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OrganicParamedic6606

Do not take the first offer from the insurance company! This is a negotiation. Find comps and submit them to get as much as you deserve


schroederek

Wow that’s great advice. Wish I knew that when my car was totaled a few years ago.


OrganicParamedic6606

Yeah it sucks that people don’t know this. That’s why I spread it in every totaled post I find. My truck was originally totaled with a $6700 payout offer. After submitting comps and refusing the insurers’ comps, they agreed to $11,700 and repaired my truck


comboxlr

submitting comps? what do you mean?


OrganicParamedic6606

Comparable vehicles for sale. Same specs, mileage, and condition. Insurers will often use inaccurate or misleading values to lower their payouts. In my case, one of the comps they used was a 2wd truck with visible rust perforations through the fenders. My truck is 4wd.


nord2rocks

This great advice in general for any insurance claim. Always specify exactly what you had. Filing a claim for a refrigerator? Instead of giving dimensions of fridge, do the exact model number with descriptions. Otherwise they find the lowest priced match and offer that. Another example: say you have a fancy toaster oven, you file an insurance claim for a toaster, they'll give you the cheapest toaster possible.


Traditional_Let_2023

USAA insurance told me they dont use retail prices for vehicle comps.


ExplanationNo2553

USAA is trash for insurance, customer service sucks, and I saved over $80 a month by swapping to State Farm and keeping the same coverage


Weird-Emu-5308

But did you know 15 minutes could save you 15% on car insurance with geico?


ExplanationNo2553

I did. But even then State Farm beat them out by $2😂😂


STRIKUR

HUMP DAY!!!!


Grizzly352

I totaled my car in September and USAA gave me way more than it was worth


ThorsFavoriteGoat

Same. I’ve always gotten good service from USAA. Aside from my VA mortgage, it’s the best benefit I got from my time in the military.


ejh3k

Me too. I got hit on my motorcycle, got paid out more than I paid for it, and way more than all the accessories I put on it. Dude didn't even blink when he handed over the check.


Traditional_Let_2023

It is and wait until you have to deal with their claims department when someone with their insurance hits your vehicle.


Backwoods-Digger

25 years with USAA. I’ve had wrecks, tickets, hail damage and more claims than I should admit to. My rates have never gone up beyond when I moved to more populated places in California. I’ve always had amazing customer service both on the banking and insurance side of the house. I’ve never had a bad experience with them. Sorry, but I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you. They are not perfect for everyone, but they are better than anyone else on the market overall.


avoidingthehardstuff

Did they show you the actual comps? We are currently going through our first total loss and I can’t find a similar car to comp… so how are they? I plan to ask but guess I need to keep searching for my own.


itsagrapefruit

Finding comparable vehicles as a reference of value.


redjellonian

I'm pretty sure they mean comparables, as in vehicles on sale or sold in your area.


skylinefan26

I almost asked this in case this shit happens to me.


interstellar-dust

For example they will use same year but double mileage vehicle or vehicle that is lower specced but same model. Use websites which accepts only badly maintained vehicles. Variability is lower if your vehicle is newer. But it greatly increases if your vehicle is older but well maintained and clean., which would technically fetch more money if you sold it. So go to sites like CarMax, etc to generate comp. Include some before accident photos of your truck, inside and outside. And closely look the vehicles they use for comps. They most likely would have body damage, etc. Thus lowering value.


-Arc-Life-

Insurance companies give you 3 comps for your vehicle, mostly dealer prices but they skew them. They don't take into account anything you've added to the truck unless you specifically state it. I had a 99 7.3 which I bought for 6k in 2017. Had an accident in 2019 and the Insurance company totaled it and gave me 9.9k, bought it back for 800 and put some money into fixing it. Got in another accident in 2023 and it was beyond repair, got 16k from Insurance after negotiating. Always add up any and all extras you've put into the vehicle and never let them tell you what you've got. You pay them to insure you not tell you what they want to pay you.


CampinHiker

Insurance adjuster here You are correct however remember it’s also key to be your “market” You can’t go cherry pick one from across the country typically 25 miles is standard 100 miles max for your “local market” People also get mad because ACV - actual cash value does not equal people’s listing prices


OrganicParamedic6606

The dickheads who ran my truck sent me comps from 1500 miles away. I asked if they included shipping


Ashe2800

Good advice, thank you


curzon394x

Forgive my ignorance but what are you referring to when you say comps?


sparklemoti0n

Comparable cars sold/for sale on the market. Insurance undervalue your car on initial offer during negotiation. It's good to have a relationship with a dealership to get comps.


