Any car insurance people here?

[cptx]

Last Friday I rear ended a Dodge pickup with my Mustang. This is the first time I have been in an accident that was my fault in the almost 20 years I have been driving. I'm fkn pissed that I wasn't paying enough attention when everyone stopped, but I am glad that I didn't hurt anyone or anything but my car and my pride. It barely moved his bumper at all, and didn't do any sheet-metal damage or bust any taillights or the tailgate.

 

The way it hit, his bumper pushed my hood in, bumper down and broke a headlight. The hood latch is stuck shut, so I haven't messed with it to get it open and look inside yet because I'm waiting on Progressive to send out their adjuster, but I can see that the radiator and radiator support framework is fuged too. I think that's about the extent of the damage, and I'm pretty confident that looks way worse than it actually is.

 

How do they determine when to total a vehicle? I've looked online and found that in Texas it has to reach 100% "actual cash value" for them to write it off. Apparently they can use whatever source for the value that they want, so just going off the averages from Kelly, NADA, and local listings, the value should be between $7.5k and $8.5k. That's stock value, I have a lot invested in aftermarket stuff but I honestly do not expect them to calculate for that. I can't see repairs costing more than $3-3.5k, I have already looked up the parts and those will be around $1k. $2-3000 for labor and paint maybe...

 

I had it towed to my house and it is in the garage, I didn't want it sitting on some random lot where I had no say in what happened to it in case they decide to get froggy. It they do call it a total loss, I either want to claim the salvage title, or worst case scenario take all of the bolt on poo I have put on it off before they try to take it. I am not really sure what my rights are and I'd really like to keep it if at all possible.

 

 

 

 

 

[TNPanther]

How fast were you going? That's a huge factor.

[FireMarshallBill]

Around 45 before I hit the brakes

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[boombox]

It's a good decision to tow your car into your garage. I've no experience with how the adjuster values your car but hope you are able to sort this one out soon and hope it'll be on your advantage.

[cookinbrak]

They'll give you the option of buying the car afterwards.

[pantherclaw]

If repair comes to.more than 3/4ths the value of the car, they'll total it. I may not be 100% accurate there, but I'm close.

They wanted to write off my 02 Passat when the cost of repair reached 6k. It was worth almost 9k at the time.

You were smart to have it towed to your garage.

[Jackofalltrades]

State law says 75% of blue book is a total loss.

[cptx]

In Texas its 100% value/damage to total. I also found out that if it had been totaled and I bought it back, TX doesn't require a salvage title.

 

 

Worked out well, IMO. Before and after.