2007 4 Runner totaled last week - Insurance Advice
 

I was rear ended by a dump truck and pushed into a car in front of me while completely stopped and waiting behind a school bus with flashing lights that was picking up kids. Clearly it was the dump truck drivers fault.

What can I expect from the insurance company? How do I get properly compensated in this crazy market with no inventory and crazy prices?

Also, over the past several months I have dropped a shot ton of money into it - new calipers/rotors/pads, new suspension, 4 new tires, and other accessories. Is this even taken into consideration?

Thanks-

The way my insurance works is that they will look up how much it costs to get a comparable vehicle as close as possible. So say you owe 35k on a 4runner and insurance finds a very similar vehicle for 37k, they will pay off your loan and then give you the 2k to go buy that new one. That's my understanding, but I could be wrong.

If you have mods, I get extra insurance for those so I don't immediately loose 20k worth of upgrades.

If it were me, I ahve a close friend who is a personal injury attorney.

1. Determine (minus brakes, etc you mentioned since they are maintenance items) the value of your vehicle via Carvana or someone similar.
2. See what their insurance company is offering you.
3. If it isnt something close to what you feel you deserve, find a personal injury attorney. Not for any injuries (assuming you didn't) they are excellent at taking commercial companies (dump truck) insurance companies to task on getting you something reasonable.
4. Your insurance company works for you. Its what your monthly payment covers - representation in your best interest for an accident that was not your fault. If they aren't reasonable, find an attorney, but do not tell your insurance company, your attorney will do that on your behalf.

You can expect to be screwed over, that's what I've learned about insurance lol

any neck or back pain?

if totaled, expect replacement value determined in part by your vehicles particulars. if the work you did is regular maintenance, arrange your receipts and include them (unless you plan on removing them). they probably won't compensate for mods.

I've been in an accident before, that's partially how I got my truck. You really should get an accident lawyer, without one you're kinda screwed as the only way I see you getting money out of it is with receipts or injuries. When I got hit, they sent me to get an MRI, they had me go to a neurologist, etc. Some of them tried to say I had problems I didn't have, especially the therapist, and even just visiting those places and running those tests will easily get you 10k, and just giving you a wink and a nudge but you may have problems you never accounted for and you need to get tested for them. I actually had problems, still have problems with a head injury 2 years later but hey, I got a pretty cool 4runner now.

T4R accident
 

I got brake checked and rolled my 2001 T4R back in November. I too had done some work on it recently, fixed the AC, added new tires. I even have a TRD supercharger. Insurance wouldn't give anything extra for any of those things. Fortunately all the damage was on the drivers side and the engine compartment was intact. Insurance was going to give us $7300. We "bought it back" from them - they deducted 1500 and we found a shop to repair it. It took a long time but it was worth it.

In the past I have had the insurance company try to bone me.
I was T-boned on a test drive. I had recently completed a ton of maintenance: tires, brakes, rotors, pads, fluid flush, new aluminum radiator, timing belt, pullies, water pump, plugs, the list goes on.
None of that was reimbursed. I was literally test driving things to make sure everything was back together and got hit.

The insurance company tried to lowball the hell out of me.

I went to the adjuster with photos as well as receipts, and with current pricing from websites for the components that were damaged that added value to the vehicle.
I then found vehicles with comparable mileage for sale at the actual time the claim was being adjusted.
I finally lawyered up due to personal injuries.
I ended up having the shop where I was getting an estimate hold the vehicle until I could come by and pull off EVERYTHING I could that the insurance company would not cover.
I wish you luck. The insurance company is there to NOT pay you, or to pay as little as possible. Keep that in mind.

Right now based in this market expect them to do everything possible to try and fix the vehicle. Next up is if they do pay out it wont be what you expect. I recently totaled my daily subaru and they low balled me. I presented the values on auto trader, cars, etc and they didnt budge.

Like what was mentioned above expect them to really try and screw you over

Who is your insurance provider? I have statefarm, just hit a deer and they totaled out my vehicle. Paid 3200 for it on a small B lot type place and that was a steal. I got 5100 for it and upgraded to a 2008 4runner with 263k miles for 7.5k.