Help! Ins. adjuster says car's a write off! What next?

[bikerskier]

My son ran up the ass end of a big pick up on the Highway a few days ago and although there was zero damage to the pickup, the 2000 Mazda Protege that he was driving is considered a write off by the adjuster. The pickup, in broad daylight with no one in front of him, slammed on its brakes and he had no room to stop in time, so bam! He was following too close, so he is at fault, but one was hurt and his airbag did not deploy which I find odd.

So, they will apparently make me an offer based on the lower end of NADA values, even tho the car was in great shape, very low miles, new tires, new shocks and struts, new brakes, etc, etc. I have been in this situation before, so I'm looking for advice on how to respond. If I feel the offer is reasonable, should I just accept it? Should I take possessionof the car and try to sell it or parts of it on Craigslist or Ebay? Seems like there is substantial value in all the new parts and the airbag, etc, etc!

Really appreciate any feedback anyone might offer!

 

[Silent]

Take the money and run. Parting out a car is a ton of work and you're left with a skeleton that you have to deal with.

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

My son ran up the ass end of a big pick up on the Highway a few days ago and although there was zero damage to the pickup, the 2000 Mazda Protege that he was driving is considered a write off by the adjuster. The pickup, in broad daylight with no one in front of him, slammed on its brakes and he had no room to stop in time, so bam! He was following too close, so he is at fault, but one was hurt and his airbag did not deploy which I find odd.So, they will apparently make me an offer based on the lower end of NADA values, even tho the car was in great shape, very low miles, new tires, new shocks and struts, new brakes, etc, etc. I have been in this situation before, so I'm looking for advice on how to respond. If I feel the offer is reasonable, should I just accept it? Should I take possessionof the car and try to sell it or parts of it on Craigslist or Ebay? Seems like there is substantial value in all the new parts and the airbag, etc, etc!

Really appreciate any feedback anyone might offer!

See what ins. offers, see what shop will charge to fix, see what buy back is! Looks like mainly radiator support and assy., hood, grill. Most could be had at salvage yard. Parting a car out is a lot of work.

 

[Calimus]

Sorry to hear about the accident, glad your son is alright.

From the pic, I can see why the are prollie wirting is off, looks like tha pass front might have taken enough damage to bend the frame. In most cases, thats an automatic total.

As for weather to buy it back, wait to see what the ins co. is going to offer and then find out what it will cost to buy the car back. While waiting on that, check e-bay auctions and protege forums and see what kinds of parts are sought after and what they are going for. That will give you a better idea if it's worth buying back to part out. You will almost always make more if you part it out, but it all depends on the market for the parts. I've done this a time or two so this is all from experience. Also make sure you are up to the task of boxing and shipping. It's a PITA that most folks don't think about when they start the parting out process.

Also, keep in mind that if you don't have a garage to do all of this in and live in a subdivision with an HOA, you will want to go over the HOA rules, many are strict on having non running cars/trucks hanging about. Last thing you want is a lean on the house for trying to get a little return on investment.

 

[Scab]

hurt and his airbag did not deploy which I find odd.

An air bag requires at least two of the sensors, one being located centrally at/about the console area, to trip in order to deploy the bags. Typically, this requires the actual impact speed forces of 15-17 MPH to be transfered to the passenger compartment. With the impact point being so high, it is likely the speed was seriously decreased as parts sacrificed themselves. (as designed) It is doubtful, looking at the pictures, that there was enough force to trip the central sensor.

looks like tha pass front might have taken enough damage to bend the frame. In most cases, thats an automatic total.

The car has no frame. It is a Uni-body constructed vehicle. Take off the doors, decklid, hood, bumpers, and fenders and everything else is welded together to form one unit-structure, which is the "frame." Frame damage, or structural damage, is not, in and of itself, a reason to total a car. It is all a cost game. Once the repair estimate costs exceed 75% of the value of the car, you have a "total." So, just guessing, this repair bill went over $4200-$4500. From looking at the pics, that bill is easy. And though I've not checked on parts prices in years, Mazda used to have some of the highest priced parts there were. I always thought it strange, their cars were some of the most economical to purchase, yet some of the most expensive to repair.

If you feel they have made a fair offer on the car, take the money and run. Unless you have specialized skills, anything else is just a major pain in the ass.

