Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Comments
Yes insurance companies I"m told ,by the dealer, usually give DV for car's less than a year.
It doesn't hurt to ask. I was looking for some input that would give me the best shot at getting some DV
so if someone has a suggestion on what approach I might use, I would appreciate hearing that.
thank you
Any time any vehicle with 100,000 miles = the bloom is off the rose.
IOW within only four years, it's been riden hard and put up wet.
DV? Forget it!
Who is the person that judges whether the car is a total loss? Ive read so many complaints of true total losses being repaired (NOT as salvaged vehicles) . What can I do change thier decree? Why is there evaluation more valid that the people repairing the vehicle. (who say my car needs no major repairs, it wont be hazzard once it is drivable? )...... The margin was like 200 dollars only. It is so unfair. Does anyone know anything about this sort of thing?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
In reality, rear-ending some yahoo in front of a green light with no lights on is a lot more gray area than your normal rear-ender.
But the damage is done. What matter now are not the facts of the accident but the facts off the evidence. I don't know how to go about it, but need2kno has work to do: Get the police report, understand what it says, get with her insurance company, figure out what's going to happen.
First thing that matters is who is going to be "at fault" in the accident. Do you have comparative fault in your state?
You need to consult with someone who knows this stuff to see if you even have a chance to wiggle out from under. In my book, you're maybe 1/2 at fault, I'd think less. But what I think doens't count.
I'd hire a lawyer as a last resort; first figure out if it's necessary, and try to figure out if you even have a chance.
Good luck, and let us know -Mathias
I have a difficult time believing a judge would let the insurance company slide by on a six-hour time slip. FWIW, I just insured my motorcycle with Progressive, and their coverage starts at 12:01 a.m. Same with the car I added to my Citizen's policy a few weeks back: 12:01. This might be a MI thing, but I doubt it.
Now, if you called them a week earlier, saying "start the coverage next week", then it's your fault. But if you tell them, "insure my new car, now" then it's silly to have the coverage start mid-morning on the next day.
I'd be interested to learn how this one shakes out...
-Mathias
ps... btw... our car is a 04 taurus, arent these new cars more expensive to fix?
need2kno
I believe they can. Anytime money changes hands, there better be a time stamp on it.
And that's gonna work in your favor -- right?
-Mathias
I am assuming you did not do the foolish thing like cancelling your old insurance before the new one took effect...always have them overlap for 1-2 days so that you have coverage no matter what...if your payment was not sent prior to the collision, you may have trouble...hence, why it is imperative to establish fault, as you may only have to pay for your but not his...and do not be surprised if your new ins co drops you at the first renewal, since you did not wait too long to make yourself a certain risk to them...
The car was stolen, the owners were paid by the insurance. Then it later showed up.
Now as far as I understand it in Florida if a car is found after the owners have already been reinbursed for it the car becomes a parts car with a destruction title And it can't be put back on the road.Even if the car is in good condition.
My question is can a Florida Certificate of Destruction be converted to a salvage, reconstructed, or clean title in any other state? e.g TX or PA
Do all states have this law that a car which has already been paid for by insurance cannot go back on the road?
Please do give any advice that you might have.
Thank you.
Faraz LalDin
I wasn't judging you. I merely asked some questions and tried to point out that there is no reason to want a clean title. Now, if you went ahead and accomplished this, then I'd judge you. :P
Now, as far as stating that the chassis may be messed up, but the inegrity of all else is preserved ... what exactly are we talking about? Integrity of the headliner? The carpet? The chassis is the backbone of the car. Everything else just hangs on it.
If anyone else takes that car and rebuilds it, it will still have a salvage title and they will suffer the same depreciation results that you would. If they clean the title, that is dishonest and, as far as I know, illegal.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
UPDATE ... ill be happy to add.... the mother of the car i struck doesnt want to file a claim at all, besides we looked up value of his car,now worth only $236 LOL, his mom says the carisnt worth even keeping a picture of, and says her son has to go off to college w/out a car now and its his own fault!!! BTW mother doesnt have a car b/c she dont drive.... in other words i wont be out of pocket on his piece of crud now!
The Judge sure will allow a company who's policy starts at 8:01 am to not be held responsible for a wreck that happende at 2:00 am earlier that day. That's why hey stipulate to you the day, minute and hour that the policy starts. Now in your case of an internet purchase, I'm not sure how the timewould track, but please do try to get some records yourself.
Whenever I make internat payments on (credit cards) I always print out the confirmation page, in addition to the confirm code, the page header / footer has a nice datre / time stamp. But then again I never purchased an initial insurance policy online (I pay the monthly bill on line, but that's on an existing policy)
Need2no:
Now, what was the old policy in force at the time. You didn't let the old coverage lapse did you???
