Wreck caused "Total Loss" - Insurance advice needed please!
- Thread starter Trik444
- Start date
Saxainpdx
New member
But of course, like any business they REALLY are trying to make money, so they will try to lowball everyone hoping they pay less out.
What really sucks if both parties have the same insurance company. Then there isn't really an incentive to work for either side, and they sometimes will just rule the accident a 50/50 fault, so it goes on both party's records, and both side's rates go up.
Oh and both times I was in accidents(1st, lady ran stop sign and totaled my 2006 TRD Off Road Fj, 2nd kid rear-ended me while I was stopped at railroad tracks for a train) I saw a chiropractor, and once you have anything medical, the insurance company (at least in both of my cases) will give a settlement check if you sign a form saying you won't go after the other party for anything else. Was a nice $4k surprise. Not sure if you can negotiate that, as I just took the first offer.
If you are in an accident and want to get checked out by a chiro or Dr, be sure to wait at least 3 days before going in. My Chiro said that sometimes injuries won't show up for a couple of days, so best to wait a few days before getting the initial checkup/xrays.
Trik444
New member
UPDATE: I've gotten Progressive up to $9,800 plus cost of TT&L (from $7,200 flat). The adjuster finally admitted that their 3rd party valuation service, Mitchell, did not pull correct comps after I called them out on it. They re-pulled using some of the VIN numbers I had provided them earlier in the week which boosted value over $2,000. They also gave me $40 for the LED tails, $50 for the blacked out headlights and $65 for the alarm system...but still no value for the almost brand new Nitto Terra Grapplers. Makes me want to source some cheap wheels and tires off Craigslist, swap them out and sell the wheels and tires myself...at least 3 of them.
Dropzone
New member
exactly why i always hang on to wheels and tires if I replace a set of stockers with aftermarket.
Trik444
New member
Dropzone
New member
that is a long time to hang on to stuff....
hope it all works out in the end.
And glad you or your family weren't hurt.
Beaumont67
New member
^^ Looks like Progressive upped their evaluation by $2,600 / maybe an appeasement move, on their part.
But, your still loosing approx. $5,000 when you go to replace your ride / with an equal counterpart.
- Insurance may be still pulling a fast one...???...doesn't seem very fair
If I had to accept under $10K, I'd want to keep my accident vehicle too & flip it for some cash.
- some bodyshop will eventually buy this 2005 Limited at auction & fix it up
Last edited:
Boyds4Runner
New member
Not much to add here, happy no-one was hurt!
My wife rear-ended a pickup truck in her Nissan Maxima 5 years ago. I had literally just put Michelin Pilot Sport tires on that car and had recently flushed the trans fluid along with an oil change.
The car was declared totaled even though there was no damage beyond the radiator but airbags and seatbelt tensioners popped.
Report for the insurance value came back with things like the trans and engine being in excellent condition but I only got a "good" on the brand new Michelin Pilot Sports.
In reference to the tires I was told that I could take them off but I would have to replace them with something. I was also told that I could buy the car back at auction price if I thought I could fix it for less than their claimed value.
They did give us a good deal and we were able to flat-out, buy a 2010 minivan in 2011 when it happened.
Glad to hear your re-evaluation came back a bit more in your favor.
Look into those used tire places if you want to try and get your Ridge Grapplers back. Tires just need to fit. You don't have to replace them with the same size, just find any 265's that would fit and they don't need to be road-force balanced or anything, just mounted. Or see if a local salvage yard has any tires.
My wife rear-ended a pickup truck in her Nissan Maxima 5 years ago. I had literally just put Michelin Pilot Sport tires on that car and had recently flushed the trans fluid along with an oil change.
The car was declared totaled even though there was no damage beyond the radiator but airbags and seatbelt tensioners popped.
Report for the insurance value came back with things like the trans and engine being in excellent condition but I only got a "good" on the brand new Michelin Pilot Sports.
In reference to the tires I was told that I could take them off but I would have to replace them with something. I was also told that I could buy the car back at auction price if I thought I could fix it for less than their claimed value.
They did give us a good deal and we were able to flat-out, buy a 2010 minivan in 2011 when it happened.
Glad to hear your re-evaluation came back a bit more in your favor.
Look into those used tire places if you want to try and get your Ridge Grapplers back. Tires just need to fit. You don't have to replace them with the same size, just find any 265's that would fit and they don't need to be road-force balanced or anything, just mounted. Or see if a local salvage yard has any tires.
