Jeep crashed, what should I do?

[Jeeper1941]

Hey guys my moms just got into a car crash and was not at fault. The other person took the red light. Police checked the cameras and gave the other person a ticket. Problem is the other persons insurance only covers 10k. The other company’s adjuster came and gave us an initial quote of 8k which Is insane. He told my mom that was based on preliminary inspection and it would go up when taken to a body shop. But they won’t cover over 10k. He didn’t include the bent frame, messed up axles, suspension and who knows what else is messed up under there. I have some experience with the extent of damage a crash can have. My 2016 jeep was also hit and what looked like nothing turned into 16k of repairs including axles. I want the Jeep to be totaled and get payed to get a new one. What should we do? Do we go with our insurance and then our insurance goes after them? Should I hire a lawyer? Any advice is welcome.
thanks!

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[JLUandCJ-7]

Sounds like their insurance is not even at legal minimums.

More than likely your mom's insurance company needs to take it from here. They'll invoke the uninsured/underinsured coverage and go after the other insurance company if needed.

 

[Jim1964]

I would notify my own insurance and let them handle it. They will collect what they can from the other driver’s insurance.

Lawyers are not worth talking to about a property damage claim, not enough $ to make it worth their time. And even if they did take you on, you do realize they charge $$$ per hour or a percentage, right? They’ll screw you more than the opposing insurance will.

 

[JLUandCJ-7]

One last note - Be sure to push them to cover more than just repair and labor. You are entitled to loss of value due to having an accident on record.

 

[AcesandEights]

Almost all estimates require a supplement to address additional damage. An auto adjuster can only write for the damage they can see, so the vehicle needs to be "torn down" (outer panels removed to document the additional damage). So, it's very common for the adjuster to write an estimate (or the body shop for that matter) that requires additional tear-down and a supplement.

I couldn't believe the limits were so low, so I checked and holy crap you're right, $10k is the minimum for property damage liability in Florida.

You will get a maximum of $10k from the other party's insurance. Once they reach limits the claim is "done". So, your recourse is to use your own collision coverage and pay your deductible (which will be reimbursed by the other party's carrier). Your insurance company will pay the total cost of repair, get reimbursement of policy limits ($10k) from the other carrier, then "subrogate" (pursue damages directly from the person) for the additional amount. What will likely happen is your car will be repaired and your insurance carrier will get reimbursed the $10k (less the deductible paid to you), and they'll never collect on the additional amount to repair your vehicle. That's "eaten" by your carrier and one of many the reasons all of our rates are so high, because we have to pay for people that don't carry enough coverage.

Does your mom have underinsured coverage?

/thread

 

[19 JLUR Bright Whit3]

Its all Putins fault! LOL

Seriously, sorry to hear of your predicament. Last no fault accident I was involved with an uninsured motorist. Yes, my insurance went up. Cant help it when rules are not followed.

 

[NachoRuby]

Sounds like their insurance is not even at legal minimums.

More than likely your mom's insurance company needs to take it from here. They'll invoke the uninsured/underinsured coverage and go after the other insurance company if needed.

Legal minimum depends on the state. I had something similar happen here in Pennsylvania a few years ago. Someone fell asleep at the wheel, and hit 3 of our street parked cars, totaling the one in the back. Get this, they had $5000 of insurance, the state minimum here in Pennsylvania. Thank goodness we had good insurance. I went through my insurance, and my insurance went after them.

 

[Jeeper1941]

Almost all estimates require a supplement to address additional damage. An auto adjuster can only write for the damage they can see, so the vehicle needs to be "torn down" (outer panels removed to document the additional damage). So, it's very common for the adjuster to write an estimate (or the body shop for that matter) that requires additional tear-down and a supplement.

I couldn't believe the limits were so low, so I checked and holy crap you're right, $10k is the minimum for property damage liability in Florida.

You will get a maximum of $10k from the other party's insurance. Once they reach limits the claim is "done". So, your recourse is to use your own collision coverage and pay your deductible (which will be reimbursed by the other party's carrier). Your insurance company will pay the total cost of repair, get reimbursement of policy limits ($10k) from the other carrier, then "subrogate" (pursue damages directly from the person) for the additional amount. What will likely happen is your car will be repaired and your insurance carrier will get reimbursed the $10k (less the deductible paid to you), and they'll never collect on the additional amount to repair your vehicle. That's "eaten" by your carrier and one of many the reasons all of our rates are so high, because we have to pay for people that don't carry enough coverage.

Does your mom have underinsured coverage?