 

[user 213]

Options -

#1) Take the money and run. Ins. companies have been doing a lot better on pay outs, so listen to what they offer first. Keep in mind, that offer is not engraved in stone. If you can document other vehicles in comparable condition that are selling for more, you can argue your vehicle was worth more. I've done this and gotten what I asked from the Ins. Co. Documentation and pictures of your car pre-crash help a lot.

#2) Take the money, buy the car back and fix it. www.car-part.com will let you track down used parts and see what prices can be had. Search by region for the broadest offerings, but sometimes you get lucky on parts in your close area for decent prices.

Fixing it cheap means you take off the damaged parts and deliver the car to a body shop to be 'pulled'. This means setting it up on a laser alignment frame straitening rig. They measure how far out it is, then straiten the unibody back to where it's supposed to be. Set up runs about $200. I've paid just that price when only one pull was required. The more pulls to straiten things, the more it costs. A strait on collision can often be done in one pull.

Now you locate and buy used sheet metal and new or used what ever other parts you need and put the car back together. If you can live with multi-color paint job, you're done. If not, the real $$ will come in the paint work. In general, front parts cost more at the salvage yards.

#3) Take the money, buy the car back, sell it on CL for more than you bought it back for. Use the total funds to buy a replacement vehicle. Typically a 'fixer' has about half of the blue book value, minus the parts cost for the needed items. so if the car had a book value of $10k, and the parts cost total is $2k, it's got about a $3k value as a project fixer for someone else. This is just a rough guesstimate based on what I've seen and done myself in the past. (actually looking at a fixer now as a prospect for a cheap vehicle)

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

Options -
#1) Take the money and run. Ins. companies have been doing a lot better on pay outs, so listen to what they offer first. Keep in mind, that offer is not engraved in stone. If you can document other vehicles in comparable condition that are selling for more, you can argue your vehicle was worth more. I've done this and gotten what I asked from the Ins. Co. Documentation and pictures of your car pre-crash help a lot.

#2) Take the money, buy the car back and fix it. www.car-part.com will let you track down used parts and see what prices can be had. Search by region for the broadest offerings, but sometimes you get lucky on parts in your close area for decent prices.

Fixing it cheap means you take off the damaged parts and deliver the car to a body shop to be 'pulled'. This means setting it up on a laser alignment frame straitening rig. They measure how far out it is, then straiten the unibody back to where it's supposed to be. Set up runs about $200. I've paid just that price when only one pull was required. The more pulls to straiten things, the more it costs. A strait on collision can often be done in one pull.

Now you locate and buy used sheet metal and new or used what ever other parts you need and put the car back together. If you can live with multi-color paint job, you're done. If not, the real $$ will come in the paint work. In general, front parts cost more at the salvage yards.

#3) Take the money, buy the car back, sell it on CL for more than you bought it back for. Use the total funds to buy a replacement vehicle. Typically a 'fixer' has about half of the blue book value, minus the parts cost for the needed items. so if the car had a book value of $10k, and the parts cost total is $2k, it's got about a $3k value as a project fixer for someone else. This is just a rough guesstimate based on what I've seen and done myself in the past. (actually looking at a fixer now as a prospect for a cheap vehicle)

oster_stupid: One other thing to consider is if the Ins. totals the car, you may not be able to title it or it will have a salvage title at best.

 

[Scab]

One other thing to consider is if the Ins. totals the car, you may not be able to title it or it will have a salvage title at best.

Yep, there's that whole "pain in the ass" part.

 

[user 213]

In most states it will be a salvage title, but check with your own state. Some allow the title to be normal once it's be repaired and inspected by the DMV. Others give you a salvage title the instant it's "totaled" by the insurance Co, and it stays salvage title forever after that. Which will reduce the value, regardless of how it looks or drives. Still, this is an 8 year old car. You're not fixing it because it's valuable, you're doing it because it can save you money if you have the time, tools and skills.

 

[weekend rider]

I think I would contest this ticke with a lawyer. Stopped for no reason and you can prove you may be able to beat it and he is theat fault driver.

It appears this guys might be looking for whip lash claim or something along that line . You the big pay out...... just a thought tp ponder :detective2:

 

[Scab]

In Alabama, the title would be issued as "salvage." However, a salvage-titled car cannot be tagged or driven on the street. It is salvage. If it is repaired, you have to have it inspected, then, upon passing, would be issued a "rebuilt salvage" title. But, you must be licensed in order to make the repairs and get the inspection. So...the average joe cannot get this done reasonably.

 

[dcarver]

Hey Bud,

1 - Good to hear your son is OK - that's the most important thing. Guess he got the speed thing from you, eh?

