Just got off the phone with my insurance claims representative.

They are not totaling my car. They plan to cut a check for repair costs to fix it back to ORIGINAL factory condition. They plan on cutting a separate check for the difference between Geniune Honda Parts and all my mods. Here is their findings:

- They are telling me the fair market value for my S2K with 14K miles is $20,000.
- They are telling me that in order for the car to be considered totaled, damages have to exceed 75% of that value. In this case $15,000.
- They are cutting me a check for repairs for $12,971 minus my $500 deductable. That is the number their adjustor drew up.
- They won't declare the car totalled for a difference of ~2,500 dollars.
- They still haven't told me what the separate check amount is going to be.

The payoff amount on the outstanding loan is $30,000. (OMG) I definitely will never get as much for the car now that it has been in an accident.

What really upsets me is that neither the adjustor nor the bodyshop have put the car on a frame machine to tell me how much my chasis is bent.
After finding out that infromation I immediately call the Claims Rep and voiced my concern, MY SAFETY IS NOT FOR SALE!

If you recall the unibody is bent in multiple directions and the reinforced framing around the windshield shows signs of bending and flexing.

I don't know what to do. So far, I told the bodyshop not to start repairs until I get a chance to review the estimate and until I am told the supplimental check amount is from my insurer.

I am in a catch 22. Better yet, I am in a lose, lose situation. What should I do? I wish I could call America Honda and ask them to send an engineer to review the car and to draw a expert conclusion.

Any ideas? HELP!

 

Tell your insurance company to go f*&k themselves. Under no circumstances take or cash any check from the Ins. Co. (it could be deemed as accepting the claim as paid). Call them back and tell them that you are contesting their settlement offer (and that is what it is, an offer, not a settlement). Go get an independent appraiser. Have them look at the car and give you an estimate. Take it to your ins. co. and see if they move their numbers. If not, then, as I think was discussed previously, I'd talk to an attorney. I don't know where you live, but I guarantee there are all sorts of rules, regulations, and laws, about how, when to what extent an ins.co. has to repair or replace things. Additionally, there may well be an independent adjustor requirement.

 

Just noticed you are in NY. Its a pretty populist state, so I am sure that there are protective laws there that will prevent ins.co's from giving you to large of a run around. That is of course all relative.

 

Sorry to hear that insurance issues persist.

A couple of things come to mind;

The $20,000 figure could work in your favor.

If you can get the body shop to do an assessment of internal damages, the repair quote may increase enough to reach the "total" hurdle.

Is the $12,971 the current estimate to make repairs including modifications or the costs with the OEM parts?

Do you have the OEM parts you replaced which could be used now, allowing you to fix the car, pocket the value of damaged mods and have a more stock car that could be easier to sell?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by itsjustme
[B]Tell your insurance company to go f*&k themselves.

 

Man, what a pisser! Here

 

The 12K is only repair costs with OEM parts.
I do have the original OEM parts to replace on car for stock.

 

Power6Spd,

That is enough information for me to dream about a flame thrower and what I would do to the auto insurance office.

 

Why is your insurance covering it? I thought the accident was the other drivers fault.

If it falls under your insurance plan you need to dig out your policy and any refering documents and see what the fine print says.

 

I wrecked my 91 acura pretty bad on the FDR drive in NYC couple years back. The insurance adjuster estimated repairs at $5500. Once the body shop started working, they found damage after damage. The finally tally was $8500. The car was worth about $7500, but, since the other damage was found after the repairs had already begun, the insurance company had to keep paying until the job was done.

So, If the adjuster had done a better job of adjusting, my car would have been written off.

Insurance company was ALLSTATE.