I am in FL, my car had lightning damage, the repairs are hig

by pontiaddict » Tue Jul 23, 2013 06:55 pm

Hello, I am in FL, my car was struck by lightning,,, the adjuster decided to repair although the repairs could not be properly estimated ie no way to guarantee any single component would end repair... all electrical damage.

As of today they have paid over 9K on a 2006 Volvo valued at appx 8200, when they are finally finished who knows final cost... but must I now accept the car? it is forever marked by these electrical issues and they never should have begun repairs.

This situation IMO is ridiculous I argued at the onset that while the first part (cpu) was 1,500. each and every control unit was suspect; every one has now been replaced. The repairs IMO do nothing to increase or equate actual value. If I accept the car as complete it would then be my responsibility?

I see no end in sight for the electrical problem, what was a well maintained, very low mileage, garage kept vehicle driven from new is now salvage material.

Total Comments: 2

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:32 am Post Subject:

it is forever marked by these electrical issues


If there are known issues, they should be addressed as part of the claim. Have you made the adjuster aware of these issues?

If I accept the car as complete it would then be my responsibility?


No. If you something goes wrong that is related to the loss and you can show this, then the adjuster should also address it as part of the claim.

I see no end in sight for the electrical problem


Or is is that you just _think_ something will go wrong?

I understand where you are coming from but I suspect when this started that the insurance company really did not know/could not have known it would cost as much as it would. The reason I think that is I see no reason why they would want to spend more in repairing the vehicle then considering it a total loss.

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 01:13 am Post Subject:

Thank you very much for the reply. I am thrilled to get a reassuring, informed response.

Or is is that you just _think_ something will go wrong?


yes and no.... as my avatar implies I restore older vehicles as both a hobby and for financial gain. I refer to future electrical issues based on experience, while the cpu and controllers are being replaced and wiring inspected there are still multitudes of relays and other connections downstream which are all now suspect due to the overload. While these may test ok today, they could likely fail tomorrow; I understand that is true regardless the incident but it is exasperated by the electrical surge.
So, yes I do think something else may go wrong, however, I make that assertion from an informed perspective.

ETA: I read your comment carefully, after reviewing other somewhat similar questions regards total loss, I take the point that I should just move on after the repairs are complete. Every vehicle has its life span and while it seems untimely, for me the time has come to let this one go.

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