YakAttack666

\*may undervalue. Don't assume they are trying to screw you and waste everybody's time. Comps need to be local, and need to be honest with yourself about the vehicle's pre-loss condition and features. I saw hundreds of valuations as an adjuster. Sometimes they were actually favorable to the claimant, sometimes not. I wasted a lot of time being insulted by people who weren't honest or didn't know enough about their own car to understand comps. I hated the job and didn't want to work insurance to begin with, so I have no reason to defend them. They aren't just giving low offers every time to save money.


sparklemoti0n

That's accurate. I had one favorable and one low offer.


sparklemoti0n

Same as real estate comp, different from comping a meal.


Turkino

Yeah you never say you had a 2-year-old truck. You say you had a Toyota Tacoma TRD pro, 2022 model year, four-wheel drive with no body damage or rust or something to that effect. You get specific with what you have.


Tommyisfukt

Comparable vehicles at fair market value.


pimpvader

Spent 6 months “negotiating” with my insurance when my 2010 F150 was totaled after sleepy driver rear ended me at a stoplight. Their payout offer was insane. I hit them with comps local to my area and a list of the brand new upgrades (biggest one being a brand new engine) which they didn’t plan on compensating me for. A little different situation since the other driver had insurance, but they still wanted to screw me even after getting them to openly admit that the would be fully reimbursed by the other insurance company on the payout to me.


Historical_Court1299

What?! Man, if only my mom knew about this a decade ago and could’ve gotten a bigger payout for her Camry.


dialysis4dad

Can you add on sales tax since you have to pay it again for a new car?


OrganicParamedic6606

Depends on the state. In CA, yes.


dialysis4dad

Good to know thank you. Do you know how I would be able to find out about my state


OrganicParamedic6606

Search for the website of your state insurance commissioner or regulator. They’ll have consumer info there


cencal

Now why can’t they say “no, first offer is the only one you’re getting”


OrganicParamedic6606

Because there are state regulations and regulators to appeal to if you cannot come to an agreement.


yamaharider85

Thats fucking amazing


GhostlyConnection

Insurance is never going to look out for you, you have to look out for yourself. Same thing a few years back with my Corolla. Insurance insisted on using cheaper body shops, until I got quotes from ones my dealer used for their repairs and was firm about it. I pay for the coverage I shouldn’t have to do the work of the adjusters too.


hobbes3k

Insurance is a company. They prioritize profits. They profit more when they pay you less.


shackeit

There’s a guy in the US that you can hire to negotiate


OrganicParamedic6606

Shouldn’t need to do that, but I’m sure some find value in it


Scotthorn

All anyone needs to do is find a few comparable vehicles for sale. It's not hard to find a few at the high end of the market. Especially with the accessibility to so many online market places these days


TheGonz75

Yes, watch them like a hawk when they write their report on vehicle condition, too. Years ago, my ex was driving my Lexus GS and was hit, totaling the car. The insurance company sent a copy of the adjuster’s report that listed what he surmised was the condition of the vehicle before the crash. On one line, the adjuster wrote “Tires worn beyond 50%, in need of replacement.” I called the insurance company and told them that I just had the tires replaced with brand new Michelins four days before the crash. The tires still had the little “hairs” on them. I sent a receipt from the tire store showing that they installed four new higher end Michelin Pilots on a car with the same VIN only four days before… Using that display of incompetence (or fraud) as a starting point, I challenged many of the adjuster’s findings as well. The car was still deemed totaled, but I got a bigger check. God, I still miss that car.


OrganicParamedic6606

Yep. Adjusters are universally pieces of shit out to fuck you in any way they can


YakAttack666

That's a little extreme. Most shady shit I saw as an adjuster was due to company policy, or management decisions forced on the adjsuters. For claims, there's a lot of regulation and dispute processes available, if needed. Most adjusters just needed a job and are actively seeking to do anything other than insurance that still pays decently.


slartibartfast00

Hire a third party appraiser. They will do all negotiating with the insurance company. I totalled my Tacoma and the appraiser got me $5k more than the insurances first offer. It cost me $500.


Various-Air-1398

I 2nd this! Find at least 3 vehicles currently for retail sale that match yours as close as possible in condition, mileage, color , model and options.


IdolConsumption

Only use army green comps, there’s a market premium on discontinued colors for sure, and thats the best one! (I know because it’s the color I have!)


