Well, stupid Florida insurance law anyways. That sucks.

 

01,
I too live in FL, I know of a few really good body shops in Polk and Highlands counties. If you have full coverage, you "should" be able to get a rental from your insurance, you may have to pay a little up front(which sucks), but it will get you by. My humble opinion of our outrageous insurance prices is due to all the Q-tips driving here in FL. They pay about $150 a year (my grandparents do anyway) and are involved in more than 70% of all accidents in this state. That % goes up drastically when you single out motorcycle accidents. Sorry I get really upset about this, every vehicle I have owned has been hit in a parking lot by a Q-tip. P/M me and I can get you those names if you want. Good luck!

 

Thanks, I have it at a good shop already. I am in Lake county. The at-fault driver has Allstate and they are paying for my rental car. I am hoping the Allstate adjuster will call me tomorrow. He will probably say it's totaled and then we will start arguing about a price. The body shop says if they total it they can fix it for less and I can buy it back from Allstate. Not sure how that works yet, but I think Allstate will pay me off for it, write a check made out to me and the body shop, then the shop can fix it but not to Allstate's standards. In other words, use junk yard parts or aftermarket parts. Long as it's done right I really don't care. I just want Allstate to do the right thing and fix my truck.

Jimmy

 

I doubt it is totaled, unless there is something else i'm not seeing?

 

Estimate is $3,790.00. High book value on the truck on NADA web site is $3700.00. According to Allstate any estimate that is over 80% of the value of the vehicle is a total loss. Here are some better pics of the damage, I took these at the body shop last week:

http://img683.imageshack.us/i/0401001649a1.jpg/

http://img411.imageshack.us/i/04010016491.jpg/

http://img717.imageshack.us/i/0401001648a2.jpg/

http://img51.imageshack.us/i/0401001648a1.jpg/

http://img215.imageshack.us/i/04010016481.jpg/

http://img641.imageshack.us/i/0401001647b1.jpg/

http://img704.imageshack.us/i/04010016471.jpg/

http://img163.imageshack.us/i/04010016461.jpg/

http://img532.imageshack.us/i/0329001721b1.jpg/

I personally don't think it's a total loss. It can be fixed and put back on the road safely. It's basically just the hood, bumper, fender, the upper crossmember and it will need a new fan shroud and a radiator, a new AC condenser and an alignment when it is done. Body shop said the frame is not bent.

I hope I can get it fixed. I love that truck and it has a sh!tload of new parts on it already. I really don't want someone else's junk and I can't afford higher payments. I bought my truck from Carmax 4 years ago, it only had 42,000 miles on it and was in great shape. I took out a 6 year loan and I am right where I should be on the balance I owe on it. I am right about even, not upside down. I just want to keep my truck. I didn't cause the wreck and Allstate should do the right thing and pay up. Period.

Jimmy

 

Well, sounds like its totaled...

$3790 is more than 80% of $3700...

You can take their check, buy it back, pay the body shop (which should be a lesser amount than they would charge an insurance company) and likely have a couple hundred left over. You will have a salvage title though, which really affects the resale value of the truck.

That sucks, IMHO. But, insurance companies rule the world...

Or, just take the check and put a nice down payment on something newer...

Or, buy a $500 beater and throw the rest in the bank...

 

I just got a call from the body shop, Allstate has authorized them to fix my truck, 100% and I don't have to pay anything and I keep driving the rental car as long as the truck is in the shop. They said it will be probably 2 weeks to get all the parts in and get my truck fixed. Man, what a relief! I was pretty worried I would lose my truck over this.

Thanks for all the help here.

Jimmy

 

Good to hear. That is the way insurance SHOULD work. The whole point is that you pay a little bit to cover an unanticipated big bill.

 

Guess I've missed out on all the excitement lately. Glad to hear your all right and getting your baby fixed. After awhile and after putting some money and elbow grease into these things a guy can get a little attached.

 

That's great news, All State will usually offer the option of using "non-OEM" parts, which they will warranty for the life of your ownership of the vehicle. My friend has them, his car was "totaled" and the adjuster worked with him to get it fixed. Then he traded it the next day before it was listed on carfax!