Does this sound right ?

[2ball]

I understand the adjuster's primary job is to save the insurance company money. If they don't do that they will not have a job for long. I get they are not my friend and they are actually working against me.

Here is my situation, 20-year-old truck gets in a non at fault accident. The other insurance company takes responsibility.

The adjuster makes this pitch.

Your vehicle is worth somewhere around $2,000. You have 2,000 worth of damage. If we total it, we will take off for the rust on the bed the broken tail light, the poor condition of the interior and that could be as much as $800 off.

or

I will write up an estimate and stop when the damage reaches 55% of the value of the vehicle.

So

option 1 we give you $1200 and take the vehicle
option 2 we give you $1100 and you keep the vehicle.

does all this sound legitimate?

 

[VolAgent]

The adjuster is neither your friend nor your enemy. His job is to fairly and accurate assess damages and settle the claim. To pay all valid claims and to deny all invalid claims. Sometimes you'll love them and sometimes you'll hate them.

On the face of it, yes. Obviously a 20 year old vehicle isn't going to have much value. I'm not sure of the exact numbers he came up with and the deductions to its value. That just depends on the vehicle in question and its condition.

If they total the vehicle (take it) then you are also entitled to tax, title and registration. I doubt that is part of the 1200 figure, but it may be.

If you feel the numbers are wrong, then you will need to research and see what vehicles like yours are selling for in the area. You will also need to adjust the sales price to reflect the condition of your vehicle prior to the accident. Considering the age of your truck, you may not find many to compare against. If you can find that the adjuster is low in his estimate of its value, then you will have evidence to use to get him to adjust his numbers. You may find he is actually high and being generous. You won't know until you look.