F***ing geese! Well, it WAS an accident-free car...

[sly]

yeah, Progressive doesn't give two shakes, but they also tend not to devalue cars much. They still didn't total my 88 with all the prior damage and 1700 worth of damage to it from that Jeep that took out my header panel.

[Mainemantom]

I agree with bringing all receipts. Have ads of vehicles like yours with similar miles, features and that are selling for more ready to show if the insurance company wants to total the vehicle or offer a lowball price.
Always be present when the appraiser is looking over the car. Tell the appraiser that you want it fixed period. Then just leave the appraiser alone unless asked for comments. Always be nice, firm when needed but always polite. Thank everyone. You will be surprised how that may help you.

[DerekTheGreat]

Oh, I was polite with everyone involved and thanked them up & down. Guys at the office loved it and said it was immaculate. Adjusters weren't car people I suppose and valued it at $2,400. Estimate was for $2,700 I think and it was that point where I started to get pissed. Car was declared a total loss over 300 bucks, 300 bucks they eventually sent me! They gave me 3k when it was all said and done but then tarnished the car's record by declaring it a total loss. Even though my car had damage from two separate incidents they combined both estimates when I finally took it to the shop for repairs. I told the guy to find me a car like mine with similar repair history for that kind of money. In the end, corporations win/get their way, sometimes that way is favorable for us guinea pigs.

[King_V]

Well, I can say that it went pretty smoothly, though it took him longer to look up stuff (not too many original 1987 Crown Vic parts around anymore, imagine that!) and they cut me a check. Didn't try to total it, either.

Now, whether or not the amount is adequate to the repairs, I couldn't guess. I am going to get a 2nd opinion, though.

Still, overall, I have to say it went smoothly.

[stinkydogfilms]

The only justice is when their policy holder receives way more damage to their cars than we do. Especially when they repair their cars. My damage on the 91 GM was $300.00 in parts, did the work myself. I never let them look at my car and they did not offer for an adjuster to come out. I can still take the idiot who turned in front of me to small claims court.

The other parties damages, a 2013 Chevy Sonic was $6500.00 This was with me going 25 MPH. I saw the pictures as it was being fixed and the estimate. Serves the bastard insurance company right. I will lose the $300.00 any day to see the MF'S have to pay that money. I love karma and I love real and large bumpers. It has been S F that has f-ed me 3 times. I hope the next asshole that turns in front of me is insured by the same ASS WIPE company and the results are the same. I hate em. I hate em... I hate em.
I tried to get insurance with AAA two months after the accident for the 90 Colony Park and they said they could not open a new policy in my name because of a ticket in January and the accident in April (which I was not at fault in) because both in the were in the last 4 years. I hate em ALL. I got insurance with my insurance company for $500.00 cheaper.
I hate em ALL.

You must realize that if you drive an old car you must be self insured for any damages or be prepared to get Fked. Either way you will lose. Just hope for the worst for them and the best for you. I will not deal with ASS WIPES anymore. I will only report what I have to. You risk losing your car or keeping your car on the road if you deal with them.

Sincerely,
I hate em all Mike

[knucklehead0202]

So how do you REALLY feel Mike?

Seriously though, I totally get it. My old lady works for Mercury, which is kind of a big deal here on commie coast, but I don't trust the cocksuckers. She's in under-writing, but I know they're super-weird about handing out claims. Since both our cars are worthless, she dumped our insurance down to liability, which at first made sense, but then upset me. While my car technically has no "value" in today's market, it's worth the world to me and I might literally murder anyone who harms it. This presents a problem that we haven't quite squared yet, but I got a lot of shit about it. Now that I have actual bumpers I'm kind of tempted to use them, but I don't want to mess up my pretty car. If I still had the '98, I'd T-bone some dildo given the chance. Guess this is growing up...

