I hate to pile on, ok maybe I actually enjoy it. Xhim, I feel your pain albeit not directly. I spent the better part of 30 yrs in the AutoBody industry. I have seen so many people lose a vehicle they loved. For what its worth I'll chime in on the lawyer up debate.
Lawyers are NOT interested in what's best for you.
My experience is once you contract a lawyer, everything slows to a ridiculously slow pace. Why, because the Ins co will no longer deal with you, they have their litigation dept talk to your lawyer, who then consults with you, then get's back to litigation, who then takes weeks to consider, then gets back to your lawyer, who sits on it for a week then talks to you.
Then he tells you to go ahead and get a rental car(at your expense), but 3 weeks later he tells you will probably only be reimbursed for 20 days of rental. Then when you are at your wits end, he'll tell you to submit a claim to your own Ins co while you wait out the other one.
You should definitely consider an attorney if you are hurt, and the responsible insurance co isn't being responsive. Insurance companies use the term (indemnify), which they are required by law to do. That means "make whole", or in laymen's terms to put you back the way you were. So be firm, document everything, make your (reasonable) demands clearly understood and justify them with everything you can.
:couch2:
