I need help,

My wife got in an accident last monday at safeway in snohomish a lady was cutting through the parking lot doing about 20 mph atleast, maybe more. So the insurance companies decided she was at fault because she was cutting through the parking lot
( which is illegal ) So her insurance company decided to total my vehicle. The adjuster is offering me blue book value 5000 dollars, But I still owe 6000. On top of that I have to come up with money for a down payment on another vehicle. Does anybody know anything about these type of things I really dont want to go to court. I want to settle it ASAP. This was my fishing vehicle I am just

Lots of factors to consider here.

1. Blue book is not what is mandated by the State for valuation. The cost to replace with like make and model and condition in your market.

2. Try autotrader.com and the newspaper for comps. Also use Seattle/Belelvue umbers, they seem to be inflated.

3. You can seek additional $$ for loss of use. Often paid as rental car.

4. I have some other thoughts for you, you can PM me through the site and correspond via email if you want.

Paging Dogfish........

You don't have to have it "Totaled". Insist on having the vehicle repaired if possible. Have your insurance company help negotiate with the woman's company.

I went through the same thing once. An appraisal by a certified auto appraiser did the trick for me. Most car dealerships have someone who is an appraiser. Good luck!

1. Blue book is not what is mandated by the State for valuation. The cost to replace with like make and model and condition in your market.


Been there done that,

the above quote is what you need to enforce, I made them spend all the time to find the replacement they soon figured out Blue book dont meen jack when it comes to supply and demand,

just be friendly and say I will take a truck as my rental vehicle and when you locate my replacement I will look it over and have my mechanic check it out as well, Thank you.

as the rental fee's build there desire to find your rig becomes a priority.

good luck, also call the Ins commision here in our State they are very helpful and will advise you of your rights, not what some bonehead wants you to believe.

Bud.

Had a rig totaled and did all of the work myself and made out pretty well.
First only take the rental if you absolutely need it, you can get money on the back end if you don't take the rental.
second, find the exact make and model in the paper,trader, what have you. Make copies and call their agent in charge with that info.Then stand firm.
The policy is like for like, so if there was anything special about your rig, be sure that you find an exact match.
Then when you go to settle, hit them up for loss of use, this us usually calculated on a daily basis and can add up quickly.
IT also looks like the difference is about the same as your deductable.
And remember, This is a negotiation, under law they have a certain amount of time to complete these types of deals, each time you contact them they have to respond in a certain amount of time. Check with your insurance about these policies.
Good luck and let us know...........Fishy....

Bought a brand new ' 86 Honda Accord LXI, all the bells and whistles. Did all the maintenance myself, religious oil changes top priority. 135K miles later, I think it was in '92, some kid blows a stop sign at 10'o clock PM with no headlights on, I broadside crash with vehicle at mid rear axle. Miraculously, nobody was injured. Insurance co. totals my car and offers a pittance sum to replace my car. I explain to my adjustor that since my car had been meticulously maintained, I had no intention of replacing it for at least another 50K miles. They offer a pathetic sum to settle my claim. I declined the offer for several months until the adjustor tells me to take it or leave it. I ended up with $500 more than the original offer. Small consolation, but it was more than the original offer.

As a result of that educational experience, I will never buy a new vehicle again. The only insurance I will buy is liability.