My wife was rear-ended. She was not hurt. Beyond that, things deteriorate.

I took her car to the Geico adjuster as directed (or she was directed but I did it instead). The driver of the other vehicle was very couteous and told us exactly what to do.

So I'm off for Good Friday. I take her car to the adjuster. He looks it over and concludes after about a (long and thoughtful) 30 second evaluation that they will not fix it. HUH??? WHy am I HERE????

He says they'll call me next week with an offer between $1K and 1,600. I insist on getting an estimate, which he does. It's around 2500. He states again it is a total. Not only that, he takes pictures and informs me that he (they) will deduct for a crack in the windshield and less than new tires. If I want the car, I have to take $250 less, and in order to drive it again, I have to fix the damage and have it deemed leagal again by the highway patrol.

But I have $2500 in damage and I may only get $1000. If I had a newer car, they fix the $2500, give me a rental, and everything is fine. But I had an older car worthy of staying on the road, (believe me, she babied that thing) and I am not given the same rghts. I ask again to have the thing fixed right, but am told there is some kind of state law that prevents him from doing so.

I can't believe I'm getting the shaft. They're probably laughing cause they don't have to shell out what they should to this poor lowly rat. In fact, it only cost them 40%.

I can't for the life of me understand, by being perfectly innocent, my wife looses her car and is not given the means to replace or repair it, just because it's 14 years old. It would be a different story if she wrecked herself or a major mechanical failure caused her to replace it, but this is insane!

Do I have any other options other than get a lawyer and sue them? It's been a long time since I could find a reliable car (it has to be reliable since she will be driving it) for $1000. In fact, her old car was more reliable than my newer one!

It's sad that insurance companies like these charge outrageous prices and then when you need them most they screw everybody like this >:(

I hope one way or another it all is worked out and when it is I would change insurance companies ::)

Jerry

I'm so glad your wife isn't hurt, Rodent.  That really sucks about the insurance people.  I don't have any suggestions for you that are kind, decent and polite.  Good Luck.

Jerry wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2008 at 12:15pm:

I hope one way or another it all is worked out and when it is I would change insurance companies ::) Jerry

It isn't my insurance company doing this to me. Like I wrote, we were completly innocent and did nothing wrong. Her car was sitting still and rear-ended. If she hit a pole or something, and it was my insurance taking care of it, we only had liability and no collision, so we would have just driven the car as is until we could afford another in decent shape. We would not have even reported it unless onother person was involved.

The insurance company of the OTHER driver is trying to take her car and not give us the money to replace it and they refuse to fix it. I found the law the insurance companies use to avoid fixing these older cars.

"if a vehicle sustains damage that is greater than 75% of it's market value, a salvage title will be issued."

Groan. They got me dead. I find out next week how much I get to use on another car. She has a little money saved from her overtime for another car since we knew the car was aging but it's still not sufficiant. We planned to replace it maybe in the summer of 09 after my son's wedding, not in spring of '08.

In Missouri, a car with a salvage title can not be insured or driven unless it is fixed and reinspected by the Highway Partrol. It can't even be traded in on another car.  This rules out trying to keep it for a $250 reduction unless we drive it without insurance and outside the law. I don't consider this a brilliant plan.

We don't have mass transit out here so having a car is a must to get to work. She's 10 miles and I'm 15 from work, so biking is pretty much out. She's west and I work east, so carpooling is out, too.

I think in the short term I will try and delay the settlement as long as possible. I don't think the salvage title is put into effect until I take the money, so I may be able to drive it thru the summer legally and save as much money (or sell other assests) and also work the streets for a good deal.

I'm done being pissed and feeling sorry for myself. I have to take what was dealt and try to make it work the best I can.  :-/

Man that stinks! >:( Up here they write off brand new cars with just dent in the fender.  God knows what the would do with my 20 year old car?  I know one thing, if she gets wrecked I will probably get 500 from State farm.  Then I will remove all the prefromance parts and turn them over to help buy another car (Volvo)

I don't know the laws in Missouri, especially as they pertain to car insurance, but can you take this up with your insurance company?  Around here, if the offending party doesn't settle to your satisfaction, you can make the claim against your own company, who then goes after the other insurance company.  This usually gives better results.  Of course, if due to the age of the car, you didn't have collision coverage, I guess that would not work in your situation.

I'm glad your wife was not hurt, but it is a crock that you lose a car due to someone elses actions.

As you can tell, I was confused :-[

Now I do understand ::)

Jerry

Yes, I'd consult with YOUR insurance company before doing anything else.

I thought I'd bring this to closure. I still have the old Tarus sitting in the street and have agreed to a selling price above the book value. We're still working the details of whether to keep it and donate it of let Geico take it.

Meanwhile, she had apparently saved more money than I originally thought. That, and coupled with a very generous, (yet undeserved) financail gift from my parents has landed her in a very nice 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. She is very happy with it.

In the end, this has a nice ending. No more winters without heat. This helps me, too, cause I took it on the zero degree days.

I love happy endings.  Congratulations, Sir & Lady Rat!

Cool 8-)


It is weird how some things seem to work themselves out and in the end everything is good and sometimes even better ::)

Jerry

All that matters is that you + wife are happy with the outcome.   :)