Unfortunately, it is just bad luck. At least the other side has 10K. My sister was in a 4 car accident caused by an uninsured driver on $1000 beater. Nothing you can do. Subrogation gets nothing back. Hiring a lawyer will only waste time and money. You cannot go after your own insurance for diminished value. You may be able to file a DV claim before your insurance's subrogation and get the DV money before that $10K limit dry up. If you some how got it, your insurance will get what is remaining of that 10K. Your insurance rate likely will go up. Many said it won't, but I can tell you that is not true. The record matters. The amount of money you spent also matters. All part of their back end calculation.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Let’s play is it totaled or not?
- Thread starter acarney
- Start date
For your first NAF, your rates won’t go up. There is however, a correlation with losses and people that keep getting into NAFs, so rates could go up because of that in the future. Right now rates are going up because everything in the repair process is really expensive And insurance companies are paying out more in claims then they are getting in premiums.
If you like getting into the weeds with data, you can contact your department of insurance (WA consumer: 1-800-562-6900) and get a copy of the rate filing for State Farm, or any other company to see what is filed in the rating. It won’t be a fun read and will probably take a lot of time, but you can figure it out.
PS, I have worked in the industry for over 25 years.
If you like getting into the weeds with data, you can contact your department of insurance (WA consumer: 1-800-562-6900) and get a copy of the rate filing for State Farm, or any other company to see what is filed in the rating. It won’t be a fun read and will probably take a lot of time, but you can figure it out.
PS, I have worked in the industry for over 25 years.
What does this mean....
I was updated by the collision shop that "We did find some serious frame damage to the left lower rail." They said they have more parts on order for that... but frame damage... can that be repaired? Does that mean it's totaled? I don't want a salvage title with this vehicle....
Am I still ok?
I was updated by the collision shop that "We did find some serious frame damage to the left lower rail." They said they have more parts on order for that... but frame damage... can that be repaired? Does that mean it's totaled? I don't want a salvage title with this vehicle....
Am I still ok?
gx9901
Member
Did they update the repair estimate? I think frame damage can be repaired. How much it costs is the question that determines whether it gets totaled or not.
I asked for an updated estimate but haven't seen one yet... $15,300 before this new damage... $1500 in rental costs already... what do you think the target amount would be for totaled...
These laws (total car threshhold) can vary by state. A quick google search for WA shows this:
==============================
When a car is totaled according to the Washington totaled car law, the policyholder will receive the car’s actual cash value from the insurance company if the loss was covered. Insurance companies in Washington are also required to pay for applicable taxes and title costs if the policyholder purchases a replacement vehicle.
Washington Total Loss Law Example
- Pre-crash value: $15,000
- Cost of repairs: $6,000
- Salvage value: $10,000
- Pre-crash value - cost of repairs - salvage value = -$1,000
- Result: Car is totaled
IdaX
Member
Yes.... it can be repaired, but it won't be cheap. You've got a ways to go before it's totaled, but this brings you a lot closer to the edge.
I did... asked them what the new estimate would be and asked if this would push it to the total point... haven't heard back from the collision center yet (though I wonder if they'll try to keep it from being totaled because obviously they stand to make a lot on a big repair).
Would you recommend speaking to my insurance, or too up in the air until a new estimate value is provided?
I have no idea what salvage value might be on this vehicle... I assume battery is fine.... used vehicle from Tesla is about $52k right now with same mileage as mine... we're at $16,800 before frame stuff if the salvage is worth $10k we would already be at 52% of equivalent vehicle price...
gx9901
Member
Your collision center is in contact with your insurance right? I think they will figure it out. In my experience, the collision center sends the updated repair estimate to the insurance and then they decide the next step based on that information.
They are, and I’m sure they will… but as you might imagine, I love to stay up to date.
jebinc
Well-Known Member
Time to pick up that Plaid you have always wanted!Ok, realistic I think I’m pretty dang far away from being totaled, but I love that everyone rushes to that conclusion.
2022 Model Y Performance - Aug ‘22 ~9,400 miles
Car pulled out from a parking lot in front of me, I jumped on the brakes but wasn’t able to stop in time. I was just accelerating off a right hand turn from an intersection after a red light so probably somewhere between 20-35mph impact depending how much my car was able to slow down.
In Washington State. Just looking for feedback on what to do to make this process work easier since I’m already massively dreading how difficult this will be. SE WA state, closest Tesla certified collision shop is 130 miles away. Actual Tesla Collision in Bellevue is ~200 miles. I’ve already heard my worst nightmares of possibly (likely?) 2-4 months for repairs.
I called the police, explained the situation to them when they showed up. They took all my info and ran my license and insurance. Showed dash cam footage to them and they requested it be uploaded to them so I did that about an hour after the accident. The other driver was hysterical so I didn’t talk to her but officers told me they got all her info and I would get it on the report, they proceeded to give me a report number. I had overheard she has Progressive. My insurance (State Farm) was called and a claim started. Pictures were uploaded.
