daughter was in a accident, how does totaling a car work? UPDATE

[OutHouse]

My daughter was in a accident 2 weeks ago, her fault. her matrix got fucked up but the pickup she hit had zero damage. cops were not called so no accident report. I Filed a claim with state farm and had the body shop come out and tow it to their shop. They called me back the next day and said the damage was $6,200 bucks. ouch...

car is a 2004 matrix and according to KBB worth about 7k. she owes 5K on it.

So my question is if the state farm decides to total it, what does that mean for her? does the car get junked and they pay her like 4K or something stupid?

Its my first time dealing with this so just wanting to know more about this process if the car does get classified as totaled.


****UPDATE 24 Jan*****

Got a call from the state farm total loss center. so yea they are totaling the car. I left my notes at work so off the top of my head it works out something like this.

NADA list it at 8100 (state farm uses the top rating for the car value)
-1200 for high mileage
-500 for no power windows/power locks
-500 for deductible

+400 for taxes
+50 for title swap

-5100 to credit union for pay off

something else i don't remember

all in all im getting a $1,700 check.

Guy at work is selling his 97 Honda civic coupe dx with 275K miles for $1500 so guess what car my kid is getting....

Now its a waiting game to see how much her insurance is going up or if they knock her off my policy.

 

[boomhower]

With damage like that how were the cops not called?

 

[OutHouse]

With damage like that how were the cops not called?

When I got home and saw how bad it was I said the same thing. and VERY thankful that other than a slight bruise on her cheek she was not hurt and she had no passengers.

 

[thescreensavers]

Crumple zones and hard front ends of trucks can do that.

If the Insurance totals your car they should give you a check of the value of the car. So you should end up with 2k extra if you owe 5k on it, if its valued at 7k

They will do a much more in depth appreciation of the car than KBB.

In a week or two you should have a check from state farm so you can use it for what ever.

 

[phucheneh]

Crumple zones and hard front ends of trucks can do that.

If the Insurance totals your car they should give you a check of the value of the car. So you should end up with 2k extra if you owe 5k on it, if its valued at 7k

They will do a much more in depth appreciation of the car than KBB.

In a week or two you should have a check from state farm so you can use it for what ever.

The door is not a 'crumple zone.'

There was likely a reinforcement bar running across the door that he hit above and subsequently destroyed.

What the fuck was this asshole driving? Seriously, that is not normal damage. If it was some piece of garbage lifted truck, I'd pursue reckless endangerment charges. Though no police report at the scene is...well, we won't go there. How old is your daughter? Anyone outside of high school should know better.

 

[Railgun]

They will use nada, not kbb. Second to that, it may be a lowball offer. Find real world retail examples to help your claim that it's worth more if they do that.

I fought for a while when I totalled mine as they offered 6-7k less than what most sales were going for at the time. There too they referenced nada. They didn't care about kbb, but this was 11 years ago and things may have changed since.

 

[OutHouse]

They will use nada, not kbb. Second to that, it may be a lowball offer. Find real world retail examples to help your claim that it's worth more if they do that.

I fought for a while when I totalled mine as they offered 6-7k less than what most sales were going for at the time. There too they referenced nada. They didn't care about kbb, but this was 11 years ago and things may have changed since.

hummm NADA list out a average trade-in at 5100.

 

[Crono]

The door is not a 'crumple zone.'

There was likely a reinforcement bar running across the door that he hit above and subsequently destroyed.

What the fuck was this asshole driving? Seriously, that is not normal damage. If it was some piece of garbage lifted truck, I'd pursue reckless endangerment charges. Though no police report at the scene is...well, we won't go there. How old is your daughter? Anyone outside of high school should know better.

It doesn't take much to damage a side of a car like that. My Mustang did about the same amount of damage to a Jeep Grand Cherokee last year with barely any damage to the front of my vehicle. Wasn't my fault, though, was the other guy who changed lanes without checking his blind spot.

 

[phucheneh]

I can see having damage to one door- looks like a corner hit. But the sharp line is weird. And the height at which is appears to have hit says 'not road legal' to me. But we'll wait and see what the OP has to say about it.

 

[rommelrommel]

The pickup truck she hit?

Did the other person convince her it was her fault and convince her not to call the cops maybe so no one could tell?

 

[T2urtle]

hummm NADA list out a average trade-in at 5100.

But its not trade-in value. Its retail value. The purpose of insurance is to make you whole again. So that means the cost to buy the same car again. They might low ball you but they might over quote you as well.

I wanna say its not ur daughter fault if the truck has front end damage. Meaning that truck had a chance to avoid u and you have the right to be in that space. Obviously you DO NOT admit fault, even if its your fault. Let the insurance decide this.

At this point you wait for insurance to say total lost here is a check for what we think your car is. If u agree its a done deal. If not u show proof of why. Like used car listings showing it worth more or recent work on the car.

Is she and the other driver OK? That is always #1.

 

[DaTT]

Break out the buffer.....you know the rest.

