Hot Rods So I got rear ended, and could use a little advice

Is there a requirement to report an accident involving over a certain amount of damage within a certain amount of time in Montana? If the requirement is there and you don't report it he now has leverage over you. Maybe he is underestimating the value of your car and the amount of damage (and will change his mind later) and just wants the problem to go away or maybe he is a flake. I wouldn't want to risk having a flake to deal with.

Charlie Stephens

 

Funny how some insurance companies work. I once had a car that a commercial laundry service truck backed into the quarter panel in a parking lot.
Their insurance company was State Farm. I got three estimates and before I could give the adjuster the amounts he said it didn't matter, they have their own appraisers....I thought "Oh no, this is going to be a battle"
Their appraiser came out and wrote it up for almost 50% more than the highest estimate I had gotten...Whew!

 

You have insurance but does the guy that hit you? HRP

 

Bust his balls.

 

Been there with "lets settle outside of the insurance company". Once the guy that hit you finds out how much its going to cost to fix your car you never hear from them again. Why should you care where you get your money from? File a claim immediately. From the sound of your damages you also need to report it to the police as well.

 

There is a 64 on Craigslist in your area now. Might give you some perspective. Or rebuild possibilities.

 

Got any picture s of your poor old galaxy?

 

Never been in your situation, but we all know what happens when money comes in play (Family, friends and people you don't know!) I'd let the insurance deal with it. Every time I try to be a nice guy I sometimes regret it. I just never know when that sometimes is! HRD

 

Nice guys finish last. Call the insurance company. Accept no offer you are not fully satisfied with.

 

Let the insurance company and your lawyer handle it.However,if the ins co starts to give you some grief,you have an ace in the hole to play if you want to.Call the state insurance comissioners office and file a complaint.Give the name of the adjuster and let them make a phone call to him/her or their boss.That will usually get things rolling quite well.BTDT.Hehehe.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I had that happen when I got gave him the estimate he said it was to much I could take him to court.

 

If you have an agreed value policy, and since you mentioned Hagerty I imagine you do, the adjuster will appraise the damage and submit the claim. If the damage is more than the agreed value you'll receive the agreed value price, plus an option to buy your car for the salvage value. I had a $20K agreed value policy on one of my cars, it was totaled, I got a check for $17,300 and kept my car (cost me $2700). Didn't even have to give up my title to the insurance company.

 

If you got hit that hard you are hurt, don't tell anyone that you are not until you get the car fixed.
Go with insurance, if he has enough cash to fix your car he has enough to pay his new premium.

 

I would agree with that. I have been hit twice from the rear and the resulting whiplash/upper back injury may take a while to bother you. Do not settle too soon just to fix your car, you may be left with physical problems long after the car is fixed or gone.

 

One other thing to remember is hidden damage. There may {and probably will be} damage that isn't seen until the car is disassembled for repairs. Hidden damage will up the repair costs, and if you and him agree on a repair cost and then it costs more, it comes outta your pocket. Not so with insurance, their job is to restore your property to it's prior state, or reimburse the dollar amount you are covered for when hidden damage is discovered.

A friend of mine was hit in his ot PT Cruiser. Insurance was just going to fix it until it was put on a lift to inspect the bottom side at his request. When it was pointed out that the floors were wrinkled, insurance adjuster changed his tune and totaled the car.

 

My pain set in, full-on, this morning, from Friday afternoon's hit. I have already been to, and from the hospital.

 

some states have a short time limit on getting to a doctor
here in Florida it is 14 days
if you do not go u are screwed

 

Document it all. Sorry to hear about the car.

 

No cash deals!!! Go with the insurance.
And don't let his insurance appraisers tell you what its going to cost to make the repairs, go get a few estimates on your own as stated above. His insurance will low ball you for sure.

 

Well, I guess that's your answer.

 

Get yourself fitted with a Neck Collar.

 

Look you pay insurance USE IT and you pay TAXES so call the cops anytime you have an accident, if he wants to pay for it he can repay the insurance I have had 2 acccidents involving old cars tried to be a nice guy the first time my ass still hurts from the screwing I got on that over 30 years ago second time I called the cops and let the insurance take care of it my car was fixed to my satisfaction. Just my 2 cents...

 

off-color, but true story: I retired as a shift supervisor at the city 911 emergency center. I had to investigate a complaint against one of my older, very old school 911 operators the week he was to retire. A lady called and told him she had just been rear ended. He asked whether it was a car accident or a sexual assault. He retired a few days early cuz of it.

 

LMAO

 

I had a drunk rearend a nice 77 Ford truck I had just been given. He pushed it off a cliff,(it was parked,legally, by the top of my driveway. driving his dads car for the first time in 5 years, uninsured, blah blah blah. I was in my house at the time.(lived in a canyon) Had a big hassle with the cops, tow truck driver, and the whole No insurance song and dance.. After shopping around for a body shop to fix my truck, I realized no one wanted to fix an old truck(this was 2003).Called himseveral times, never got a call back or answer, so I got Pissed Off. Called my insurance company, gave them all the info, Had an adjuster look at the truck 2 days later. Got a very fair settlement a week later that allowed me to replace the truck, with a 77 Chevy, with cash left over, and I never heard from anyone about it again. They did tell me they would go after him for the settlement. This is why I pay for uninsured motorist coverage too.. The truck was a shortbed, extra cab F-150 trailer special with a factory 460. Never seen another one. Bought the truck back for 300 bucks, parted it out for 800. The 460 is now in a 57 Ford.
Go through your insurance company. You pay for it for a reason.

 

My claim in underway with the other driver's insurance company.

Wish me luck.

 

Happened to my 63 Porsche that i spent 3 years building. The car was perfect until that jeep hit me so hard in the rear that it buckled the roof. I tried negotiating with his insurance company, purely for sport. It did not go well. I was going to get about 2/3 of what I had it insured for with Hagerty.

I took Hagertys settlement and let them subrogate with Nationwide. The "classic car appraiser" that Nationwide hired was clueless as to this cars value.....nor did they want him to be.

 

My car isn't totalled. It needs a bumper, and a quarter patch.

 

make sure someone checks where the body mounts to the frame and make sure the frame isn't bent, door gaps still good? trunk gaps? Etc,
-Pat

 

It's unibody. It has already been to my friends body shop.