Hey guys...

Looking for a coupla opinions...

this past Fri (July 20th) @ 5:30pm, i was involved in a motor vehicle accident...
i was approaching a traffic light (4 way intersection), with a left-lane turn arrow...as i was getting up to the light, the left turn arrow lit green, and i was able to flow through in third gear, and taking my daily u-turn (it's legal) to go home. Upon hitting the apex of the corner, i noticed out of the corner of my eye, a silver flash...which happened to be a 1991 Toyota Tercel 4 door, taking an illegal right on red (there's a sign...) he made NO attempt to stop.

As a side note, i've been going home this way for about 3.5 weeks( have frequented this area OFTEN, just not with daily frequency...) and have seen almost a dozen cars take the illegal right turn on red.... almost colliding with a Acura RSX a few weeks ago... Crazy fools...

Upon colliding with his driver's side, my Fisher plow mount, both headlights,and brackets, grill, grill support, bumper, etc etc is destroyed...

I have full collision, and i'm not sure i was treated fairly by MY insurance CO... he gave TIME to straighten the plow frame, instead of replacing it, mentioned that the radiator support looks a bit tweaked, and i shouldn't need a new hood (i can fit a pinky-finger tip up near the antenna, and half a hand in, down the hood on the P/S, D/S is fine...

--the quoted me $35 ea for used headlights (i'm not putting a yellowed POS headlight on my truck..)
--$200 for a used bumper assembly.. ( i can imagine what that looks like...)
--an aftermarket chrome grill ($80)
--an aftermarket bug deflector (hood only ($80)), although i had the dodge parts for the fenders and the hood...he ignored me when i mentioned the fender pieces...
-- he gave NO allotment for the missing fog lights, or the broken radio that no longer works after the accident....

of course the thing that burned me up the most, was the fact that he didn't ask where the vandalism on the rest of the truck came from... the key scratches, and what not (i was concerned about putting in a claim weeks before...) and he spent extra time writing that up, and noting that the 'prior' damage was worth 2x more than the $1k they alloted me for the ugliest truck in the zip code...

curious as to what you guys suggest, private appraiser, bring it to a body shop and have them tear into it, ( i would like to do the work myself...and i would like to put a REAL bumper on the truck...) or call my insurance attorney friend?

should i post up some pics ???

thanks guys..

J

 

who is your insurance provider "goodwill"? that is pathetic. I have never encountered anything like that. Not sure what to tell you. someone may have had an experience and can help you. sorry for your troubles, why isn't the other party paying for it? sounds that they were at fault.

 

i see that it is a no fault accident, why? they were clearly in the wrong.

 

I can sum my advice up all in one word "LAWYER".

 

I was afraid it might come off as 'either party, no-fault'... what i meant was no-fault on my part..

the other driver readily admitted to the police he blew through the light....

Insurance co. is St. Paul/Traveler's.. i have collision, so i guess the procedure is to put the claim through my insurance co, then they pay me, and charge the other company...

i asked the appraiser if the parts were used, and why the use of used parts, and he mentioned, "it's what they use"...

T-boe...specifically why the lawyer...

i have a migraine today after the B/S yesterday.... it's been ongoing for the past 11hrs.. ouch.

 

It seems like the insurance adjuster is not giving you what your owed. You might want to see what the other insurance company is willing to do. When you go through your own insurance they try to give you the shaft and make as much money off of the other company as they can.

 

We Have No Fault Here In Mich. It Sucks.
I Would Go To A Reputable Body Shop (probably At Least 2 )get Estimates , Making Them Awar3e Of Previous Damage. And Turn It Over To Your Ins, Co. Let Their Lawyers Do The Fighting.
Claude

 

Every states laws are different, but the one universal thing I have noted is that they require your vehicle to be repaired at least as good as it was prior to the wreck.

They want to use used headlights? Fine, they had better be as good or better than the ones you had. Keep right on doing it until you are satisfied......... The body shop you go to for the estimate should negotiate for you......

Don't sign anything or take a check until you are satisfied!

 

BTW, if they use aftermarket parts, make real sure they are CAPA certified, not all are.

 

That's along the lines of what i was concerned about....whether we have the same insurance co, or they are trying to pull one over on me... it just edited by admin that he was NOT listening to me, and didn't even ask about the "previous" damage... I've been told that it's not smart to put in small claims, (which is what i figured the key scratches would be...) as they can cancel your insurance or something crazy, so i was concerned about calling about it....i didn't think it would bite me in the rear.... at this point i'm confused about what to do with the "previous damage"... and i'm surprised he didn't ask me about it....

CAPA certified....bumper, grill, grill frame would all of those be included in that certification?... they do specify CAPA certified parts....

I'm going to get a private appraisal, if not two, tomorrow, and tues...

i'll post the findings..

thanks all!

J

 

Do you have a copy of the police report yet? If you do, the person who hit you should be listed as "vehicle A", or "vehicle 1". The first one listed is the person who caused the accident. Even in no fault states, the person who caused the accident is always listed first.
You were right to report the accident to your insurance, but I would not have made a claim so quickly. I would have contact the other person's insurance directly, and made a claim with them. Yes, you can do this, they will want to see a copy of the police report though.
Do not allow them to use aftermarket or used/junkyard parts on your vehicle. You have the right to new, oem parts. They should also replace aftermarket accessories, anything caused by the accident. Definitely get your own estimate done, good idea. Insurance Adjust don't have a clue about fixing cars, they're only taught ways to save money and cut corners.
Good luck!

 

personally I have never had an adjuster cut corners they have always replaced everything as it was, no used parts, etc. this insurance company seems to be a fly by night with how they are handling things. just what I have experienced.

 

I too have usually had good luck, except with Progressive. I told him I would see him in court before a junkyard part made its way onto my truck. He called the next day:
"Mr. Rafalske, you're in luck, no local junkyards have any parts for your truck, so we'll go ahead and use new oem parts."
My response: "You were going to anyway, one way or another."
He hung up on me.

 

I wasn't doubting your comments dr, just seems this insurance company is one that will never see any of my money or anybody elses for that matter. should be grounds for fraud, spend all this money every month for protection to find out your provider is protecting themselves not you. sucks

Hope it all works out for you Capri.

 

Dr- so you'd have suggested to report the accident, but not claimed it yet? why exactly? My claim handler and the appraiser mentioned taking it to a body shop, and the 1st claim is typically not the last....and the appraiser expects to possibly go to the body shop, and have to rewrite the appraisal, as the body shop may find more damage... do you think i would have been treated more fairly through the other company, and would have avoided the issue with the vandal scratches?

I'm still unsure about what to do about the vandal scratches...pisses me off....my poor truck...

My Brother received his appraiser's license, and he asked if they opened the hood, which he did....and my brother said they are not supposed to, as newer vehicles are too complex...and the appraisal should be external only....



so i can specify OEM parts? or OEM certified? i figured as much, but he mentioned older truck, older parts type of deal...

thanks guys..