2 - How much time versus money do you have? That's the real question IMHO. Can you, and your son, make more $$ working your 'day' jobs, or can you make more $$ by 'playing the game to rebuild it, better than ever' at this point in time?

Good luck bud; Sorry to hear of more financial constraints..

 

[Aasland]

So, they will apparently make me an offer ...

It's just that .. an offer .. and they'll start low. Find comparable cars and ask for more (with the gas squeeze .. I bet efficient cars are selling for more than NADA)

 

[bikerskier]

I think I would contest this ticke with a lawyer. Stopped for no reason and you can prove you may be able to beat it and he is theat fault driver.
It appears this guys might be looking for whip lash claim or something along that line . You the big pay out...... just a thought tp ponder :detective2:

No ticket. When he called the cops, they said if no one was injured, they were not interested and to get it off the road and towed, which he did. The other driver was a 40 ish woman, with her parents in the truck, and she jumped out, screaming "Not my fault! Not my fault!" repeatedly. They exchanged info and she drove off and apparently is avoiding the calls from our adjuster so far. I'll check that again this AM.

The best thing is that my son was not hurt, except his sense of invulnerability, which was reflected by his not having a scratch on any vehicle or any tickets since starting to drive 8 years ago. He is 2 months short of his 25th birthday which I believe is some sort of hurdle in the insurance rating industry.

Lots of great feedback info and I'm inclined to take a big pass on taking this car apart for parts or salvage. Hopefully, I can negotiate a decent payout especially because of the low mileage. Thanks to everyone!

And Don, this kid drives like his mother, on the cautious side. His sister, however, my lovely 21 yr old daughter, is more aggressive than I, and that scares me!

 

[Scab]

At least there was insurance coverage. My son was car-jacked a few weeks ago. Being 17, we only had liability coverage on his car.

Poof! $4000+ car gone. Now, that wasn't figured into the budget.

 

[L2M]

No ticket. When he called the cops, they said if no one was injured, they were not interested and to get it off the road and towed, which he did. The other driver was a 40 ish woman, with her parents in the truck, and she jumped out, screaming "Not my fault! Not my fault!" repeatedly. They exchanged info and she drove off and apparently is avoiding the calls from our adjuster so far. I'll check that again this AM.
The best thing is that my son was not hurt, except his sense of invulnerability, which was reflected by his not having a scratch on any vehicle or any tickets since starting to drive 8 years ago. He is 2 months short of his 25th birthday which I believe is some sort of hurdle in the insurance rating industry.

And Don, this kid drives like his mother, on the cautious side. His sister, however, my lovely 21 yr old daughter, is more aggressive than I, and that scares me!

I had a very similar situation happen to me three years ago. SUV slammed on its brakes, in the fast lane, around a curve, for no reason. My little civic didn't have the tires to get stopped by the time I saw him. My car looked somewhat less worse than the pic you posted. Other car had no damage. We exchanged info and the other driver said that he'd rather leave as he'd forgotten his wallet, nobody was hurt, and he didn't want to talk to the cops. I told him to call me if he found anything broken as I'd rather not have to turn it into insurance. I got towed, took care of the car with insurance (not totaled) and life went on. Never got a call.

THREE YEARS LATER...

Cops shows up with court papers. I was being sued for $250k for mental anguish, pain and suffering, and medical bills by the WIFE of the man driving. No physical damage or doctor to back up the claim. She claimed the accident happened further along on the same highway in a straight stretch with ample shoulder and that SHE was driving. Long story short: Despite later admitting she wasn't the driver, despite the fact that her husband had no license, and despite the fact that they could not explain why they stopped, I ended up going all the way through depositions (Thank you State Farm for getting me a good lawyer) and settling for an excess of $50k against my will (insurance company makes that call). Thankfully I had a $100k insurance policy and didn't lose anything but vacation days to attend depositions and lawyers meetings.

Bottom line: Get your son to take pictures of the accident scene. Write down everything he remembers (Time of day, conditions, traffic, speed, speed on impact, what he did during while trying to stop, description of the driver and passengers, description of their car, EVERYTHING!). Hopefully this just goes away and is chalked up to a lesson learned. However, it is better to be prepared. For those who haven't been in this situation, consider what coverages you have. If an accident with no broken glass, no airbag, drive away goes for $50k then imagine what a real accident would cost. I've now raised my coverages to the limit on everything but the motorcycle. Sad, but a side effect of the society we live in.