Insurance got off their ass... should I move back to Hawaii?

[RickwithaTbird]

So, they FINA-fuckin-LLY came out to look at my car today. The guy called in to some company that researches car makes and options, and gives a value of the car. He said that with all the options my car has, and the condition it is in, the value was $4,765.00

I knew my car was that unique, and in that good of a shape, but I didn't expect them to compensate me for it. Apparently, they did not make many gold t birds with a sunroof, auto lights, auto climate controls, premium sound, and leather. And of the ones still around, they are not usually in as good of condition as mine. I am stoked that they arent going to give me some crap value like 3K, but now they are not going to pay for my rental car anymore, even though I still need to go to the chiropractor for another week, and I still need to drive home. I negotiated with the "total loss claims" guy, but he said that since they did not get me a rental car for the first 7 days after the accident, I could return the rental and he would pay me the value of a 7 day rental, or I could extend my rental for 7 days. I think I will keep the rental until I no longer need it, and then include the cost of that in my claim against them in court. I mean, seriously, Im 700 miles from home.. you think telling me my car is totaled means I no longer need transportation? They haven't even given me a check yet.

Anyways, I am thinking.. $5000 for the car (after registration and title fee which they will pay me)... and then probably about another 10K from the lawsuit... I think I will move back to Maui and use the money to go to college while working a part time job. My friend on Maui is selling his 89 accord for 300$. I rode in his car a lot, and he is a best friend of mine, so I trust him whole heartedly. I think about 4-500 for plane tickets to maui, 300$ for a car, then maybe he can get an apartment with me and we will pay 500 each per month, then 1000$ for tuition and books... I will be set up for a while.. at least long enough to get a job. Plus, I have a bunch of crap I can sell before I move there... I think I really wanna go back. I'll get another thunderbird when I can, but right now, I would rather be in hawaii driving an 89 accord. It runs good, its a nice beach cruiser. I think Im gonna do it.

[clawhammer]

Originally Posted by RickwithaTbird

He said that with all the options my car has, and the condition it is in, the value was $4,765.00

Anyways, I am thinking.. $5000 for the car

The 4765 includes everything. You don't round it up


[QOUTE=RickwithaTbird]I think I will keep the rental until I no longer need it, and then include the cost of that in my claim against them in court. I mean, seriously, Im 700 miles from home.. you think telling me my car is totaled means I no longer need transportation? They haven't even given me a check yet. [/QOUTE]


They will not pay for you insurance after another 7 days even if you sue them. They already paid for it for like 2 weeks, you should have spent that time to look for a replacement. As for getting home, you could have used the rental to drive back and see a chiropractor at home. They will not pay, just because you were lazy.



[QOUTE=RickwithaTbird]another 10K from the lawsuit... [QOUTE]




$10K for what? Be happy that they gave you a good value for the car, and they paid for the rental car, and will pay for your medical bills. Even as it is, you will end up with more than what you began with. An accident is an accident, it's not a lottery even though you usually end up with maybe a couple hundred bucks more than what you began with. It's because of people like you that our insurance rates are so high.

[fredjacksonsan]

Hawaii. Score. A good option even without the 10K.

[knorwj]

1000 for tuition AND books? good luck with that one. Most college textbooks run 100 bucks a pop new and 50 used. so if you take a 12 credit semester you are looking at about 300 dollars in books and I don't know what college you are planning on but I don't think you will find one for 1000 bucks.

I go to a cheap state school and a full time semester tuition is around 2000, so 4000 a year. If you are only part time they charge by the credit, about 100-200 a credit. so that works out to about anywhere from 300-600 per class... And my state's schools are considered cheap by the rest of the countries state school prices.

[Heep]

Originally Posted by knorwj

1000 for tuition AND books? good luck with that one. Most college textbooks run 100 bucks a pop new and 50 used. so if you take a 12 credit semester you are looking at about 300 dollars in books and I don't know what college you are planning on but I don't think you will find one for 1000 bucks.

I go to a cheap state school and a full time semester tuition is around 2000, so 4000 a year. If you are only part time they charge by the credit, about 100-200 a credit. so that works out to about anywhere from 300-600 per class... And my state's schools are considered cheap by the rest of the countries state school prices.

I managed $2000 a year + another $100 for books, but even that's double what Rick is saying. Are you sure about that price Rick?

[KatWoman]

I work in at a personal injury lawfirm and I can tell you now, that unless you were permanently injured/disabled...most of our clients never see that much. They might get a 10K settlement, but by the time you deduct attorney's fees and costs, they are lucky if they even see a third of it.

