DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Anyone ever buy a vehicle back from the insurance co?

**career-builder** · 09-01-2012, 03:50 PM

Glad you're ok.

In about '88 some moronic drunk clipped the front end of my '78 Dodge p/u as he was driving across an easement in a shopping center parking lot where I clearly had the right of way (there had been a very light rain, all the dirt in the parking lot had drained into the area where this easement was, it was very slightly downhill - all of which contributed to me not being able to stop and my truck went into a skid when I tried to stop to avoid hitting this idiot). It was a VERY light hit and all that it did to my truck was put a dent in the fender, slightly push the front clip over (not so much as to affect the operation of either door). The only really noticeable damage was the small dent and what it took to open the hood (hood needed a rap with your fist before it would open). Since it would apparently take an entire front clip to bring it back to pre-accident condition (at least according to my insurance company) the insurance company I had covering my truck at the time completely totaled the truck under the uninsured motorist portion of my policy. I was shocked - there was nothing wrong with this truck other than this small bit of damage and it was a low mileage truck. There was no way I could replace this truck for what they 'valued' it out. So a friend recommended I claim salvage rights after they 'paid off the total value' of the truck. I took the 'totaled' amount the insurance company paid (~$1,100 as I recall) and kept using that truck for another 8 years (I had bought this truck at a state auction paying $875 for it a couple of years prior and then it become a 'free' truck lol). There was no 'buying back' the truck from my insurance company in this particular case. If one has to 'buy back' an automobile which your an insurance company has totaled in order to exercise salvage rights, things must have changed since then.

Since you have 'added value' to your Jeep I would think you have salvage rights. I suggest you give that a shot (claiming salvage rights) BEFORE offering your insurance company any money.

09-01-2012, 03:50 PM	#8
career-builder Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 484 Senior Member	Glad you're ok. In about '88 some moronic drunk clipped the front end of my '78 Dodge p/u as he was driving across an easement in a shopping center parking lot where I clearly had the right of way (there had been a very light rain, all the dirt in the parking lot had drained into the area where this easement was, it was very slightly downhill - all of which contributed to me not being able to stop and my truck went into a skid when I tried to stop to avoid hitting this idiot). It was a VERY light hit and all that it did to my truck was put a dent in the fender, slightly push the front clip over (not so much as to affect the operation of either door). The only really noticeable damage was the small dent and what it took to open the hood (hood needed a rap with your fist before it would open). Since it would apparently take an entire front clip to bring it back to pre-accident condition (at least according to my insurance company) the insurance company I had covering my truck at the time completely totaled the truck under the uninsured motorist portion of my policy. I was shocked - there was nothing wrong with this truck other than this small bit of damage and it was a low mileage truck. There was no way I could replace this truck for what they 'valued' it out. So a friend recommended I claim salvage rights after they 'paid off the total value' of the truck. I took the 'totaled' amount the insurance company paid (~$1,100 as I recall) and kept using that truck for another 8 years (I had bought this truck at a state auction paying $875 for it a couple of years prior and then it become a 'free' truck lol). There was no 'buying back' the truck from my insurance company in this particular case. If one has to 'buy back' an automobile which your an insurance company has totaled in order to exercise salvage rights, things must have changed since then. Since you have 'added value' to your Jeep I would think you have salvage rights. I suggest you give that a shot (claiming salvage rights) BEFORE offering your insurance company any money.
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