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

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


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. 

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.

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