What you didn't have an old policy?!?!?!? :surprise: If that's the case, bad on you, you shouldn't have ever stopped coverage on a car that you are driving until new coverage is in place... :confuse:
Also, you are ALWAYS responsible for hitting a car in front of you or if you are turning left. Now mitigating circumstances might preclude the other party from suing you, but the ins company of the rear- ender will always defer to the rear endee! you say you were "driving within your headlights" but you "couldn't see" Listen to what you are saying - you are contradicting yourself. The ins co has heard this a milion times before and they have no sympathy, believe me, been there done that, got the huge bill for it.
need2no needs to track down their initial application and payment information.
Lets look at the facts concerning your case in a simplified way:
A. You rear ended someone.
B. You were not insured at the TIME of the accident.
C. Your insurance rates will skyrocket.
D. You are in deep financial doo doo.
Need I say more?
I am a new member. I need your advice, help.
State: Florida
My husband and I had an accident in Dec 2004. The other driver was at fault. We were at the stop light and the other driver (truck) didn't see it and rear-ended us. We were having therapy for 3 months since the accident. We sued the other driver insurance a month ago. We had $20,000 in medical bills (my auto insurace PIP paid 80%). The car was totaled (10,500 value). We sued on April 18th , 2005
These are my questions:
How the lawyer valued our loss? because she told us she will call me after the adjuster (other driver's insurance) present their offer.
How much we can get?
How long can it takes for settlement?
Thanks for your help.
Kary
We had quite the hail storm pass through our area on Thursday, and, unfortunately, my 04 Avalon took quite a beating. There is very noticeable damage on the hood, roof, trunk, and on some of the side panels as well.
I called my State Farm agent and put in a claim. I got a voicemail today from SF that indicated they will need to schedule an inspection of the car, and that makes sense.
I was just wondering if anyone out there can share any tips, advice, etc. on what I might expect out of this process. I did visit my body shop of choice and they indicated that they would try paintless dent repair first but may end up having to replace pieces. That's not going to work for the roof, though.
Thanks in advance!
Paul
I am trying to have the accident report amended am not optimistic (I've tried contacting the officer w/o any luck and have spoken to several friends in law enforcement who say it will be unlikely that the officer will amend his report).
How will the truck's ins co view this police accident report along with the pictures and a witness' statement? Will the pics and witness statement override the police report?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Before the the claims guy comes out and does his inspection you need to help yourself out, because he won't .... take the car to a good hand car wash (or do it yourself) and wipe it down real good, then take take some tape or some post-it dots and mark all the spots ... most of the time the body guys miss them and the adjustor will make a point of it ..l.o.l... ... no sense in calling the guy back or having the body shop call when you can't be there, a new paint job you don't need ......
Terry.
There are sooo many dings n' dents on the hood and trunk that I'd need go through a roll or two of tape. Our "family" (I call them that because we have given them so much business over the years and I really trust them) body shop thinks some of the panels are just going to have to be replaced, but that'd be pretty darn tough on the roof. :surprise:
So, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. I really like the car and it pains me to see it banged up this way.
Thanks again,
Paul
Terry.
Lots of car damage around here. A friend had her late model Infiniti get all banged up, a co-worker had her just purchased Ford truck get dinged. Ugh, what a mess.
Which reminds me, I need to ask about trade in values before/after hail in the real world forum. I'm curious what Mother Nature did to my resale.
Thanks,
Paul
Actually I had hail damage in 2003 when I was in the giant sand box. 3 or 4 dings, all came out with paintless dent removal - the padded vinyl roof took no damage
I believe the city is clearly at fault. From what I understand, (per the police officer at the scene) the City of Philadelphia is self-insured. I imagine my girlfriend's insurance company, (Harleysville) will pursue the city for reimbursement. Her policy has a $500 deductible. Will the city reimburse the deductible or do we still have to eat it?
be glad you did not deal with the city of Atlanta...they havea policy of paying only $1,000 in damages (that's one grand TOTAL for auto repairs, medicals pain and suffering combined), as the remainder is exempt under sovereign immunity...even if you are killed by a wayward garbage truck or police car, the wrongful death claim will only get you $1,000, and that's it...that is why I recommend EVERYONE should have 100K in medpay, 100K for UM, and a separate umbrella policy for UM to 1 million bucks, in case something happens and the City of Atlanta is at fault... :mad: :confuse: :mad:
Up North, middle of January, Blizzard conditions, 35 below, dense fog while waiting for the light to turn Green, you take your foot off the brake & fast idle the engine in Neutral (stick shift) when all of a sudden you get rearended by a tractor, two trailers loaded with very expensive cargo. Flames erupt as a result of the impact and the total property damage is a million dollars. In a Comparative Negligent state you are judged to be 10% at fault and the trucker is 90%. Why, because you failed to have your brake lights on so you could have been seen sooner. Thus you are obligated to pay $100,000 to the trucker while his company pays you $900 for your old clunker.
When you think it can't happen to you, then don't buy any insurance at all, but when you do, buy the high limits. You may think you are judgement proof, but your future income and inheritance can be attached due to your negligence.
"Sovereign Immunity" should have been done away with when the South lost the Civil War. A city councilman driving his M/B needs to be rearended by a city vehicle.
Again, really good advice Marsha.
