they are so cheap , they will do anything to pay as little as possible , I need legal tips of any kind , any info on what and how to say what I need to say at the right time , I was not injured , as far as I know , not sure yet if anything will happen in the next few daze or week,
2007-03-26 19:41:42 · 10 answers · asked by heyboo134@yahoo.com 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Insurance
More money for what? More money to fix your car with? You're not injured so I'm not sure what it is you're looking for. Faking an injury is insurance fraud.
So, you have the damage to your car. You go get an estimate of what it is going to cost to repair it and that's what you get paid. You're car doesn't get extra money because it was hurt so I'm still having trouble figuring out exactly what it is you're looking for here. You want extra money just because you were in an accident?
I think you have this backwards. Insurance companies aren't cheap. People are greedy and want money for nothing.
2007-03-26 22:56:48 · answer #1 · answered by Faye H 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The insurance company probably has not even offered you anything since they barely have the claim set up if you reported it today. You are already ready for a fight & if you start with them with an attitude, they will probably be less likely to work with you on the settlement. First thing, take the vehicle to one or two local body shops. See what they say. Get estimates. If the estimate is close to or more than the value of your vehicle, the insurance company will total it & you will only receive the value of your vehicle. You can find out the estimate of the value of your vehicle by going to kbb.com or nada.com. If you are going through your own insurance, it will be less your collision deductible, if you are going through the other party's insurance, there will be no deductible. Be aware, you will get paid faster by your insurance company because the other one has to speak to their insured and get a police report, speak to witnesses, etc before they will pay anything to you. If you go to your own company, they will subrogate against the other company and get their money and your deductible back and return it to you.
Do NOT get a lawyer this early in the game. Lawyering up makes the claim adjuster take his time even more (I've seen it happen - I am good friends with an ex-claim adjuster & she said she wasn't afraid of ANY lawyer no matter how gruff they were & she would start at a lower amount than she would have offered if the claimant didn't have a lawyer - she actually told a lawyer off because someone hired him to get more money & she had already offered the policy limits - so she couldn't go any higher so the claimant lost 1/3 of the settlement to the lawyer & he did NOTHING). The company may surprise you and offer you a fair settlement for your vehicle and may offer you something for injury IF you have one. If you DON'T, stay honest and just take the money for the car.
2007-03-26 23:31:33 · answer #2 · answered by Sue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If all you have is physical damage, you're going to be limited to the book value of the car. The insurance company will get numbers on what it will take to repair, measure it against book value, and then decide whether to fix the car or total it. If it's a total, you will get the book value less any lien against the car.
When it comes to PD, it's not a matter of cheap, it's a matter of book value. You will not get $15k for a car with a book value of $8k.
If you sustained any injury or sought medical treatment, you should retain an attorney as soon as possible and refer any and all questions regarding your physical situation to the attorney.
2007-03-27 02:10:43 · answer #3 · answered by M1759 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really really wish people would quit telling everyone to go to a damn attorney. Any time you have a claim and you hire an attorney, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, has to go through that attorney. It makes the process of settling a claim like 3 times longer. Plus, they usually take 10-20% of your settlement for themselves.
Just give the insurance company some time. If you will work with them, they will work with you. Copping an attitude and asking for more money just cause you feel like it won't help you out at all - it'll just piss off the adjuster and make this situation a whole lot harder for you.
2007-03-30 08:54:41 · answer #4 · answered by Beth 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Several things
1. No lawyer is going to take a car damage claim and make it worth your money. Their fees are huge. In my opinion that is bad advice. People think lawyers solve everything. They don't, they just slow down the process because lawyers don't return calls and are slow. FYI - getting a lawyer is not a punishment for an insurance company. Lawyers are easier to deal with than claimants!
2. If vehicle is repairable just go to the shop of your choice and they will repair. The insurance company has to pay to get complete repairs. If the insurance company comes out they will do an initial estimate. Don't panic, this is just a starting point. The first payment on repairs is not the final, they will pay additional as vehicle is torn down and other damage is found.
3. If totaled and you think they are going to lowball you do your homework. They won't pay you KBB or Edmunds pricing on the vehicle, they are going to pay you what it would cost to replace it in your town. Get the newspaper, go to dealers and look for a car with the exact/close to specs of your current car. See what the price is on those. Get it in writing. This is the best negotiation tool you can have.
If this does not work I would contact your state department of insurance. They will help you through the process.
If you are upside down on your loan, meaning your laon is higher than your vehicle is worth than you are out of luck. You will have to pay out of pocket. There is nothing, not even a lawyer, that can be done to fix that.
With that said. Your claim is never worth what you think it is. You are not going to make money off of this. If you upgrade to a newer car than you will likely have to pay out of pocket.
Good luck
2007-03-27 07:14:52 · answer #5 · answered by mamatohaley+1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go to a attorney, first call around ask them what percentage they take and are there office fees with it, because a lot of lawyers will jip you, and then when u find a attorney theyll send you to see a doctor and depending on how bad you are injured thatll depend on how much youll get, so say your medical bills were 10,000 the attorney will ask for 30k they times it by 3. you wont feel it till you woke up, i was in a car accident and i was badly injured and i didnt feel it till the next day and the pain wouldnt go away after that until i got seen by a doctor, you rarely feel it the day it happens. good luck and if you have anyother questions email me
2007-03-26 19:50:19 · answer #6 · answered by oneandonlyness 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
what are you trying to get out of them? They will only pay you for what is there. You can put in a claim, & they will pay out the damage to the car. If it is totaled, they will pay the value of the car. They dont pay you extra just because you want them to. So I dont understand what more you want them to pay for since you have insurance to cover exactly that.
The only way for you to get more money out of it is if you have an injury & you sue for it.
2007-03-27 04:01:04 · answer #7 · answered by ricks 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If all you have is vehicle damage then payment for the damage to the car is all you're going to get.
What is with the "I want to get more from the insurance company" attitude? You want extra money for your car because it was hurt?
2007-03-26 23:41:38 · answer #8 · answered by Fran H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its too undesirable you weren't injured, maximum accidnet legal experts can get you a minimum of $one million,000 for any trauma you suffered as a effect of the twist of destiny. yet many human beings sense the end results of the accidnet day after right this moment....
2016-10-20 12:54:21 · answer #9 · answered by Erika 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have them pay the repair shop and rental company directly. That way they pay all the repairs and rental, you don't pay anything. Can't get fixed for less than nothing!
2007-03-27 01:12:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