Vehicle could be driven into the parking lot and onto/off a flatbed tow truck. Alert that front left safety restraint system failed and required service, pretty positive the seat belt tensioner fired off. Air bag didn’t deploy. Small amount of fluid leaking, my guess is washer fluid rather than battery coolant. Front obviously is pretty messed up… unfortunately my PPF was no match for this level of impact. SnapPlate got murdered and will need a new one… lol. Hood is screwed. I originally thought front side/quarters were ok, but drivers side panel gap is now so tight it’s actually rubbing the front door when it opens, but door opens without force. Bottom of this panel seems to have a buckle in it. Frunk interior bits obviously ruined. Underbelly took some damage, but possibly just the plastic bits? I did hear a cooling fan scraping against something.
See attached pictures and tell me how doomed I am and best practices/tips at this point to not be entirely miserable for the next few months. I’m the blue line, other car is the red line.
The insurance company needs to take care of their policyholder while following applicable state laws. (Which is why you will sometimes see insurance companies defending drivers that do horrendous things - they have to) If it is cheaper to pay the cash value of the car, they will. If it is cheaper to fix it, they will pay for that. But the cost isn’t always cut and dry. When an estimate is given to fix the car, it is just that, an estimate. There are frequently other things found and supplements (addendums to the damage estimate) opened. Once the estimated cost starts closing in in the cash value minus salvage, you get a total loss.
So if your car has a cash value of $50k and repairs, etc. are $30k you look at the salvage value. Any bodily injury claims are a separate issue.
Believe it or not, insurance companies want to take care of the claimant, it is better in the end.
In the example above they can pay $6k to fix the car or pay $15k as the value of the car. Once they pay the $15k, they own a wrecked car and get rid of it for $10k, leaving only $5k in expense instead of $6 k.
So if your car has a cash value of $50k and repairs, etc. are $30k you look at the salvage value. Any bodily injury claims are a separate issue.
Believe it or not, insurance companies want to take care of the claimant, it is better in the end.
In the example above they can pay $6k to fix the car or pay $15k as the value of the car. Once they pay the $15k, they own a wrecked car and get rid of it for $10k, leaving only $5k in expense instead of $6 k.
Last edited:
In cases of totaled vehicles, they pay out the value (as close as to be determined) of the vehicle right before the accident, correct? So if there is evidence of it selling for $52k (within a few hundred miles on the odometer) for basically the same options (paint color was different, but everything else being equal), that should be the value they pay out, right? (I also think in WA they are supposed to pay out associated sales tax with that as well...)
Basically, the insurance company has to pay what is necessary to replace your car with another one that is in the same condition.
Correct. They would pay out as close to the value as possible. Sales tax and any extra registration costs would be covered. —so if it would cost you an extra $100 because of some rule, that gets paid too, but not just regular yearly cost.
I am absolutely going to defer to @trm2 on this, but, I would also suggest that you have "several" example cars being SOLD not "on sale" for the value you are thinking you are going to get.
Dont assume that just because you saw one car like yours on sale for 52k (and perhaps a few others for 45k) that "52k is the value" and even that they actually sold for 52k. You will want to have some examples at the very minimum of multiple cars, selling for the price you are talking about, in your general area (kind of like real estate).
I have had a relative of mine get very upset because they found (1) car selling for some amount after they totaled their car, and thought "thats the amount I will get paid" and started making plans to get another car. When the payment came back, it was several thousand dollars less, and with other vehicles as comps (comparables).
I dont know how insurance companies pull comps, and your insurance company wants to see you happy, but they also dont want to lose a bunch of money. If you think 52k is the comp, get several showing that. If you cant find several showing that, in your area (your county at least), then its not the comp.
I actually believe WA state spells out how the insurance company can do it... I forget but I remember being fairly surprised by a low number.. I think it's like 2 cars to determine the value. They have specific distance from the registered address or something and then if two can't be found in that zone they step out the next level. Likely for me it would go out to Seattle/Portland to find one close to my miles. We've got a lot of Model 3's for sale here at a local "luxury" used car dealer, but those are high priced and all like 20k+ miles.
I was just taking a quick glance from Tesla's used inventory since it makes it really easy to sort by features and they seem to have a lot of very low mileage ones show up (under 10k miles). It just gives me a ballpark of what the market is going for right now. I'm still not sure which I wish more... I do love my car and was very happy with it. If it can be repaired to it's previous condition without hidden issues showing up every few months, I would be more than happy with that... I'm just also a little worried this might really punt the initial 3-4 weeks for repairs out to like 3-4 months and that would be very disappointing.
There is software that all insurers use for valuation. The number will rarely be exactly what someone expects, but objectively reasonable.
If the car is repaired keep in mind:
If the car is repaired keep in mind:
- You absolutely have the right to have the car repaired wherever you want.
- The insurance company has the right to pay usual and customary prices (so you can’t have your cousin’s shop really Jack up the estimate)
- The shop that repairs your car should offer a warranty on the work. If you use an insurance company’s network or preferred shop, the insurance company will warranty the work.
- The adjuster cannot recommend a shop. They can give you names of shops they work with, but cannot steer you to one.
I independently picked this shop (based on location, that they are Tesla certified, and the estimated repair time), later when switching to State Farm (my insurance) due to the underinsured issue of the other party, this shop turned out to be a "preferred shop" with State Farm... so I guess when it comes to shop I'm probably in the best case.
