Sad news
- Thread starter Justemptyeverypocket
- Start date
As someone who used to be an adjuster, my advice is do not play games with insurance companies. Their entire business model is based on scamming people out of money, and are way better at playing games than any average Joe may think they are.
Example:
If there is any suspicion you may not be physically okay, they can hold off on any negotiations until you have been seen by a doctor and your condition has been verified. ALWAYS read and fully understand your policy, because everything in there is worded in a way that protects the insurance company and their decisions.
OP:
Having receipts for modifications and maintenance may help you get the higher end of the value range for your Jeep, but in most cases they will not give you more than that because of the modifications. In the grand scheme of things modifications do not ad value in the eyes of an insurance company. They determine the value of a totaled vehicle based on what other similar condition (read mileage and options) vehicles of the same model are selling for, not what people are listing them for.
If the frame is bent as you stated, I wouldn't try buying it back. Frame straightening/repair is expensive, and at the minimum you would need a replacement frame, not including any other body/mechanical damage.
Be very careful with "agreed" value policies. Many times the reason they do not cost much more is that they don't often cover what you might think. I used to deal with insurance policies on rare antique cars for "agreed value" and they were often very expensive compared to a normal policy.
The game usually goes like this.
Normal coverage, they will total it for a minor fender bender and low-ball you on the payout.
Agreed value coverage, they won't total it unless you drop it off a cliff and mail it to them in a small box. Instead they'll send it to the cheapest shop they can find and tell them to slap it back together with duct tape and JB weld.
You have to fight them either way.
Normal coverage, they will total it for a minor fender bender and low-ball you on the payout.
Agreed value coverage, they won't total it unless you drop it off a cliff and mail it to them in a small box. Instead they'll send it to the cheapest shop they can find and tell them to slap it back together with duct tape and JB weld.
You have to fight them either way.
My father in law was in insurance for 40 years. Here is the advice I got from him about my total loss years ago.
Go through your insurance company. They fight for you. The other party fights for themselves.
Get autotrader similar listings to show the market replacement value.
Pay your deductible and you can then go after the other party to get your deductible back.
My last total loss was worth around 15k and after doing the above I got around 19k for my car. Your insurance will not go up for making a claim if the accident was not your fault.
Go through your insurance company. They fight for you. The other party fights for themselves.
Get autotrader similar listings to show the market replacement value.
Pay your deductible and you can then go after the other party to get your deductible back.
My last total loss was worth around 15k and after doing the above I got around 19k for my car. Your insurance will not go up for making a claim if the accident was not your fault.
That used to be the case until about 7 years ago. Now it's all based on calculated risk. Same reason why you have to pay higher insurance if you live in a higher risk area, drive more miles per day, etc. Most companies your rates won't increase at a noticeable amount for one accident, but if you have two, even if they aren't your fault your rates get fucked because they see you as a higher risk to their investment (your premiums).
DETOUR
TJ Enthusiast
Im glad you folks got out ok !!!
- do yourself a favour to get your head checked out regarding concussion symptoms
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- do yourself a favour to get your head checked out regarding concussion symptoms
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I have Hagerty insurance on the corvette. I have an agreed on price, I'm thinking of doing the same with the Jeep.
Several years ago, I had a parking lot fender bender with a Tahoe. Kid in the Tahoe hit his head and received a mild concussion. He sued and my insurance company paid him $25,000.00 for that little bump on his head. No lingering condition. Make sure you get the most you can.
Update got a new Jeep already shes being shipped to me from Minnesota I still need to settle with my insurance and I'm taking her insurance to court to try and recoup the loss on my Jeep and this new one
My emotional distress was seeing my pride and joy laying on its side leaking every fluid known to manJust add it to your personnel injury claim as emotional distress.
I have American Collector car insurance for my 81 Corvette, 74 Triumph TR6 and my 05 tJ...all 3 for $580/year total. I can tell you when I backed my TR6 off my lift and my big feet hit both the brake and gas at the same time (BTW the gas won) I sent it into the back of my E350 work van. They paid me $6800 ASAP. I brought the car to two good body shops as a cash job and both quoted me in the $1800 range to fix. The difference is the insurance company factored cutting out the entire rear valence and replacing and the shops said there was no way they were cutting a solid old car up and pulled it out perfectly. YMMV...moral of story, don't send the adjuster to the shop, they will eat the whole payout. If you can get an estimated payout from insurance first, then shop it as a cash job to the shop.
I can pleasure drive them I think at least 2500 per year....but I have only put 3K on the vette in 21 years!, have not registered the TR^ since 2017, maybe put 2K/year on the TJ....yeah I know. but my payment is not predicated on what I drive...I certainly could and should use all of them more.
We have talked about this before I'm in the same boat to many toys, to little time. This fall I put the 74 Vette on jack stands its covered up in the corner of the 4 car garage, years from now it might be on Barn Finds. The 98 Indy Pace Car gets maybe 100 miles a year the rest of the time its in my 2 car garage. The 94 Mustang Convert hasn't been used in years.
I'm either in my Frontier, Jeep, or my pontoon boat.
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Yep, unfortunately my Outback or explorer gets most of my 25K/year mileage due to work or loading up to go to my PA house. Although I would much rather not drive and have your Radar Blue pace care in my garage rather than my yellow 81! I love that pace car....yellow wheels and all.
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