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Model 3 - P3D - total loss

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skvy

New Member
Nov 13, 2019
4
0
Iowa
All,

I have a P3D with PUP - 2018. Vehicle got rear ended and progressive (insurance company of the person who ran into me) calls it totaled (they have accepted fault) and I am having some issues working this out with them:

1) they keep saying they need to take it to the staging yard to get total loss assessment (some place that is 150 miles away without any guarantees I will get the car back if we disagree on the numbers).

2) they still have not given me any initial numbers (I didn’t agree to sending the car away to the yard till they give me some numbers) and it’s been over a week since their appraisers took a look at the car to determine that it has to be totaled.

I am also trying to figure out how best to assess the value of the vehicle in an independent manner and prepare to avoid potential pitfalls in this process.

Any thoughts or recommendations from this experienced group of Tesla owners will be appreciated.
 
Have you gotten your insurance company involved? They need to cover your back in negotiations since the other cars company has already agreed to fault.
I would start w/ KBB as a basis. With the craziness of used car prices at this time, your car may be worth a bit more than what is listed, but it is a starting point.
Looking for used comps online will help. Just a quick search online, Carvana has a few listed 2018 performance models in the $50-51K range with low miles (16-17K). Tesla has one in AZ w/65K listed for about $49K.
Personally, I would not accept a penny under replacement cost.
 
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I'm not sure if it works this way with other insurance companies but I have State Farm and had two cars totaled. Both times I was rear ended, I made a claim with State Farm and never even spoke to the other insurance company. I took my car to a local body shop and paid the collision deductible. Once the local body shop determined my car was totaled State Farm made an offer (both times the offers were fair and actually higher than I was expecting) and cut me a check.

After a few months I was mailed a check for my deductible, I'm assuming once the other insurance company accepts fault and pays State Farm they pay me back.
 
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Thank you all for your replies and feedback. Given that the Other insurance company (which has accepted fault) has declared that the car is totaled, should I wait for a payout number from them or Should I go to my insurance (farmers) with this information and have them deal with the other insurance company (which is progressive in this case). I have already informed my insurance of the accident. Thanks in advance for your replies and insight.
 
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On a related note, the progressive rep who is dealing with this claim keeps insisting that I need to send my car to the “staging yard” (without any guarantees of me getting the car back if we disagree on the valuation numbers for the vehicle that they have called totaled).

not clear why they cannot assess the totaled value based on what they see in the local body shop (which is where they car is at the current time). Do you guys have any experience with / insights into this “staging yard” ?
 
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Thank you all for your replies and feedback. Given that the Other insurance company (which has accepted fault) has declared that the car is totaled, should I wait for a payout number from them or Should I go to my insurance (farmers) with this information and have them deal with the other insurance company (which is progressive in this case). I have already informed my insurance of the accident. Thanks in advance for your replies and insight.
This is why you pay your insurance company so you don't have to jump through hoops. I've been in a few collisions (none at fault) and I always just spoke to my own insurance company and they dealt with everything else. You might have to pay a deductible up front but you should get it back eventually if you're not at fault.
 
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On a related note, the progressive rep who is dealing with this claim keeps insisting that I need to send my car to the “staging yard” (without any guarantees of me getting the car back if we disagree on the valuation numbers for the vehicle that they have called totaled).

not clear why they cannot assess the totaled value based on what they see in the local body shop (which is where they car is at the current time). Do you guys have any experience with / insights into this “staging yard” ?
My recommendation would be to stop dealing with the other insurance company at all and if they contact you again give them the number of your agent or the person who is handling the claim with your company. If your company wants your car sent to another location, then let them deal with it. Unfortunately you are at the mercy of the insurance companies in regard to the status of your car. If it is totaled, what would be the point of getting it back. Its value is scrap or parting it out. You may be able to buy it back for salvage once you settle on a price and part it out yourself, but unless you have the space and time to deal with that, what is the point. Your insurance company is there to work in your best interest since they will not be paying out the claim....fault has already been assigned. As I stated previously, depending on mileage and condition of your car it looks like replacement value is $49-51K for a 2018 M3P. Find a replacement vehicle and tell them to either purchase it for you or cut you a check. If you plan to get a brand new vehicle, purchasing one used and trading it in will reduce the taxable amount on a new vehicle, so it has some advantages. Bottom line...cut off all communication with the other insurance company and only deal with yours.
 
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My 3 was totaled in October by a red light runner. I have State Farm, she has Geico. It was far easier to just deal with my own insurance company, particularly because she was under-insured. I did have to get an independent appraiser involved though to get what the car was actually worth...
 
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You have an insurance policy that grants you certain rights, privileges, benefits, whatever you want to call it. You pay for that. You have no agreement with THE OTHER COMPANY.

Let's say they lowball you $5 to "total your car". You accept it. As part of that, you sign away your right to medical reimbursements, etc.

Maybe you find out later you need medical help. Maybe you find out later YOUR company would have totaled it out for $10. What recourse do you have then???

Go through YOUR OWN COMPANY. That's why you have them. Since you weren't at fault, they will fight tooth and nail to get you the max. If you WERE at fault, they would fight tooth and nail to minimize what they get stuck with.
 
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Remember that your insurance company has an incentive to keep you satisfied; the other insurance's incentive is to not piss you off so much that you sue. There are some fundamental differences between those two incentive structures.
 
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I pay State Farm annually for my casualty insurance. Let them work for it, even if they have to subrogate the other company. That’s their problem, not mine.

I’d much rather have State Farm’s pile of well paid attorneys on my side than take on some other company’s attorneys by myself.

Why wouldn’t you want the people you pay to protect you engaged? Especially if you’ve already talked to them. Your agent didn’t do you any favors if they didn’t say “stop talking to them and work through us” right there on the spot.
 
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I'm not sure if it works this way with other insurance companies but I have State Farm and had two cars totaled. Both times I was rear ended, I made a claim with State Farm and never even spoke to the other insurance company. I took my car to a local body shop and paid the collision deductible. Once the local body shop determined my car was totaled State Farm made an offer (both times the offers were fair and actually higher than I was expecting) and cut me a check.

After a few months I was mailed a check for my deductible, I'm assuming once the other insurance company accepts fault and pays State Farm they pay me back.
Just curious how quickly did State Farm process the claim once the local body shop determined it was totaled? Did they call you or just posted the decision on the portal.
 
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