Car accident/insurance advice please

[Mustapha]

Hello Styleforummers,

My daughter's car was hit and totaled while it was parked. 'Perp' can't be found. Insurance company says it isn't economically repairable [10 year old Camry in 80%-ish condition that she loves and wants to keep]. It's just a door that got caved in. What are her options? Being a daddy that hasn't been in this situation, I have no advice to give her.

Any advice from folks here that have been in this situation?

Thanks!

-Moose

 

[sho'nuff]

if her insurance company says that it is not economically repairable it sounds like they are implying she should get a new car, covered through the comprehensive or collision (not sure which it is covered under). so they may just hand her a check worth the blue book price of the car minus the deductible, which probably won't amount to much that is why they want to go that route. i would have her get a estimate on repairing the door and any other related damage and see if insurance can cover that .\\\\\\



oops. sorry i thought you said 1980's toyota camry.

 

[celery]

Well you have two choices it would seem:

1. Be sentimental and fork over what will probably be more money than the car is worth to repair it. This will make your daughter happy in the present, but isn't pragmatic as a long term solution.

2. Be the "heartless authority figure" by finding another car which your daughter probably won't be thrilled about, but will teach her a small life lesson about learning to cope with loss and that life goes on.

3. Be completely psychotic and go hollywood style and turn into your own CSI, and hunt down the bastard who did this and make him pay by selling his kidney on the black market.


In the end, regardless of your (or your daughter's) desire, the insurance company will just follow policy and probably won't be giving you what you feel the car was worth in either situation.

 

[HomerJ]

You should be able to salvage the car.

The insurance wants to pay you what the car is worth and recoup some of that money by selling the car at auction for parts or salvagers. You could keep the car and get (what the car is worth - what insurance would've got at auction). Then you could fix the door and she gets her beloved Camry.

This could be a good move or bad move depending on how much they want to give you for the totaled Camry, how much they want you to pay for the salvage, how much actual damage was done and how much it would cost to fix, whether your daughter plans to sell the car later (poor resale on salvage title), and how much it costs to insure (if your company will insure) a salvage titled car. Unless you think they've misjudged the situation and you can come out ahead by salvaging and fixing, and she plans on driving it into the ground, I'd avoid the headache and be done with it.

 

[dirk diggler]

camry's benefit from the Japanese laziness to update styling (which is why they are stolen so much as parts are interchangeable). Therefore, go to a junkyard and get a door,. take it to a repair shop and have it installed/painted.

have the insurance company "total" the vehicle out and give you a check. if you play your cards right, you should come out a few bucks to the good.

 

[sho'nuff]

after the repair, or after she gets a new car,

make sure she parks it in a garage or enclosed area for the next few months.

you never know the perpetuator did it deliberately, an ex boyfriend or something like that. a few months would allow hindsight and give time for emotions to flare down.