Legal eagles I need your help

[kwpnjumper55]

So right now I'm waiting to for the adjuster to finish with my car. Im guessing I may get around 3k for it If it's totaled out. Not enough $$ to buy a decent used car.

Is there any legal way I can get more money ?? My car was paid off and on one income this is a tough situation, I can't not have a car.

Help??

[amandasw]

what is the model/make/year?

I think this is the sad, unfortunate truth about car insurance: you will never get as much as the car is really worth to you, which totally sucks They don't give you a replacement value (how much it would cost to go out and buy a car), just how much the 'value' is.

[jennlin]

negotiate for more. they tried to offer me 4k once for my car when they totaled, so i did my research to find a comp on how much it would cost to buy a replacement vehicle, which was 6k. i asked for 6k, they gave me 7...not enough to buy a "new", but enough to buy a "new to me".

don't sign the paperwork and tell them that you won't accept the 3k.

[jennlin]

oh and, they usually always accept counter offers (given they are within reason), because it's more work/cost for them to fight you than it is to pay you.

[jennlin]

oh also, if you reeeeealllly want to, you can sue in small claims court up to 5k. you get no lawyers, but you can sue saying it caused a hardship on you, and you need monetary repercussions.

[kwpnjumper55]

Ugh, the adjuster is finished but there is only a $500 margin between fixing my car and totaling it out. We are going to try to fix it. Fingers crossed!

[amandasw]

good luck!

[Deleted]

Just be really careful with a rebuild. In college, H ended up taking his brother's car that was a rebuild and ended up with way more problems then it was worth.