Car accident advice
Recently, my sister was in an accident, where a SUV backed up into her car. Since the accident, she's really taken a turn for the worse, often crying or lashing out at anyone trying to help her.
So here's the situation:
- The SUV caused damage to the: left taillight, leftside of the bumper, left side of the trunk.
- An insurance adjuster decided that it would be better off to write-it-off, as the damages exceeded the cost of the car.
What the problem is:
- The car is her very first car, and it has some sentimental value to her.
- My sister doesn't want a salvage on her title, because someday she wants to sell it, and its hard to sell a salvaged car.
- The way the insurance adjuster came to the decision to write-it-off is a little fishy. Some of the damages, that he/she noted were not a result of the SUV backing up into my sisters car. I mean its ridiculous, he lists the back right door, windows, window trim, car emblems, license plate lights, and many more stuff. The insurance adjuster said there was nearly $3400 of damage.
- Whereas, my sister got an estimate from a body shop and w/out insurance involvement, it would cost approxiamately $1000 which includes:
- Replace bumper
- Replace tailight
- Replace trunk
- Straighten frame
What she's done so far:
- She tried to settle with the SUV driver, and for a moment it seemed like she would cooperate, when she asked for a estimate, but she never called my sister back.
- She tried getting the another adjuster to look at it, but they aren't budging.
- She even pleaded with the SUV driver, to dismiss the accident claim, and tried to get her to settle, asking only $600, but it was too late.
So what are her options? I really don't know any of the technical stuff, but everyone is telling her to take the insurance money and buy a new car. Or if she still wants her car, buy it back from the insurance company, and get it repaired. But the thing is she feels cheated, it's a good car, and she's still driving it to work, she doesn't feel like it should have a salvage on the title. So what can she do at this point?
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