Another problem I see with some our clients....many of them think because their car got totalled, spent a few months treating with chiropractors, they are going to get lots o money. I've seen the disappointment when they've only gotten $3k, yet they went out and got a house and 2 brand new cars, now they have no way to pay for all that. I see it al the time. ONce there was a guy who "thought" he was gonna get $30K, he bought an Escalade and put 22s or 24s [bling] on it....he only got a few thousand. That truck has probably been returned to the dealer by now, if not repo'd.

Perhaps if you got t-boned by a semi, or rearended by a tourbus, then maybe you'd see some money.

Totalling a car out only means it's not worth fixing. You can have the best kept [vehicle] in the world, but if the market says it's only worth $2500 and you have $2350 worth of damages, say bye bye.

[pennypicher]

Have kids in college. How bout $200 per semister for each kid. For 3 in school I was paying almost a GRAND!!!

[-Davo]

Drink it!

[jcsaleen]

Definetly move back to hawaii. Looks nice and a 89 accord isnt bad.

[Skateforfood]

In the other post I thought u were gonna try to repair your thunderbird.

[RickwithaTbird]

first of all, the only thing I posted that I am unsure about, is the 10k from a settlement.

About looking for a replacement car for the few weeks.... I have been, but I really dont want to buy a used car, and then take it on a 700 mile trip that week... think about it. I have been looking though, and I can't find a car that I want to drive.

Me being lazy? Ever heard that little saying about why not to assume?

5000 for the car.... yes 5000 for the car. The value came to 4765, and the appraiser told me with title and registration I would be receiving about 5000$. And even if he didnt... you don't have to be such a jerk about it, cuz thats pretty damn close to 5k. I'm not an ignorant little bastard, please quit it with the assumptions.

"you could have used the rental to drive home.." another assumption. I already asked. They said I can't. Then the insurance company said they may not even pay my way back home. If they decide not to, you better believe I will make them pay for it when I go to court. Do you really think its fair that I have to buy a used car 700 miles from home, and then drive it home right after I buy it? Thats always a risk, one that Im not willing to take. Do you really think it's fair that the other driver destroyed my car leaving me stranded, and then I have to pay extra money just to get home? Do you really think its fair that I spent 3 weeks doing nothing with a sore neck and back, instead of going to the florida keys and enjoying my week off? Even if I wasnt going to florida, do you think its fair that she ruined my week off and I get nothing for it? I could have stayed home and earned money if I knew I was going to have my car totaled. Anyways.. thanks for being a jerk clawhammer.


About tuition and books... when I went to Maui Community College the first time, it cost 1000$ for one semester. Not a whole year, so you all are right, I just didnt specify that. I think they have really cheap tuition for locals because they charge a pretty large fee for out of state tuition, and get it.... (they can do that, its maui)... but yeah, I guess I would be looking at 2000$ per year.

The reason I left Maui in the first place is because I did not have enough money to pay for college again, so I moved to Ohio, because my mom offered to help me out if I did. I've been wanting to move back, but I didnt want to get rid of my thunderbird, because that was more important to me. And I couldnt afford to ship it BACK to hawaii. So plan A was to stay here and get an education while pimping out my thunderbird until I had enough money to ship it back to hawaii, but now I have been forced to come up with plan B which I guess is to take the money that I have been forced to accept for my car, and go back to Maui. Im still not rock solid on this, but I know that I would like to be back there where the sun shines and its 80 degrees for 340 days out of the year.

Just because I am going to take the money I get and move back to hawaii, dont act like I dont deserve anything. These 3 weeks have been the most frustrating weeks of my life. Not to mention most boring. They have put me through a lot of shit.

Clawhammer, just because you personally don't relate, that doesn't mean that everybody else is fine and dandy with wasting 3 weeks worth of money, work, and fun... just to get the blue book value of their car, which I should have gotten in less than a week. Any good insurance company takes less than 3 weeks to send somebody to look at the car. And any good insurance company gets you a rental on the day of the accident. Don't assume those are the only things they have done sub par to industry standards. Trust me, they are incompetent, and they are playing games with me. I only want what I deserve because I have morals. I don't want to reel in every penny I can get even if I dont deserve it, because I believe that if I did that, I would pay for it later. I believe in karma, and I always do what I feel is right. Don't assume Im just trying to take them for what they are worth. I just want to be treated fairly, which I haven't been yet.