A Total Wreck

[+ purplekow]

Driving home on a dark lonely highway, cool wind in my hair and the smell of the ocean rising up through the air that was me while listening to a similarly worded Hotel California by the Eagles.  While in the song the driver spotted a shimmering light, I spotted nothing and then heard a lough thud which shook the car and saw a antler pass by the driver's side window.  As it turned out, a deer running headlong from who knows what crashed into the side of my car.  As I later learned the deer had no damage to its body but significant damage to its head and the police put it down.  I had not stopped and when I arrived home I called the police.  Contacting my insurance company to check my coverage what I thought would be only cosmetic damage they sent me to a local shop and the decision was made by All State to total the car.  The car is 5 years old and only had 30000 miles and though it is an inexpensive car, Chevy Cruze, I have no desire to have the car totaled.  It is still running perfectly but one headlamp is broken and unlike the deer, there is some body damage to the front bumper, fender and hood.    Has anyone here had luck in getting an insurance company to fix rather than total a car?

In the past, when this has happened, I was not worried about the car being totaled because in 3 cases the car was totaled and in the other the car was old and the offer was a fair one and in one the car was replaced by company which owned the other car which was involved.    

Yes this is the sixth car to which  I have had this happen.   One had a muffler from another car come through the windshield/ One had a tire fly off after having a flat fixed and the tire changed at a garage. In one I was bumped off the road by an intoxicated driver and drove up and then rolled down an embankment.  In one, a driver deserted his car in the left hand lane of a major four lane highway without flashers or any notifying item and I crashed into the rear of the car as I pulled out from behind a semi to find the car there, That was the one in which the company that owned the car replaced my car.  The more recent one resulted from my hood not being properly closed after having my oil checked while getting gas.  As I pulled out onto the highway and got up to speed, the hood was blown open and smashed the windshield.   

Surprisingly, in all but one of the accidents I was not hurt.  In the rollover, I suffered friction burns to my left arm and hand but was luck that I was tossed into the back seat and wedged between the front seat and the back seat as the roof and windshield crashed into the driver's seat.    After some initial concern about the return of function of that hand, all turned out well there too.  

So, despite my experience with such matters, I would appreciate insight into how to persuade the insurance company to reevaluate the damages.  

[wsc]

Don't have any insight on the insurance issues, but wish you the best of luck.
BTW, if we ever meet and want to go out for dinner, I'll drive.

[+ azdr0710]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Wreck,_Arizona

 

 

Edited February 1 by azdr0710

[MscleLovr]

I’m astounded @purplekow - what a litany of auto accidents. You are lucky to have not been badly hurt. 
 

I suggest you don’t argue with the insurance company. With your luck, I’d use the money to buy (used or new) a small Mercedes. They’re solidly built, reliable and have great safety features. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

you may want to consider Uber 

[+ BobPS]

With insurance companies, it all comes down to dollars.  It very well may cost more to repair your vehicle than its present market value, which is why they have decided to total it. You could try driving it yourself to another body shop and getting an estimate. It may be lower than the estimate that Allstate received ; just make sure the other Body Shop is reputable. You could also try negotiating with them over the car’s retail value. A five-year-old car with only 30,000 miles is low mileage and should command a premium. You could take it to the Chevrolet dealer where you bought it and ask them what it would be worth retail if it wasn’t damaged. if you give Allstate evidence that the car is worth more than what they’re willing to pay you for it, they make reconsider and repair the car. I’m sure the Chevy dealer would be glad to help you because they know that sooner or later you may buy another vehicle from them. Good luck, glad you weren’t hurt and looking forward to seeing you in Palm Springs in April.

[rvwnsd]

@purplekow, before you fight the decision to total your car you might want to ask for the repair estimate. This will tell you why the car is being totaled. It is possible that there's damage to the axle, suspension, or frame that isn't apparent to the naked eye. 

[CuriousByNature]

Oh deer, oh deer, oh deer!  

Sorry - couldn't resist, but I'm glad that you're alright.

[Guest]

I’m sorry to hear of your accident (and your driving record!). Ditch the car; it’s likely to have damage that will haunt you later. I was t-boned last winter. The car was borderline and I opted for repairs. Headache ever since. 

[+ APPLE1]

What @rvwnsdsaid about checking on significant unseen damage is certainly important. You can typically buy the car from the insurance company when it's totalled though. They will total it out for say $5000, agree to sell it to you for say $500, and simply cut you a check for $4500.  Even if it's financed, you can often agree to buy it from the insurance company.

At that point you can fix, or not fix, any damage you want to. I hit a deer right after I graduated college. It was completely cosmetic, but insurance totalled the car. I didn't feel like dumping money into a car at that time, so I replaced some lights, put liability on the car, and drove it with dents until I decided to get a different car.

Edited February 4 by APPLE1