Nope, it doesn't work that way.

What do you mean it doesn't work that way? I had a 92 camaro in 2007 that was hit by someone and everything went through that persons insurance company(Geico). All we did was notify our insurance about it. It went almost the same exact way as this recent accident.

Went through the same thing earlier this summer when a lady tagged me in my dads truck. Everything went through her insurance, sent an agent out and received a check for the damages the next week (all state).

somehow a small dent under the driver side door ended up in a $1200 check, it was a win for sure :mrgreen:

ron sorry to hear about the misfortune. im shocked they didnt give a bac test though, did you ever ask the officer why they didnt?

my insurance rep gave me the number to call. i have to give their insurance people a call tomorrow and have them come out to look at my car

nah, never asked em.

You'd think that common sense would be to do a BAC test after an accident involving someone driving erratically and then crashing into me at 350AM on a friday night/ saturday morning.



I have a question for you guys- lets say its not totalled, but i want to part the car out. Do i just tell them ill fix it myself, and then theyll cut me a check for the damage? I mean, i cant see that being illegal, since the accident wasnt my fault, and if they caused X amount of damage, they owe me that amount. and seeing its my car and i own it, i should be able to choose what i want to do with the money right?

they make the check out to you to cover the damages. ive always kept the check and fixed it with junkyard parts and kept the rest. ive heard of tons doing it this way too. i dont suppose its illegal, its your car, your money :nod:

sweet. i totally agree :nod:

My front bumber cover was damage by an idiot that couldn't park. When I got the check the body shop themselves told me to not bother fixing it since my chameleon paint couldn't be matched properly without painting the whole car. The insurance company would not cover a whole car repaint so the body shop told me to use the money towards something else. I checked with a lawyer and it is COMPLETELY LEGAL. The insurance company is paying you for a loss property due to damage. It is the recipients choice whether to repair/replace the property with money or not. That was straight from a lawyer that deals specifically with property loss insurance. Hope that helps you and anyone else that was wondering.

Yes, if they send you a check for repair they are paying you for your loss, you still 100% own the car either way. Even if they do "total" the car, they might just let you keep it. And in that case, you still own the car. But i do believe once it is totalled it is impossible or difficult to file any more insurance claims against the same car. And just for future reference, if someone sends you a check with your name printed on it, it is perfectly legal to do whatever you want with it

If they total it you have the option of buying it back for a certain % of the vehicle's value. However the titled will be branded, which, doesn't matter if you're going to part it out anyway.

Smart move by going through your insurance company, things usually get done faster and that's really what you're paying them for. It sucks that you'll have your deductible to pay(or they'll just take it out in your overall settlement) but they'll also try to recoup that from her insurance.

sweet. thanks guys!

i had the same thing happen to me, someone i went to high school with, next day i find out he was wasted when the accident happened...it really sucks, but nothing you can do, still bothers me after 3 years now lol

heading to rio autobody now to get an estimate of the damage

God... I hate Lou at that place, he is such an A-hole.

JW :D

careful...sometimes cashing a check is tantamount to a contractual agreement. Don’t ever cash an insurance settlement check unless you agree on that amount. Plus if the check bounces you’re on the hook for fees. Even if the check is form a Nigerian prince.

Good luck man I hope it works out in your favor.

^Great advice^

i didnt say safe, just legal! :mrgreen:

meaning you can spend it on whatever you want. But yeah once its cashed the case is closed so if you dont like it mail it right back

the first words out of the guys mouth- totalled. im dropping it off tomorrow so he can take a really good look at it and figure it out for sure. he said totalling out a car is a long and drawn out process. wtfz

when they totalled my altima they came and looked at it for 10 mins then sent me a letter saying the vehicle was a total loss and explaining what made the car worth more and less, like bonus for mileage and brand new tires and subtraction for existing body damage. It didnt take long at all, maybe a week for the letter and then another week for the check

hmm, so thats 2 more weeks on top of 4 weeks at the end of this week :( maybe ill wash and detail the crap out of my car tomorrow before i go.

now what grinds my gears is if they total it, and i want my car, i have to buy it back from them. i OWN the car, its MY property and i already paid for the damn thing once.. i shouldnt have to buy it back, and the driver on their insurance was totally in the wrong. could somebody please explain to me why they do this?

Because they're making you "whole" Say they give you $10K for the car, you then could sell that car for say $4K, you actually make out on the deal, you went from a loss to a windfall profit so to speak. ***I'm just throwing #s out there so don't think you'll be getting $10K lol.

I hope that makes sense, their job is to make you whole and if you get the full value of your car and then STILL have your car then you're being over compensated. That is why you can buy the car back again and do what you want with it.

dude now i see why-


dropped the car off for an estimate 2 days ago. he said it was totalled. then today he calls and says its not totalled. i go there today and he wanted me to sign some paperwork to get started on it. im like "wheres my estimate? how much is the damage?" he replied "i didnt get a complete estimate on it. i told him ill take care of the car, and then he gave me an attitude, asking me if i had a frame bench. later he left me a message today saying he has an estimate for me so i have to go in tomorrow. i bet you he gives me a lowball estimate since he's not getting the job.

im going to some other shops tomorrow.

if its borderline totaled and you dont want to buy it back why not take most of the good stuff out and sell that and then let them take the car

Ron, you sign NOTHING. That's an old body shop trick, you just need to get an estimate. He if at any point asks you to sign something you take the car and leave ASAP.