by Guest » Wed Jun 02, 2010 04:09 am
I was rear ended by a Dodge Ram quadcab on Saturday while I was sitting completely stopped at a red light. The truck hit me somewhere between 20-25 mph (police report estimated 20mph). The insurance company has accepted full liability. I have chosen to take my 2004 Corolla to a local dealership bodyshop for the repair estimate, but I have not taken it in yet for the shop or adjuster to see and do the teardown. The visible damage includes both rear quarter panels, the rear bumper and the trunk lid. I'm not sure what other damage there might be underneath. On the left side, the back is crushed in to the point that the bumper is touching the wheel. About 5 months ago, I also had the whole car professionally repainted because the factory paint was beginning to fade. The color is several shades darker than factory paint, so I am thinking they may need to repaint the whole car to match correctly.
My car is in excellent shape and I have been the single owner. NADA guide estimates at $9300 for retail clean (which it certainly was). There was no pre-existing damage. I think the NADA estimate is pretty close.
Given the amount of damage (quarter panels will have to be removed and new ones soldered on, repaint, etc.), how likely is it that the car will be totaled?
From what I understand, the repair price would have to be somewhere around $7000, but I'm not sure this is enough damage to reach that point. Do insurance companies also account for rental car fees?
My car is in excellent shape and I have been the single owner. NADA guide estimates at $9300 for retail clean (which it certainly was). There was no pre-existing damage. I think the NADA estimate is pretty close.
Given the amount of damage (quarter panels will have to be removed and new ones soldered on, repaint, etc.), how likely is it that the car will be totaled?
From what I understand, the repair price would have to be somewhere around $7000, but I'm not sure this is enough damage to reach that point. Do insurance companies also account for rental car fees?
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 05:08 am Post Subject:
If the value is $9300 then it's a total loss when the repair cost is about $7400. Without seeing the vehicle and just going by what you mentioned, they will probably go ahead and total it. I've written up similar vehicles and would agree that the repair cost would be about $7000-$7500.
If the vehicle is not drivable, and I don't think it is, they owed loss of use (rental) from the date of the accident until they would have been able to make an offer on the total loss vehicle. With the damages you mentioned I'd think that the police would have towed the vehicle to a wrecker yard. If so, the insurance company should either have someone go out to look at it, move it to a salvage yard and have someone look at it, or have it moved to a preferred shop so that they can look it over. I'd be local so I would have looked at it at the following day where ever it was. But if the carrier is not local they should have had you describe the damages and if they could not look at it right away, offered to have it moved to a salvor and had an appraiser look at it there. I mention this as someone needs to get the ball rolling on this. If you let the vehicle sit around and not allow the vehicle to be inspected then they could end up cutting an rental offer short.
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