Ok so my 1990 Acura Legend was totaled in an accident recently. The accident was not my fault and the car is perfectly drivable. Due to the extent of the damage and the age of the car they totaled it. The KBB value is like 2800 and the estimate came to 4500.
In my personal (and professional--as I have a BS in mechanical engineering) opinion the damage to the car is purely cosmetic. The rear-end looks like crap and the trunk doesn't close properly but that's it. In order to repair it they said they'd have to replace a quarter panel and trunk floor assembly among other smaller components.
I have read and reread GA laws regarding salvage titles and total loss claims and there are some conflicting statements in there. One section says you have to get a salvage title regardless of the extent of the damage when you keep the car after a total loss claim is paid. Another section says that the car has to have more than cosmetic damage. Still other sections talk about the car having to be repaired to a "safe operable condition."
It seems to me that the car is already in a safe operable condition. I am fine with keeping the car, and getting a check for 2800, but they say I have to get a salvage title in order to keep driving it and collect the claim. The other option is they keep the car and give me an extra 200 so I'd get an even 3000. The salvage title process could take 3 to 4 weeks during which time I can't drive the vehicle and would have to get a rental car. On top of that I would have to get the car inspected and re-titled to the cost of 118 bucks. I've asked the insurance company if they would cover the rental car during this process but of course they said no. I've contaced lawyers and various gov't dept's asking these questions but haven't gotten any satisfactory answers.
So I guess I have a bunch of questions that hopefully someone here could answer with some confidence.
What do GA salvage inspectors look for when re-inspecting totaled vehicles?
Would I, if I kept the car, have to get the cosmetic damage fixed to pass inspection?
Who is qualified to deem damage to a vehicle is either structural or cosmetic? (not even going into how idiotic such a classification is)
In general I want to keep the car and not go through the pain in the ass salvage title process. I know I could give them the car, get a couple extra hundred dollars and buy a new car but I'd like to avoid that if at all possible. What would you guys do in my situation??
In my personal (and professional--as I have a BS in mechanical engineering) opinion the damage to the car is purely cosmetic. The rear-end looks like crap and the trunk doesn't close properly but that's it. In order to repair it they said they'd have to replace a quarter panel and trunk floor assembly among other smaller components.
I have read and reread GA laws regarding salvage titles and total loss claims and there are some conflicting statements in there. One section says you have to get a salvage title regardless of the extent of the damage when you keep the car after a total loss claim is paid. Another section says that the car has to have more than cosmetic damage. Still other sections talk about the car having to be repaired to a "safe operable condition."
It seems to me that the car is already in a safe operable condition. I am fine with keeping the car, and getting a check for 2800, but they say I have to get a salvage title in order to keep driving it and collect the claim. The other option is they keep the car and give me an extra 200 so I'd get an even 3000. The salvage title process could take 3 to 4 weeks during which time I can't drive the vehicle and would have to get a rental car. On top of that I would have to get the car inspected and re-titled to the cost of 118 bucks. I've asked the insurance company if they would cover the rental car during this process but of course they said no. I've contaced lawyers and various gov't dept's asking these questions but haven't gotten any satisfactory answers.
So I guess I have a bunch of questions that hopefully someone here could answer with some confidence.
What do GA salvage inspectors look for when re-inspecting totaled vehicles?
Would I, if I kept the car, have to get the cosmetic damage fixed to pass inspection?
Who is qualified to deem damage to a vehicle is either structural or cosmetic? (not even going into how idiotic such a classification is)
In general I want to keep the car and not go through the pain in the ass salvage title process. I know I could give them the car, get a couple extra hundred dollars and buy a new car but I'd like to avoid that if at all possible. What would you guys do in my situation??
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