Car driveable - but declared a Total loss

by kspell » Sun Aug 02, 2009 09:56 pm
Posts: 1
Joined: 02 Aug 2009

Last week I was t-boned by a woman insured by Metlife (I live in Oregon). I was driving a 2003 Subaru Forester with low miles (70K) and my car has front end damage. My car was still drivable after the accident.

I received a voice-mail message from the claims adjuster yesterday that my car is being declared a total loss, for which they are offering me $10,800 which is seems low according to the mileage and premium package for my vehicle. I've gone online to look at cars for sale and have seen similar vehicles w/ less features and higher mileage priced at $12K.

Furthermore, I've read that the insurance company will no longer need to supply a vehicle once they make the total loss offer. What are my options if I decide to fix the vehicle and continue driving it? Am I own my own for paying for the rental car until it is fixed or I find a new car to purchase?

Additionally, while I did not have pain initially - my back is starting to seize up and I am suffering headaches. Is it too late to now report these injuries from the accident that occurred a week ago?

Any advice will be helpful.
:cry:

Total Comments: 8

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 04:41 am Post Subject:

As for you fixing the car, not going to happen if they declared it a total loss or at least not for a while. They are not going to release the check to you without a clear title and they take the vehicle or a copy of a salvage title and you keep the vehicle. Either way, they will want to secure proof one way or the other that the vehicle is not going to be on the road until it would pass a state inspection (if you kept it and then made the repairs to make it road worthy via state requirements).

If you think their offer is too low, you need to either get back with them and explain why you think it is too low. Get documentation to them showing them it is too low. The other option is to go through your own insurance and see what they come back with. Have them supply you with documentation on how they arrived at the figure.

As far as the rental, yes they will most likely pull the rental if they made you an offer and you rejected it. If they let people stay in rentals during disputes, many people would drag it on to stay in the free car. They most likely will give you a couple days to discuss, but they are not going to let the rental drag on.

As far as your injury, they will most likely question it since it has been a week and nothing was originally mentioned about an injury. No matter what people like to post, injuries happen at worst case a couple three days after an impact. Did you give them a statement where you told them you were not injured? That will make it even more difficult. They are most likely going to look at any claimed injury as a ploy to get more for the car. Tell them what is going on and see what they say. Have you went to your doctor?

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 05:25 am Post Subject:

You can elect to keep the vehicle and they will deduct it's salvage value. You also need to ask if they are going to report any information to the state. That is, they may notify the state that they handled your vehicle as a total loss and then the state will change the title to a salvage title.

You are correct... once they make an offer they no longer need to pay for a rental. Most, if not all, carriers will pay for a few more days of rental but not many (usually 3 or 4 days).

Are these "asking" prices that your looking at? Because people seldom sell their vehicles for their asking prices. Usually they take a little less. Does the insurance company know about these extra items you mentioned? You need to obtain their valuation on the vehicle to make sure it's accurate (correct miles, correct options, etc.).

It is not too late... and many times soft tissue injuries are not known of until a few days after an accident.

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 09:03 am Post Subject:

Is it too late to now report these injuries from the accident that occurred a week ago?



I'm sure you have the necessary medical docs to show when this problems had actually started. So why are you worried?

Another thing I'd like to know is why you're so willing to drive the car even after it's a total loss? The car may be drivable now, but have you considered it's ability to protect you if it meets the same fate once again?

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:46 am Post Subject: insurance

I recently went through ALL of this. It IS very time consuming to look for another vehicle...this I SURE understand. My Jeep was driveable after my accident, however..it was 'totaled'. I had a Rental for 3 days..anything after that, I paid out of my pocket. I thought the same thing..can I keep the vehicle?..etc. But, ya know, as I thought about it, come Inspection time, I would have to pay alot of money out of pocket to get the Jeep to 'state standard'. The Jeep still had damage from a previous accident, was really 'high miles', had a few leaks, is it safe to drive (especially with my child in it). ..etc.

Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 10:23 pm Post Subject: Claim rejection

My vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance co due to value of car and cost to repair according to photographs taken by appraiser . My mechanic determined that it was repairable and fixed it. It runs fine and has passed inspection They sent me a letter stating that my claim is being rejected until the car is owner retained. What does that mean? If they car can reject my claim can I cancel my claim and pay for the repairs myself. Does their determination of total loss remain if they reject my claim?

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 06:27 pm Post Subject: insurance

(I know I responded, to this thread, some months ago). When I had my accident, with my Jeep, it was still drivable. The OTHE insurance comapny 'totaled' the car. I even had an idea that I was thinking about ixing the car (money coming out of my pocket) so I could still have transportation. The OTHER insurance comaony said they would STILL have the car 'totaled', on their books, and would have to turn it in to Penndot (DMV). Just was a crazy situation.

Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 06:17 pm Post Subject: How to sell my car to a friend that is declared totaled but

I have the salvage papers but how do I sell my car to a friend ? My car has low mileage and still runs and drives great? Please help me I have never done this before.... Cher

Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 05:07 pm Post Subject:

You say, "Pay me $_______, and the car is yours." If your friend pays you the amount of money you are asking for, you sign the title document and hand it to him/her, and they reregister the vehicle in their name. You should report the sale to the DMV so that you are on record as no longer being the owner or in possession of the vehicle as of the date of sale.

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