[DerekTheGreat]

That's what happened with me when I tried to switch insurance companies. Didn't want to give Progressive any more of my money but then after calling around, no one would insure me because of the two incidents! Before anything ever happened Progressive told me over the phone that my car would be valued around 4-5k if it was in the condition I stated it was in, but of course I didn't get that in writing nor did I change providers at that time. What a sham. Hell, even if I did change providers there's nothing stopping them from dropping you down the road. Guess I should be happy they are still providing me with insurance lol.

After the first incident with my car last November I took it right to Prog's drop off center. Two days later I got a call saying they didn't want to touch it as it was "too nice" and they might break the trim bits and they can't find replacements. With that in mind I figured I'd have it painted in the summer & hopefully come across the stainless moldings and such that I needed. Then in March(?) an uninsured driver driving someone else's car clipped the front left corner of my car, which busted some things up and gouged others. Before I dropped it off to this shop I heard good things about I came across an '85 and pulled a bunch of bits off of it. I made my delivery to this shop and while they took the parts they said they have their own sources out west and blah blah so I quit searching. Then they couldn't find other pieces and I was in search of a mirror but the bottom line seems to be if you own a car that's 20+ years old and intend to drive it everyday for a long time, you better start stocking your garage full of spare body parts. If anybody is interested there are pics in my car's thread:
http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...-1988-Town-Car

Glad everyone else has better luck than me but I am slightly bitter/jaded about it all. Nothing ever works out smoothly for me, it's always a battle unless I want to bend over and just get F'd in the A.

[stinkydogfilms]

I am very lucky to be alive. I survived a side impact into my drivers door at 60 MPH in the second accident. The first accident was a rear end while I was at a stop light. Other party was going 45 MPH when he fell asleep at 4 PM on his way to work and used my Comet to stop and as an alarm clock.

After their policy holders totaled out 2 of my cars in the 90s within 3 weeks, one was actually my mothers I was driving home from the doctors, that is how I feel. Mine was a 41,000 mile well maintained Mercury Comet. $1350.00 minus $150.00 to buy it back I was laid up with injuries for 5 years and lost a $32,000.00 job in 1994 to be exact. Numerous doctors visits over that period of time. Then I had no interest in working on my old Mustangs due to being in pain quite often for another 5 years. Had a F up lawyer who was working with the insurance company against me. When I first got the lawyer we were looking at a couple of hundred thousand dollars in lost wages and injuries. Five years later, 2 months before trial, I was convinced to settle for $9000.00 in my pocket. Quoting the liar, lawyer I mean "a good settlement is that no party is happy. Doctors get 1/3, lawyer gets 40% and the client gets the rest." I don't wish to get in any accident, I do not wish for anyone to get hurt. Because I do not wish for anyone to get hurt, I WILL TRY TO AVOID ANY COLLISSION AT ALL COST. If it comes down to it I hope their car is truly messed up and mine is not.
PS. Don't ever use the liar, I mean lawyer that advertises the most on TV.
As far as maintainence records go, I was told that that was the cost of normal repairs and I would get nothing for that.
I hate em!

[King_V]

Digressing (from my own thread!) a bit for insurance.. you want to hear insane about not covering you?

1) At one point, my insurance company dropped me. I'd gotten into an accident, the officer wrote up a misleading report. Things such as "there is no second lane there" claimed by me, and the other driver's insurance saying "Well, we know the area and everyone does that there"... sheesh. But, local little old lady, versus out-of-town younger long-haired guy... guess who wins?

Anyway, my insurance company paid out 80% of it, and was going to send the rest. I got in touch with them and told them what actually happen, and gave them a revised diagram, etc. They halted the remaining 20% of the payment, and agreed it was the other driver's fault in that case.

Still, a year later, they declined to renew my policy. And other places wouldn't take me. I even tried to go to those places that would insure you if you have a crappy record, and THEY wouldn't do it because "Well, we really handle cases with bad driving records, and you only have that one accident." - so I was in some weird, middle-ground no man's land. Too clean of a record for the "we'll take you if no on else will" places, and that one accident (and a previous ticket, I think) knocked me out of the running for most regular insurance companies. Eventually I got a regular one to take me, though.