/thread

No my mom has geico. Just didn’t want to use ours because rates would go up, but it’s necessary if the other party at fault only covers 10k. We might have GAP insurance on the Jeep so will double check on that. Is there a chance that it can be marked off as totaled if it’s our insurance doing the fixing? Just don’t want them to start fixing them little by little how they did my first jeep and the total cost just kept rising. I think that’s why they didn’t total it in the first place. I could be wrong. All I know is that the preliminary cost to fix was 4K and it turned to 16k on a 2016 and it wasn’t totaled.

 

[JLUandCJ-7]

Legal minimum depends on the state. I had something similar happen here in Pennsylvania a few years ago. Someone fell asleep at the wheel, and hit 3 of our street parked cars, totaling the one in the back. Get this, they had $5000 of insurance, the state minimum here in Pennsylvania. Thank goodness we had good insurance. I went through my insurance, and my insurance went after them.

Yep. I looked it up and found a good reference article for the OP. https://www.caranddriver.com/car-insurance/a36267534/minimum-liability-insurance/

 

[JLUW75]

Hey guys my moms just got into a car crash and was not at fault. The other person took the red light. Police checked the cameras and gave the other person a ticket. Problem is the other persons insurance only covers 10k. The other company’s adjuster came and gave us an initial quote of 8k which Is insane. He told my mom that was based on preliminary inspection and it would go up when taken to a body shop. But they won’t cover over 10k. He didn’t include the bent frame, messed up axles, suspension and who knows what else is messed up under there. I have some experience with the extent of damage a crash can have. My 2016 jeep was also hit and what looked like nothing turned into 16k of repairs including axles. I want the Jeep to be totaled and get payed to get a new one. What should we do? Do we go with our insurance and then our insurance goes after them? Should I hire a lawyer? Any advice is welcome.
thanks!

Let your insurance company go after the other person's insurance. And you can sue them in court for any further damages. Go after any assets they may have. If for nothing else than to teach the SOB a good lesson to NOT ever again drive around with shit insurance like this.

 

[Craigger]

As others mentioned - go through your mom's insurance and go for diminished value. Don't talk to the other insurance company. Have them work through your insurance company. They'll try and coerce you to accept and say things that aren't in your best interest.

 

[AcesandEights]

You can sue, but it will cost you money to get a judgement that never amounts to anything. You'll have a judge say, yep the other driver owes you money...but since they don't have any, you get a dollar a week for the rest of your life; meanwhile, you're out the cost to litigate. Kind of stupid unless you're the person that has to prove a point, while losing money, time and getting grey hair from the stress. Use your insurance and don't look back.

To the OP question about whether it can be marked a total. Of course, depending on the cost of repair, which is determined by the insurance company. They'll do teardown and get you a better estimate and decide if it's a total. Done.

Of course talk to the other insurance company. Worst thing you can do is keep either company from doing their job. Want the claims process to take longer, don't talk to anyone. Want the cost of tow, storage, repair to go up, don't talk to anyone. Want your own time to lose value (taking more time to get to the same outcome), don't talk to anyone.

There are some very uneducated, inexperienced, dolts giving online opinions...yeah, I realize I might be considered one of them, but geezus, some folks have no sense.

 

[AC77]

Hey guys my moms just got into a car crash and was not at fault. The other person took the red light. Police checked the cameras and gave the other person a ticket. Problem is the other persons insurance only covers 10k. The other company’s adjuster came and gave us an initial quote of 8k which Is insane. He told my mom that was based on preliminary inspection and it would go up when taken to a body shop. But they won’t cover over 10k. He didn’t include the bent frame, messed up axles, suspension and who knows what else is messed up under there. I have some experience with the extent of damage a crash can have. My 2016 jeep was also hit and what looked like nothing turned into 16k of repairs including axles. I want the Jeep to be totaled and get payed to get a new one. What should we do? Do we go with our insurance and then our insurance goes after them? Should I hire a lawyer? Any advice is welcome.
thanks!

See if you can total it ! And cash out

 

[bjm00se]

Given how long it takes to order a new jeep, or how much over MSRP it costs to get one off the lot, I'm not sure I'd be in such a hurry to have this Jeep totalled out, if it's at all fixable damage.

Even if they cover a rental car in the interim - it's going to be some rental CAR.

 

[Jeeper1941]

Given how long it takes to order a new jeep, or how much over MSRP it costs to get one off the lot, I'm not sure I'd be in such a hurry to have this Jeep totalled out, if it's at all fixable damage.

Even if they cover a rental car in the interim - it's going to be some rental CAR.

I don’t think I’d feel safe with my mom driving a crashed car knowing this day and age how they fix things. Specially if they have to fix structural damage like frame work, suspension, axles. Not to mention then the Jeep is considered crash. I rather mark it down as a total loss and get paid market value for a new one. I’m off to vet school and she is using mine meanwhile so we really are not in a rush to order a new one if this one gets totaled.

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