5ontheFloor
New member
This is a long post sorry in advance:
On a separate note I've only had a few experiences with accidents but here's what I learned:
The one time I used a lawyer, ended up with over 16k but that was all medical. My truck at the time would have been totaled but I convinced adjuster to make it work so I would not have to get another vehicle.
Check your policy. If you added Personal Injury Protection or PIP, then you can claim that and receive money for any injuries up to a set limit from your insurance company even if accident was not your fault. Did this for all my accidents and premiums did not go up. This is a legal form of double dipping but many people don't think to use this benefit.
If you get a vehicle repaired you can claim for diminished value of your vehicle. Basically, if your vehicle is repaired and even if it comes with a warranty, the value of the vehicle is affected because of the accident. I got a check for my work van that got rear-ended using this benefit.
If you get medical treatment, be careful what information you share with your doctor/chiropractor. My chiropractor made a comment in her written notes that there was still neck pain but wrote down something that was unrelated to accident. The other insurance company saw this and refused to pay for further treatment after that date even though pain persisted. You can also claim future medical expenses and pain and suffering but this can be subjective and insurance will fight you on this.
If you have medical appointments, and these interfere with your work you can claim lost wages and get money for that as well.
I have AFLAC through employer and that is a great benefit. It's supplemental so even though you pay for it you can submit this claim and get money for medical treatments, even if it's the other party that's at fault. This is another legal form of double dipping.
I know the OP had an 05 T4R, but if you have extended warranty and your vehicle gets totaled, you might be able to get some money back for unused portion of extended warranty. This happened to me with our Camry. Not a year old, got rear ended, car got totaled, Toyota Financing received check, then I spoke with warranty company and they had to refund unused portion of extended warranty which ended up being a little over 3k. Since car was new, low miles and still in showroom condition, gap was like less than $20 so that worked out pretty good.
Now granted, all this depends on your state insurance laws and your individual policies but I figured I would let you guys know what I've dealt with personally. In the end, the insurance companies are looking out for their bottom line and their shareholders, so they love an uneducated claimant. Read up on your state insurance laws, study up on your policies, and only give insurance company the information they ask for, never more. I'm not saying to lie or defraud but they can deny you benefits just based on info you give them that is in their favor. That's why my insurance card says in bold letters to never admit fault at an accident site!
The one time I used a lawyer, took 18 months from accident to receiving check. Injury claims take longer to settle than property damage claims, so if you receive any checks, make sure you read any fine print before you sign off or deposit money. We had an insurance company try to cut us a check for property damage that released all claims (including medical) before medical claim had been paid. Had to send certified letter requesting new check to release only claims for property and then separate check for medical. This time I did not use lawyer so it makes me wonder if they did this on purpose. Also took almost two years to get paid on this claim.
Again sorry for long-windednes, but hopefully someone can use my experiences to their benefit. Be safe out there
Sounds like a good deal. If they did not give you any value for tires and rims I'd take the good ones off and replace with scrap yard tires. That's me tho.
On a separate note I've only had a few experiences with accidents but here's what I learned:
The one time I used a lawyer, ended up with over 16k but that was all medical. My truck at the time would have been totaled but I convinced adjuster to make it work so I would not have to get another vehicle.
Check your policy. If you added Personal Injury Protection or PIP, then you can claim that and receive money for any injuries up to a set limit from your insurance company even if accident was not your fault. Did this for all my accidents and premiums did not go up. This is a legal form of double dipping but many people don't think to use this benefit.
If you get a vehicle repaired you can claim for diminished value of your vehicle. Basically, if your vehicle is repaired and even if it comes with a warranty, the value of the vehicle is affected because of the accident. I got a check for my work van that got rear-ended using this benefit.
If you get medical treatment, be careful what information you share with your doctor/chiropractor. My chiropractor made a comment in her written notes that there was still neck pain but wrote down something that was unrelated to accident. The other insurance company saw this and refused to pay for further treatment after that date even though pain persisted. You can also claim future medical expenses and pain and suffering but this can be subjective and insurance will fight you on this.
If you have medical appointments, and these interfere with your work you can claim lost wages and get money for that as well.
I have AFLAC through employer and that is a great benefit. It's supplemental so even though you pay for it you can submit this claim and get money for medical treatments, even if it's the other party that's at fault. This is another legal form of double dipping.