2) HOMEOWNER's and RENTER's insurance. Yes. This is where it gets downright WEIRD. Ok, so I lived in a house, then sold it and moved to another. While there, I was apparently liable for remediation of an old heating oil tank that had contaminated the ground. Nevermind that the tank had been completely drained in the 1980s, and the house sold in 2002, and nevermind that the remediation company first issued a report that the soil was fine, then later corrected the report to say it was contaminated (and they were the ones who'd be paid for any needed cleanup, too), and nevermind that the residence was actually adjacent to an old landfill that had problems with crap in the soil anyway.... I was somehow responsible. Luckily my homeowner's insurance covered it.

Now, fast-forward a few years, buying a new place, new construction. Home's not done when the current place gets sold, so we rent an apartment. I could NOT get renter's insurance because of the claim on my homeowner's insurance for the oil-tank. I even tried to reason with some of them: "Look, it was a heating oil tank. I'm renting an apartment, there's no way I can be responsible for any trouble with a heating oil tank because I am just renting an apartment, not owning the entire apartment complex." - various insurance companies agreed that this whole thing made no sense, but STILL would not insure me, even though my claim was for something that could NEVER possibly happen to a renter.

Sheesh. I did eventually find SOMEONE to give me renter's insurance, but it wasn't easy!

[mercurygm88]

I'm not sure if these insurance things vary that much state by state, or if you guys just have shitty insurance companies, or maybe I'm just lucky. I've had one at fault accident and two not at fault accidents in the seven years that I've been driving. After the at fault incident my rates went up about $10 a month for the two or so years that I stayed with that insurance company, after that I switched insurers and my rates were cut nearly in half. I also didn't have any trouble getting any insurance companies to take me afterwards and have been through several since with no issues whatsoever. My rates did not increase one bit after either of the not at fault accidents. Also the insurance company I currently have informed me after I got the door replaced on my Town Car that insurance claims are not accumulative, if I have another claim down the road the previous one will show up but will not affect anything, this is also in my contract. And even though my car only books at $3500 max on a good day I have it in writing from the insurance company that their current valuation of the car is $7500. Like I say maybe it varies state by state or maybe I just lucked into a damn good insurance company.

[sly]

I've had 2 at fault accidents (one on a technicality) in the 22 years I've been driving... rates never changed. I've had well over 30 collisions otherwise and my rates never went up because of the accidents. The ones that really irk me are the uninsured motorists. This is why I carry that on my policies. Liability and uninsured motorist. I've been hit by about 7 of those over the years.

[DerekTheGreat]

You really are just a number, a drop of water in an endless sea. Your life only matters to those closest to you, outside of that you're bound by statistics, probability and records you don't really have access to or much control over. They act like they care but their actions suggest the complete opposite. For example, cops. Despite what your opinions are or what you think it's best not to talk to them under any circumstances, even if you're trying to help or completely innocent. You know why the cop asks you if you knew you were speeding/guilty of a CI? Because if you admit guilt it gets recorded and therefore you can't fight that in court. If they have to prove you're guilty it's much harder. Just answer the questions, be polite and don't admit fault/guilt. It's amazing that if whoever is responsible for filing/writing a report that goes on record is lazy/incompetent or just DGAF then you're F'd over for a good while or until you can come up with money for lawyers and junk. That's useless too because if you go up against a corporation the law works in their favor. They'll just adjurn & stall until you run out of money. Those two incidents I had, not my fault at all yet I'm paying for it aren't I? Person who hit me in the first case drove off and in the second case didn't have insurance or their own car so it's not like they're hurting at all. Not sure I'll ever report another collision unless it's actually a total loss. I learn by experience and from what I've been learning the past five years it seems like doing the right thing just isn't worth it. Five years is a long damn time.