Last time I dealt with one, it was 75%
Kate
| > >We have full coverage, not sure if he does. I assume he does. The body | guy | > >said it looked to him like the car was totalled. | >
| > The only way they usually *total* a car is when the cost of repairs | > exceed the cost of the car. If the car is worth $9,000 I dont see how | > the rear passenger door and rear quarter panel could result in that | > much cost to repair. But the pictures are taken at night and you can't | > really see the total extent of the damage to the car. | >
| > Have you called any junk yards to see if they have a replacement rear | > passenger door for that make and model car? Why not? | >
| > Have you taken the car to a shop that has a welder on site who deals | > with automotive repairs to see how much it would cost to have the rear | > QP cut loose and replaced? Why not? | >
| > I have seen a guy take a car that hit a cow and rolled it over the | > roof and across the trunk fix the car up in a way that it is | > impossible to tell what happened.. he even added T tops to it and you | > cannot see the welds where he replaced the roof. | >
| > If the frame isn't bent on the Honda, then it shouldn't cost $9,000 to | > fix it. | >
| > And it doesn't matter if he has full coverage.. full coverage only | > adds to the policy things like theft, self fixing in the event that | > the other guy had no insurance at all, etc. Every state requires | > liability.. which means he pays for a policy that will fix poperty | > that he damages up to the limit of his policy. | >
| > So if he is carrying $10,000 liability, his insurance must pay up to | > that amount to fix the damages to your car. | >
| > >> If you do have insurance on it depending on the car's value to the | > >insurance | > >> company (theirs don't match KBB) they may fix it. | > >
| > >This is what I'm afraid of. The insurance adjusters haven't looked at it | > >yet, and that's what we're trying to aviod. | >
| > Why? Have the car looked at by 3 different body shops, and get written | > estimates for the repair work. You could even find someone who isn't | > an actual *body shop* but does restoration work on cars and see if | > they are willing to look at the car and give you an estimate on the | > cost of repairs. | >
| > At least that way, you know before you make any claims with the | > insurance company, how much it might be to fix it. If you think you | > can reach an agreement with the guy who hit the car over the repair | > costs, then great, if not, then get a copy of the police report and | > copies (good, during day time) of the pictures and submit them to your | > insurance company.. if you have full coverage, then your insurance | > company will go after the other guys insurance to make them pay for | > the cost of repairs. | >
| > If they choose to total out the car, then find out what they are | > willing to pay you for it.. then ask them what they are willing to | > take as a buy back option on the car.. if they will take less than it | > costs to fix the car, then negotiate with them and be willing to | > accept the difference (between the total out price and their buy back | > price) get the car and take it to someone who can fix it for you. | >
| > Assuming you want to keep the car in the first place. | >
| > >And there in lies the most outrageous part of this story. Where I live in | > >Humboldt County CA there is a combined population of about 60-65,000 | people | > >in the three major cities. Three neighbors, and us called the cops and | they | > >said they could not send anybody for awhile 'cause they were about 25 | miles | > >away where a motorcycle accident had occurred. | >
| > Vehicle accidents with injuries take priority over a hit and run where | > only property damage is reported. If there had been injuries involved, | > then police and medical personnell could have responded to the scene | > asap. | >
| > > We even said a suspected | > >drunk driver was involved! | >
| > Suspected.. but you had no proof.. and there were no injuries | > reported, only property, which isn't a priority when there is an MVA | > with possible injuries, no matter how far away it might be. | >
| > > Amost four hours later we get a call from the | > >CHP. They come to our house, do their thing, and leave in about half an | > >hour. Next day, we call CHP back and tell them somebody (brand new | Focus, | > >friend of suspect) is at the suspect's house and we think the suspect may | be | > >there. CHP comes, stops at our place, we tell him what happens, he asked | us | > >what happened last night (didn't he read the report??!?!) | >
| > What makes you think he would have or should have read the report? Did | > you provide a vehicle description and/or tag number of the car that | > hit yours? In your first post, you stated that he fled on foot leaving | > the other car behind.. did you tell that to the police when you talked | > with them on the phone? Did you take pictures of the other car while | > it was still sitting there? If not, why not? Did you write down the | > license plate number and the vin number of the hit and run vehicle | > when the suspect fled on foot? Did you provide that to the police when | > they arrived? If not, why not? | >
| > If you reported a hit and run but were unable to offer the police a | > description of the suspect or of the vehicle involved, then the only | > thing the report would have said was that there was a hit and run, | > what time it occured and possibly any damages to your car, there would | > have been no suspect or suspect vehicle information on the report, as | > you hadn't given any. Unless the police issued a look out order for | > the suspect vehicle, then the other officer wouldn't have even known | > about it, and would have had no reason to know about it, because | > police officers cannot spend all their time reading the reports that | > all the other officers file. | >
| >
| > > and says he'll be | > >back. We go around the corner to watch, he slows down in front of | suspects | > >house, and DRIVES AWAY!! The cop didn't even drag his fat ass out of his | > >truck! | >
| > Exactly what did you want him to do? Walk up to the door, bang on it | > and ask if anyone inside was involved in a hit and run the night | > before? | >
| > >That's when Rudy (suspect) come to own up to his crime about fifteen | > >mins later. CHP comes by about ten more mins later and asks if we saw the | > >suspect yet! LOL! I mean...good grief! We tell him we think the guy or | > >somebody is home (which we didn't think at all we thought he was on his | way | > >to Mexico) and he doesn't even KNOCK on his door! | >
| > If the *suspect* stpped by to *own up to his crime* then what made you | > think that he was on his way to Mexico? And why did you tell that to | > the police? | >
| > Did you tell the officer that one of the neighbors came by and told | > you that he did it? | >
| > >I can take the crime, but I can't understand how a town of 15,000 could | be | > >unpoliced for four hours?? Why is OUR sheriff in Rio Dell (accident | site)? | >
| > Maybe because they needed help directing traffic? Or maybe they needed | > help blocking off an area for Life Flight (medical helicopter) to | > transport the accident victim to the hospital? Maybe the motorcyclist | > was in 5 pieces on the roadway and they had to block the area off and | > do clean up of body parts? | >
| > What makes you think an accident with injuries should take precedence | > of a hit and run with only property damage? | >
| > >We called a local, independent paper and while they said the story was | "very | > >interesting" they said they couldn't print it 'cause "they [cops] could | > >screw us..." | >
| > Why would it be *interesting*? Because your car got banged up and you | > dont understand why the police didn't drop what they were doing to | > come running to take a written report and pictures of your car? | >
| > >Another reporter came by before this conversation and talked to my | step-son | > >and took pictures of the car and him, and told him this might be in the | > >papers. We'll see. | > >
| > >Cindy | > >'96 laser red auto GTS | >
| > I can understand your frustration in not having the police do what you | > think they should have done, but as a motorcycle rider, I would be | > more interested in knowing how the MVA victim is doing and whether or | > not they will recover from any injuries they might have sustained in | > the wreck.. your car can be fixed or replaced, no matter what type of | > misplaced outrage you might feel.. the motorcyclist could have life | > long problems as a result of their accident and your being upset | > because the police refused to leave that scene for a dent in your car | > is more *outrageous* | >
| > Jake | |