$ettlement

[spyguy]

So I'm driving home from work 5 weeks ago when some clown in an SUV hits a car two behind me at a stop light causing a domino effect crash. It takes out my bumper and throws my trunk just enough out of aligment that it won't open.... The damage was more cosmetic than anything --- the car is still mechanically sound and drivable (no injuries). I've duct taped the bumper and gotten the trunk functional again with some angry sweat equity.
What kind of car you ask? Well, let's just call it the classic junker. A '93 Ford Tempo with 108K miles on it with many little problems and some not so little.... State Farm who the guy was covered by really gave me the runaround. Come to find out it was because one unit thought the other was handling my claim and vice versa causing a few weeks of needless delay.
Yesterday I FINALLY got to the bottom of it and went to pick up my check. They realized that they'd screwed up and I think it helped my case. The assessed value was $1,900 which had me picking my jaw up off the floor when the lady told me. Now, I know and most of you probably do too that it isn't worth that much even if a gold bar was left on the passenger seat! The total damages were given as $1,711.71 which State Farm gave me 100% of and let me keep my auto.
I figure it would take me roughly 300 years or so with my trusty Bounty Hunter to beat that amount in found clad. I guess my story proves that sometimes David really can win against Goliath in the real world. Needless to say I'm ecstatic, it's Friday and I've got roughly 1,700 new reasons to celebrate tonight!
Hey, treasure is where you find it....
HH
-spyguy

[Cubfan64]

Sounds like someone might be getting a brand new top of the line detector soon!!! Can you open your trunk to get it in is the question?

Glad nobody got hurt

[bomber]

what time should we b over 4 kegs and lobster tails?

[Smithrow1]

I guess your going out for dinner tonight.

[Monty]

On the other hand what if a year from now you develop some kind of delayed effect from an unseen injury from that wreck? The settlement check is so they won't have to pay you damages if a delayed injury occurs. Didn't you have to sign a waiver of hold harmless claim or something to that effect to get the check? My Cousin is an attorney and he said any insurance company will pay $5,000.00 without batting an eye to get that signed off on. Dang, You should have held out and we all could have had lobster! Monty

[coolcash2004]

I dont like clowns in SUVs. They arent funny at all. Glad everyones ok.

-CC

[cryptodave]

On the other hand what if a year from now you develop some kind of delayed effect from an unseen injury from that wreck? The settlement check is so they won't have to pay you damages if a delayed injury occurs. Didn't you have to sign a waiver of hold harmless claim or something to that effect to get the check? My Cousin is an attorney and he said any insurance company will pay $5,000.00 without batting an eye to get that signed off on. Dang, You should have held out and we all could have had lobster! Monty

That is factually incorrect. You have up to 3 years to file injury claims with insurance companies, and in some states you have 5 or 7 years, and in some states there is no limit of time.

They payed you the ACV (actual cash value) of your car. I am entirely surprised they did not claim it from you though, because it is technically their property now. I wouldn't spend all that money in one place, in case they try to come back in a few months claiming the ownership of the vehicle. If they do you can settle back with them enough money that you can keep your vehicle. Sometimes a few hundred will do the trick. I am an insurance agent, this is my job.

[Mighty AP]

DFX...........DFX................DFX.............. .DFX!!!

[nlcknits]

On the other hand what if a year from now you develop some kind of delayed effect from an unseen injury from that wreck? The settlement check is so they won't have to pay you damages if a delayed injury occurs. Didn't you have to sign a waiver of hold harmless claim or something to that effect to get the check? My Cousin is an attorney and he said any insurance company will pay $5,000.00 without batting an eye to get that signed off on. Dang, You should have held out and we all could have had lobster! Monty

That is factually incorrect. You have up to 3 years to file injury claims with insurance companies, and in some states you have 5 or 7 years, and in some states there is no limit of time.

They payed you the ACV (actual cash value) of your car. I am entirely surprised they did not claim it from you though, because it is technically their property now. I wouldn't spend all that money in one place, in case they try to come back in a few months claiming the ownership of the vehicle. If they do you can settle back with them enough money that you can keep your vehicle. Sometimes a few hundred will do the trick. I am an insurance agent, this is my job.

I was thinking the same thing (re ownership of the vehicle), then read the post again. The damage was $1700, the value was $1900.

Congrats to Spyguy on finally getting it worked out!

Nan
aka roswellborn

[djui5]

spyguy,
Glad your allright! Congrats on the settlement.

My wife was rear ended by some stupid blonde in a Dodge Durango a couple months ago. She drives a Hyundai Elantra, so needless to say her car was a bit wrecked. She could still drive it, but the trunk was smashed to bits. The lady tried to get her to settle without calling the insurance, said he would pay her cash

My wife called the coppers of course. The lady that hit her was ticketed for speeding off from a stop light or something like that. Thankfully she had Progressive insurance. We called a lawyer, and they're handling the case. My wife's back is really messed up, and 2 months later she is still seeing a chiropractor 2-3 days a week. We took the car into Progressives fix-er-upper shop and they handled the repairs. It totaled over $4,000 just to fix the car, and they footed the bill of course.

So we're just waiting until her back gets better, then we'll settle. I know your pain and suffering is 3 times whatever the medical bills are, plus she's gonna get lost wages as she can't work due to the injuries.

Should be a nice settlement when it's all over with. It's been rough on us though, and has caused an immense amount of problems. It's hard to pay bills when you can't work...haha.

[Postalrevnant]

I figure it would take me roughly 300 years or so with my trusty Bounty Hunter to beat that amount in found clad.

HAHA amen to that one, with this hard ground around here and my BH pioneer 505 perhap it will take great great grandchildren to come up with that in clad from the machine.

Good deal on the settlement Congratulations.

Postalrevnant

[Monty]

In Okahoma you have 3 years to file a claim .....unless you sign a settlement waiver releasing the company and the insured from liability. Agents here will try to get you to sign off on the waiver of liability but most of the people have got wise to that ploy. The claim adjuster's job is to get the client and the company off as cheaply as possible and they will make some rediculous offer. Of course some people abuse the system and file false claims just to bleed the insurance companies. I sent a few of those people to prison. Monty