HELP! Is This Car Totaled? What Do I Do? Pic. Included

[lej888]

So i recently got into an accident and my car suffered some damage that in my opinion is not minor but defintely can be repaired. I rear ended a BMW jeep and they have minor damages. The hood, front bumper, grill radiator and rail of my car need to be repaired. I know those arent really expensive.The door will not open all the way because of the bumper bending back into the door. After having my car sit in a yard for a few days, it was finally towed to a location to be repaired. The adjuster called to say that he did not get to really assess all the damage but looking at it, it might be a total. He told me to look at nadaguides.com to get an estimate of what my car is worth. I did and it seems as though my 2006 Toyota Corolla S is $13, 200. The aduster said cars that if repairs cost 75% of the value of the car it is usually totaled...Howmuch do you think insurance would say it would cost to repair a car with the damage described? I really want to keep my car as it has never had any damage or problems! Why are insurance agents always so quick to toal a car?

 

[NCAgent]

So i recently got into an accident and my car suffered some damage that in my opinion is not minor but defintely can be repaired. I rear ended a BMW jeep and they have minor damages. The hood, front bumper, grill radiator and rail of my car need to be repaired. I know those arent really expensive.The door will not open all the way because of the bumper bending back into the door. After having my car sit in a yard for a few days, it was finally towed to a location to be repaired. The adjuster called to say that he did not get to really assess all the damage but looking at it, it might be a total. He told me to look at nadaguides.com to get an estimate of what my car is worth. I did and it seems as though my 2006 Toyota Corolla S is $13, 200. The aduster said cars that if repairs cost 75% of the value of the car it is usually totaled...Howmuch do you think insurance would say it would cost to repair a car with the damage described? I really want to keep my car as it has never had any damage or problems! Why are insurance agents always so quick to toal a car?

There is a lot more work than you would think to repair a car. If the radiator was damaged, for example, that could be enough, especially if fluids are leaking. Did the airbags deploy? Those aren't cheap.

I don't remember if it was a REQUIREMENT or not to total a car at 75% or not. I can't remember. Trust me, adjusters don't like total'ing cars out if they can resolve this in a cheaper way. Just start looking around and have the adjuster help you find another car.

 

[Josh]

It might be totalled, but those parts are common and cheap. I'd bet $100 in your favor, but that's just a guess. If the airbags didn't go off then that's a huge step in the right direction.

 

[lej888]

thanks for your input!! the airbags didnt deploy and i didnt see any fluid leaking so thank goodness for that..I'm hoping it wont be totaled i just want a repair and to keep it moving! i had another mechanic look inside and he said it looks fine in there just normal issues such as radiator and that he couldn't see the job costing over $4,000. Also 75% isn't a requirement I believe that is just the number that geico uses...it can range...as I said however, I'm hoping for a repair and nothing more..How long do you think a job like this would take?

 

[Josh]

thanks for your input!! the airbags didnt deploy and i didnt see any fluid leaking so thank goodness for that..I'm hoping it wont be totaled i just want a repair and to keep it moving! i had another mechanic look inside and he said it looks fine in there just normal issues such as radiator and that he couldn't see the job costing over $4,000. Also 75% isn't a requirement I believe that is just the number that geico uses...it can range...as I said however, I'm hoping for a repair and nothing more..How long do you think a job like this would take?

The 75% is a state number.

A body shop can give you a better idea on how long the repair would take, but I wouldn't plan on having your car back anytime soon.

 

[lej888]

Josh I really appreciate your help..I just looked up the average time it takes to repair significant front end damage and most body shop websites say on average five days so I'm guessing between 5 to 10 days. I'll let you guys know how everything goes thanks so much!!

 

[djs]

5 days, if they have parts. Sometimes parts take a bit longer. Also, there will be an argument (oops, I meant discussion) with the adjuster along the way about a supplemental, add another day, or two.

10 days is possible.

Totalled? Impossible to tell from the picture, but I can understand why they would advise you that it might be. That doesn't mean it is. Nobody will know till they start a teardown.

And yes, the 75% number is usually dictated by the state, but there are some variances in how this works.

Dan