Auto Insurance Claims: They want to total my car, car question, autotraders

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I was involved in an accident a few days ago.  The other person has accepted liability and her insurance company has looked at my car, a 2000 Taurus.  They are saying that the damages come to $3500, and they are valuing my car at about $2600, and they want to "total" it.  My questions are these:

1)  I went to www.autotraders.com, and though there are a few priced at around $2900 or so, I found six 2000 Taurus' with about the same mileage and about the same equipment (it's hard to find exact) with prices ranging from $3995 to $6995.  These six cars average out to $5528.  My car was in excellent condition and has four practically new tires, so I feel my car should fall into the higher price range.  Do they have to take into consideration the cars I found on autotraders?

2)  When it comes to the “totaled” / “salvage” issue, it's not that the car is so badly damaged (it's totally drivable), it's only “totaled” and salvage because they have given such a low evaluation of my car.  Can I fight this?

3)  They now have my car torn up so that the appraiser could inspect my car to see all the damage.  Can they leave it like that, or do they have to put it back together so I can drive it away to take it to another shop for an estimate?  It drives fine; it’s just that the rear door won’t open.

Thank you very much for your help.

Marc


ANSWER: Hi Marc,
If you carry collision on your car, you should immediately report this to your own company and have them inspect the car at it's present location and determine if they are willing to repair it or if they also consider it a total.  If you convince your own company to repair the car, they can do so and then subrogate against the at-fault company for recovery.

You should be able to bring estimators from other shops to it's present location to evaluate the damage and reparability.  This saves the time and costs of putting the car back together, only to be towed across town and torn down again.

You need to go back to the autotrader site and make hard copy prints of the six cars that you found.  You should also go to www.kbb.com
www.nada.com   and   www.edmunds.com   to find 5-6 more cars and make hard copy prints.  This will assist you in your negotiations with the insurance company to avoid the car being totaled, or at least be proof of a much higher value than the $2,600 in the event they still decide to total the car.

I hope you find this information to be helpful.
Your feedback by rating my answer will be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer, Bennie.  I have follow-up if you don't mind:

If they still want to total my car, and I can't get another repairman to come to the site the car is at now, do I retain the right to have them put my car back together, so I can drive it to another body shop?  

The car is perfectly drivable and safe; there is no broken or cracked glass, all doors work and are lockable.  The damage is mainly cosmetic.  Can they keep me from driving the car away because they have pronounced it a "total?"

Answer
Hi Marc,
Based on my 47 years of experience in the insurance industry, I see no reason why another repair shop would not come to the site to inspect and estimate your damage.  I've seen it done uncountable times.

If you can't get someone to come to the site of the car, then you do have the right to have the car put back in safe driving condition so you can drive it to another location.

Bennie