 

[michal1980]

be sure to also ask for taxes/tags. Since that's what it will take to make you whole.

IE if buying a 'new' matrix will cost $7100 +%10 tax for a total of 7810. That's what the check from state farm should be. obviously you have to pay off the loan, the rest will be yours to use for whatever you want

 

[hans007]

what will probably happen is this.

insurance company will figure out what their shop will cost to fix this to factory specs with new or refurbished parts.

if it costs more than whatever its worth they will give you a check for that much.

looks like your daughter probably say took a turn , across the corner of a truck or something?

anyway my dad's friend used to run a body shop where they would rebuild cars that they bought at auction many with salvage titles that were not that badly damaged to really deserve a title like this. my brothers scion TC is 8 years old and looks perfect but it was "salvaged" for same reason. my first car was actually a 2001 nissan altima that was 8 months old at the time and rebuilt like this. it had a few "issues" but it was mostly a working automobile, basically was half price though.

so assuming they call it a total loss, your car will get auctioned with a salvage title probably. someone will probably buy it, and then buy a door off another totalled matrix , for much much less than it would cost to get a new or refurbished door / door skin.

your right rear quarterpanel is slightly damaged, and i think an insurance company shop would probably want to rip all the skin off that part of the car and get a new quarterpanel and repaint etc, but someone that just wants a working car they can probably drill through those dents and pull them out, and put a used door on there and repaint it. itll be barely noticeable if at all and the work was done and someone will get a matrix for cheap.

 

[wirednuts]

The pickup truck she hit?

Did the other person convince her it was her fault and convince her not to call the cops maybe so no one could tell?

to me, it looks as if she pulled out of a 2 way stop without looking or assuming it was a 4 way....

 

[Sluggo]

to me, it looks as if she pulled out of a 2 way stop without looking or assuming it was a 4 way....

Oh dude, no way.

The truck driver has already been deemed to be some jerk-off asshole driving a brodozer who smooth talked the daughter into believing it was her fault and thus got off scot free.

It never ceases to amaze me what bizarre conclusions people can jump to.

 

[LTC8K6]

Isn't it a crime not to call the police with damage that bad?

Plus, you are open to all sorts of action by the other driver.

Plus, what looks like "no damage" can turn out to be significant damage.

 

[EagleKeeper]

If the damage is as shown on the passenger rear door; it looks as if someone ran a light/stop and was nailed straight on.

If it is determined to be her fault;
Then:

• the other driver has no liability in the accident/repairs to her vehicle.
  The liability insurance that she is required to carry will handle the other driver's damages.

I went through a similar thing with State Farm when in NV (Accident by theft)

1) Determine the estimated cost to repair the vehicle
2) Determine the book value of the vehicle
3) Is the repair cost < 80% of the vehicle cost
3a) Yes

• Insurance authorizes repair of the vehicle
• Insurance will recommend repair shops
• You eat the deductible unless you cut a deal with repair shop

3b) No

• Insurance determines the FMV of the vehicle
• Insurance presents you with the offer
  • Accept - Check is cut to you less difference to lien holder
  • Reject
    • Request justification of value - usually a list of comparable vehicles sold in the area over past 6-12 months
    • Negotiate value
  • Force mediation using the state Division of Insurance (must have proper justification for your value - not sentimental)

Look like if the value of the vehicle is 7K and repair costs are 6K; the vehicle will be totaled.
$7K (value) - 5K (lender) = $2K (to you)

Enough for down payment on another vehicle. :thumbsup:

 

[SandEagle]

Plus, what looks like "no damage" can turn out to be significant damage.

yep, hidden structural damages to a car and hidden health problems that will arise later for the person

 

[iamwiz82]

Being her fault; the other driver has no liability in the accident/repairs.

Not necessarily true, could be a no-fault state. I didn't see a location but in Michigan it's no-fault, meaning that each party goes through their own insurance and pays their own deductible. If there was a party that was deemed to have caused the accident by the police report then the other party may sue them in small claims court, but it's rarely worth it.

 

[Ferzerp]

Isn't it a crime not to call the police with damage that bad?

In my state it is something like $500 I believe.

 

[jtvang125]

Oh dude, no way.

The truck driver has already been deemed to be some jerk-off asshole driving a brodozer who smooth talked the daughter into believing it was her fault and thus got off scot free.

It never ceases to amaze me what bizarre conclusions people can jump to.

And you know what happened cause you were there right?

It's very possible that it was her fault. I've been in a similar accident where the other driver ran a red and I clipped her rear quarter panel. But since I hit her on the side it must be my fault right?

 

[Ferzerp]

And you know what happened cause you were there right?

It's very possible that it was her fault. I've been in a similar accident where the other driver ran a red and I clipped her rear quarter panel. But since I hit her on the side it must be my fault right?

Your sarcasm meter is broken.

 

[OutHouse]

the accident was totally her fault, she hit black ice and spun then hit the ass end of a pickup.

 

[amdhunter]

I'm willing to bet she'll get what she owes + more. Don't tell the adjuster how much you owe at all.