I know the OP had an 05 T4R, but if you have extended warranty and your vehicle gets totaled, you might be able to get some money back for unused portion of extended warranty. This happened to me with our Camry. Not a year old, got rear ended, car got totaled, Toyota Financing received check, then I spoke with warranty company and they had to refund unused portion of extended warranty which ended up being a little over 3k. Since car was new, low miles and still in showroom condition, gap was like less than $20 so that worked out pretty good.
Now granted, all this depends on your state insurance laws and your individual policies but I figured I would let you guys know what I've dealt with personally. In the end, the insurance companies are looking out for their bottom line and their shareholders, so they love an uneducated claimant. Read up on your state insurance laws, study up on your policies, and only give insurance company the information they ask for, never more. I'm not saying to lie or defraud but they can deny you benefits just based on info you give them that is in their favor. That's why my insurance card says in bold letters to never admit fault at an accident site!
The one time I used a lawyer, took 18 months from accident to receiving check. Injury claims take longer to settle than property damage claims, so if you receive any checks, make sure you read any fine print before you sign off or deposit money. We had an insurance company try to cut us a check for property damage that released all claims (including medical) before medical claim had been paid. Had to send certified letter requesting new check to release only claims for property and then separate check for medical. This time I did not use lawyer so it makes me wonder if they did this on purpose. Also took almost two years to get paid on this claim.
Again sorry for long-windednes, but hopefully someone can use my experiences to their benefit. Be safe out there
Last edited:
Trik444
New member
This whole experience was finally put to rest about 2 months ago, but I wanted to post end result just in case this thread is helpful to anyone in the future. I ended up working Progressive up to $11,700. And I had a buddy of mine go buy cheap toyota wheels/tires at a salvage yard for $50 and swapped out the setup I had on my 4runner (which the adjuster said I was welcome to do).
At the end of the day, my wife and I took the cash and decided to pull the trigger on a 2017 TRD Off-Road Premium and I already have parts on the way. I look forward to building up the new 5th gen...
At the end of the day, my wife and I took the cash and decided to pull the trigger on a 2017 TRD Off-Road Premium and I already have parts on the way. I look forward to building up the new 5th gen...
3rd Gen 4Runner and having major issues
A few weeks ago, I heard a horrible knocking sound and immediately took it to a mechanic. He said the last guy to change the oil did not tighten the filter and I had been leaking oil and basically had no oil in the engine. I had it towed to another mechanic and he said I have "spun a cam gear" and the engine is totaled. It's a 2002 with only 114k miles on it and until now has never had a problem.
It's going to cost more to fix the engine than the car is worth on KBB. What should I do? Sell it? if so, where? Donate it and take the tax write-off? Pay to have it fixed? I really love this vehicle but I'm in a jam. Does anyone have advice for me?
Thanks.
A few weeks ago, I heard a horrible knocking sound and immediately took it to a mechanic. He said the last guy to change the oil did not tighten the filter and I had been leaking oil and basically had no oil in the engine. I had it towed to another mechanic and he said I have "spun a cam gear" and the engine is totaled. It's a 2002 with only 114k miles on it and until now has never had a problem.
It's going to cost more to fix the engine than the car is worth on KBB. What should I do? Sell it? if so, where? Donate it and take the tax write-off? Pay to have it fixed? I really love this vehicle but I'm in a jam. Does anyone have advice for me?
Thanks.
5ontheFloor
New member
Dude I wish I had pulled the Trail rims with my KO2'S off the 15 TE. See my post about Heidi and total loss. I got about 8k over my payoff but it's the principal. Those tires and rims were still good. Glad it worked out for you
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Trik444
New member
Keep it and replace the engine. 3rd gens are indestructible.
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Trik444
New member
I did not. Decided to part ways and take some of the cash and invest in wheels/tires/lift for the 17
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I'm going through a similar thing right now with my totaled 4R. It was an 04 202k. They want to give me almost 9 with tax license. I've got about $1800 extra in it with brakes, FJ wheels, powder coating and nearly new tires. So far they've only upped it about 600 for that stuff. Also went to the urgent care next day and a week later. Still in pain from the 11th. I looked at a 12 but we didn't care for the performance or the interior as much. Looking for an 09-06 now.
bob3dsf
New member
I think that was a spam bot....
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