When I'm waiting at the light and I know it's gonna take awhile, I put on the parking brake.
No brake lights.
That's not illegal.
There's already lights at the back of the car.
-Mathias
(who carries high limits)
Too bad the example didn't merit your approval, however, it is an actual case that involved a Pinto with a stick shift. Only his tail lights were on while he kept the engine going to enable the heater to work and the jury was made aware the rear and much brighter brake lite was not on. Had the brighter brake light been illuminated he would not have been found 10% negligent.
Actual cases are the best examples.
I was afraid of that. It seemed too hokey to be invented.
Please PLEASE tell me it was a civil case.
This is idiotic. Guilty while stopped in traffic with the lights on?
Is there a state law mandating a foot on the brake?
Only in America, and I don't mean that in a good way.
"Do not go in and out of court so thy name may not stink"
Can't remember who said it, but it was about 2,500 years ago.
Opinions aside, high liability limits are an excellent idea.
-Mathias
Now my question is since she hit me behind the driver door, is she at fault? I was told this was true but am unsure. We did not go to our insurance companies and she went ahead and got the car fixed. The total she claims came to $725 but i find that tough to believe since it was only a headlight and some scratches on the bumper.
Before i discuss the matter with her I need to know if she is at fault. I am also curious what the result would be if I refused to pay. Would she be able to sue or would she be left with nothing to do since neither of us claimed it with our insurance and she no longer has any damage.
THANK YOU SO MUCH to anyone who can help me with this.
Im also still curious what the repurcusions would be if I were to not pay for this accident and pretend it never happened.
$725 is not at all unreasonable. Have you seen what body shops charge these days? Heck, repainting one panel is like $500. Add a dent in there and you're typically over $1K without batting an eye.
My advice is to pay up. If you deny it and it goes to insurance and they find you at fault, you'll be suffering much more through premiums over the next 5 years than if you just pay the $725 and be done with it. She could have also called the cops and you would have been issued a ticket for failure to yield to right-of-way. Be thankful you are getting off this easy.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The most idiotic thing one of them asked pertaining to the accident, "Was the truck damaged?" Gee, I told you guys three separate times that the truck spun out, hit a concrete wall, and rolled three times! What do you think?" Another person called my girlfriend about the accident a few hours after I explained to them I was the only one in the car. How the heck would my girlfriend know when she was nowhere near it?
They were asking her, "Why was he driving your car in Philadelphia?" Well, duh! I live there and briefly borrowed her ride. What if we were in Texas on vacation and the car got wrecked. Would they ask her what the car was doing in Texas? I didn't know she was limited to driving the vehicle within a ten-mile radius of her home.
I believe they thought she had me as a driver and failed to put me on her policy. If anybody knows what car insurance is like in Philadelphia, (double or triple what it is in the suburbs) you can see why somebody would do this. However, I'm totally legit. I have been insured by the same company for 20 years and have my cars registered in Philadelphia. They investigated it and their underwriters determined I indeed DO have my own insurance. Still, these guys wanted me to fax a copy of my declaration sheet, (which I did). I think they have a crap attitude towards Philadelphia residents in general. I guess we're just a bunch of thugs and gangstas straight out of a 50 Cent video.
From the beginning, they seemed more concerned about getting their money back rather than my welfare. When I told them that the truck that caused the accident was owned by the City of Philadelphia they commented, "Gee, the City of Philadelphia! It's going to be tough going to get reimbursed by them!"
Second, they told my girlfriend she could either take her car to one of their "preferred shops" or one of her choice. Gee, their "preferred shops!" Probably some goober with a sledgehammer, a can of Krylon, and counterfeit parts who will do a lousy job and charge the least amount possible. I took her car to my buddy's shop - a place I know does an excellent job and is close to my workplace. It took them four days to send out an appraiser whereas my company sends one the next day. I told them right from the beginning where the car was and they said "OK." However, they called my girlfriend and asked her why the car wasn't taken to one of their "preferred shops!" On top of it, she called the company on Friday to find out if the appraiser was out to look at the car ant they said "no." My bodyshop guy said they looked at it on Thursday. Good God! They can't even keep track of what their own people are doing!
I urged my girlfriend to drop these guys and go with somebody else. They just don't want to pay for her claim and are weasling around for some reason. Now, this woman who has delusions she's Nancy Drew is hassling my girlfriend about sending copies of her utility bills, and a copy of her license to determine her residency because I live in Philly and they think she's living with me. I think this is going way over the top. Should she get an attorney to stop this harassment?
If I were in her shoes and you refused to pay, I'd first call the cops and see if they could write you a ticket. Then I'd call YOUR insurance company and put in a claim. That can be done in Florida, not sure about PA. And I'd then consider sueing you in small claims court if your insurance company is a pain. As soon as she calls your insurance company, it's on YOUR record, even if you end up paying it out of your pocket. And if she's really ticked off, she might start complaining about some neck or back pains. Is all this really worth it for $725?
Be a man and own up to your responsibilities.....pay her.