the $250 deductible.

You bet I can read and understand. However, if we are in the business of slinging insults, you seem to have a problem with paragraphs in your first post and a general lack of understanding of the purpose of insurance.

The purpose of insurance to to make you whole after the loss, and it sounds like it did precisely that. Usually you have the right to use the provider of your choice, including yourself. Technically, if they give you $5,000 for the damage and you get it fixed for less, you owe them the difference back (not that anyone does that). If you you do it yourself you have to accept the estimate. In addition, you can keep the money and elect to not fix the truck, assuming it is paid off (as yours was).

It's no skin of my nose if they want me to use a higher priced shop, as long as the job is done to my satisfaction. I'm out the deductible and no more regardless what shop I use. If you wanted to keep the money, do the work yourself, or use a different shop, you should have insisted they cut you a check. They would have. Of course, you have to submit proof you fixed it or they will not cover the damage or loss if it happens again. Their prefered shop does that for you when they work with the insurance company.

I had hail damage on a paid for truck. State Farm cut me a check in the driveway of my house and said do what you want. If it costs more than our estimate, submit us a bill for review. They have the right to question the additional bill, but they *usually* cut the check on the high side, so that is generally not an issue. I guess with my deficient reading and comprehension skills I am still wondering why you are pissed. Is it because you didn't make them give you the check, even though it was your right to do so?

It's been many years since I have owned a modified vehicle. But I do have a thought for you based on past experience. My experience is probably 25+ years old but it's worth at least thinking about.

Back in the day when I drove modified cars my insurance agent told me that I must inform the insurance company of any performance enhancing modifications because they increased the statistical risk of an accident. Failure to do so could void my insurance.

Assuming that the modifications you made improved the horsepower over stock you may be facing the same issue if you did not inform your insurance company of the modifications.