advice-car was hit and there insurance doesnt want to

If the check covers your estimate for repair why not cash it?

short change

nel621 said:

If the check covers your estimate for repair why not cash it?

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It doesnt cover it. probably a 1000 off.

Quarter panel replacement on an old Volvo piece of crap? Surely, you jest?

Local competent body shop labor rates are that low?
Even 90k miles, in a state that heavily regulates the insurance company they’d total it out here if they couldn’t get every panel/clip new on all but the most desired late wagon/turbo/flatnose.

The cars are *somewhat*. desired but it’d have to be a 10k+ car and ideally within 10 years old here at least to get a quarter.

At best if I were the ins co I’d at most cut you a check for 3-4K/75% value of the car after lowballing you at no cost to myself and let you sit on a dead/damaged, but “drivable” car for 3+ months or whatever the legal limit is in the lawless south/former confederacy and (send my goons over to) tell you to get lost.
Every state's different though, but don’t hold out much hope for misery for being particularly kind of old jalopy owners, though it’s property, so maybe, in some sort of logical hyper “personal property rights” super state-capitalist Randian way that somehow might align with corporate interests otherwise?

Ins co has all the time in the world/ plenty of corporate lawyers/adjuster goons to beat you up in the very legal/monetary sense.

Not so nice when it’s the corporation doing it to you as the average Tb tire kicker, is it?
/real world.
Aren’t you guys always bitching that the cars and parts are “too expensive” now?
Who's the ins co to be notified of belonging to this strange corner of the internet of lowered lowlifes/ex-gauze shirt VW criminals/post altimont deadhead dirtbags/bicycle thief neerdowel demographic whining about prices/tire kicking in for sale?

OR & WA the state really heavily regulates the insurance companies and the insurance commissioner has some teeth (though the regulators and regulated are constantly liable to get too chummy w/such frequent/regular interaction & are still a revolving door to a large degree), but broadly speaking, "real" market value applies.

Some/most other states you’re pretty screwed and it’s just another common non-collectible old, depreciated car x years/miles old with a certain replacement value/you now are likely to own a branded title car too for the most part & there’s not a lot you can do about it short or maybe suing the other driver that damaged your property in small claims possibly for however miserable/time consuming that is. They don't really account for 'eclectic enthusiast bizarro world'/cars bouncing off the bottom from fully depreciated.

Worth feeling around a bit for some knowledge of state law & enforcement for insurance commissioner and what the ins co is legally obligated to do.
Civil suit claims (likely a pain but if the ins co won’t/isn’t legally obligated pay full amt. )...good luck, though if they're reasonably fearful they might have to eat it and legal fees, they might just draft up some sort of indemnity contract, seal the documents, pay you an agreed amount and tell you to get lost.

Condolences.
Getting a lousy $1k outta them to go buy used/NOS bumper for my ancient 80k mile 1978 F250 4x4 camper special 1-ton was a chore even in WA (why the owner didn’t just give me a lousy $500 to go away/find my own used bumper I would have been happy enough with I didn’t really understand given his deductible had to have been about $500), no paint.
Construction company insurance on a $500,000 bid job and a stray back-hoe bucket.

^



$14.99 ain't gonna fix it.

Definitely contact your state insurance commission to get a idea of your rights. Connecticut?s was helpful when our 91 945 was totaled by a at fault driver. That?s a long story though.
One example, his company was responsible for a certain number of days for a rental.

oldnfast said:

Definitely contact your state insurance commission to get a idea of your rights. Connecticut’s was helpful when our 91 945 was totaled by a at fault driver. That’s a long story though.
One example, his company was responsible for a certain number of days for a rental.

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Not necessarily if its deemed "drivable" in that state aka taillight substantially intact and just dented/looks bad but by all accounts road legal.

They'll stick you with it/no rental if they in any imaginable legal way can.

Kjets On a Plane said:

Not necessarily if its deemed "drivable" in that state aka taillight substantially intact and just dented/looks bad but by all accounts road legal.

They'll stick you with it/no rental if they in any imaginable legal way can.

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That?s all true, but I?m also thinking/talking about when this guys car is in the shop being repaired. The insurance company may be responsible for a rental.It?s worth looking into,right?

Here in nj when a friends 92 wagon was hit on the front fender and left front lights. The insurance company decided to fix his car. Car was in nice condition but not great.

They could not find a fender and after a month decided to body work that one. Then the car had repop ecodes on it. So they couldn't find the lights. The body shop cut a check to my friend so he could buy the lights. lol. It was a 1700 repair at the body shop plus the lights which they had to buy a set. The insurance paid for it all. USAA. I think they decided to fix it because the car looked nice and both people in the incident were with USAA. The car was nice but not a top dollar car.

It's the only time I encountered an insurance co not declaring our old cars scrap after an altercation. Every other time the car was totaled by the insurance.

Kjets On a Plane said:

Not necessarily if its deemed "drivable" in that state aka taillight substantially intact and just dented/looks bad but by all accounts road legal.

They'll stick you with it/no rental if they in any imaginable legal way can.

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No. Here in Oregon they have to provide a rental while the car is being repaired. They may try to tell you different. If they do, they are lying and a quick call to the insurance commissioner will change the tune they are singing.