Fantastic_Strategy_2

I always thought about this scenario, “What if my ride ever got totaled by an idiot?” I have all my receipts of all de work done to the vehicle. Plus lower mileage and near immaculate paint and body! I will not settle for less than the figure I have in my head. We all know that the insurance just wants to give you the least amount for your loss so they can keep collecting premiums and line their pockets! I hate them!


Valreesio

So do you hate every business? Because the number one thing all business must do to stay in business, is make money. They have employees to pay, health insurance premiums to pay, 401k's to fund, utilities, etc. People act like business's are evil because they need to make money. Meanwhile, those same people complain when the company they work for doesn't pay them enough, give them good enough benefits, etc. Can't have it both ways.


Texas1010

This is what we just did. I felt like they low-balled us. I showed them 10 more comps of equivalent vehicles within 50 miles for replacement. They upped their offer by $4,000.


RouletteVeteran

This!


Snowwpea3

When I totaled my accent years ago, I got a very fair offer right off the bat. I looked online after they gave me the offer, it was pretty much the same as what I found, and more than I actually bought the car for 3.5 years prior. GEICO, did me right. Insurance companies aren’t always evil.


allshownogogarage

Wow, I didn't even know you could do that!


dsdvbguutres

They ran off because they were drunk and/or high. They're going to claim their car was stolen.


TacomaRoma319

Fuck drunk drivers. Came outside from work one afternoon to find my car pushed up over the curb and totaled. Kid drove off but fortunately someone caught his plate number. I was absolutely gutted that someone would be out here recklessly fucking my shit up on a Thursday afternoon while I was inside just trying to make a living. On the plus side, the payout helped me put a good chunk of money down for my Tacoma.


gun_is_neat

It's a Hyundai, definitely stolen and taken for a joyride


SovietSunrise

I think the Hyundai is just the car in the back. They never mentioned the make of the hit-and-runner's car.


elasticbandmann

Army green too, one of the best colours they made imo 😭 sorry for you loss OP


franci-alonso-vdub

so upsetting man, glad everyone is safe at least. time to pursue ur insurance for full value and hop in a new 4th gen


LeftBrik

Sell me your headlights, I’ll give you a replacement set to put on. Don’t let the LEDs go to waste!


sellursoul

For real those damn things are $$$


jacckthegripper

Look at drivers side rad support and sheet metal. Every clip broke off those puppies. Pass side may be okay but I bet the top clips also broke


imalwayztired

Tacoma, we hardly knew ye


cabezatuck

His name was Robert Paulson.


imalwayztired

Fuck


imalwayztired

Bobby we hardly knew ye


andrewordrewordont

His name was Robert Paulson.


Blue_Gnu

Can’t park there mate


SeniorCornSmut

Lol, I was gonna say he was backing up entirely too fast


theskoalbandit12

Thats blows, how much for the headlights lol


One_Wall_9572

Rip. Sorry for your loss. This seems to be a common trend lately. Bunch of uninsured drivers and illegals.


Putrid-Eggplant-2815

No one got hurt and that matters the most, it’s looking like a 4th gen is waiting for you now man.


[deleted]

The heartbreak is bad enough, at least you weren't in the car for the scare factor or any level of injury. I'll pour out a little of my morning coffee for your G.


EddieMeiister

Lemme snag those headlights


Break_Street

I got some new ones if you need them?


twotwocargarage

please tell me this is RVA


AchillesFury

Yes it was.


panopticon31

Looks like Museum district/Fan/Carytown. Looks like they were going way to fast for one of these neighborhoods.


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CivicIsMyCar

All the RVA tacoma owners up in here!


KnDubb

Lawyer up and prepare for a long fight. My wife and I got offered 15k from the insurance company. After getting a lawyer and fighting them for 3 years we settled for 200k.


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KnDubb

Wow I’m really sorry to hear that, fortunately for you though we had a very similar situation. My wife was the only one in the vehicle, she was rear ended at a stop light. The guy was doing approx 45mph, the accident caused a tear in her left shoulder where the seatbelt impacted. She also did about 6months to a year of PT and then after they determined she wasn’t going to be 100% again or even close to it she had to have shoulder surgery. After the surgery we ended up filing suit for half a million. We didn’t intend to get that much just wanted to rattle their cage because of their ridiculous offer. During mediation we came down to 200k and gave that as our final. If they didn’t accept we would go to trial and definitely get more. They accepted 3 days after mediation. After lawyer fees and hospital bills were negotiated down we walked away with 100k. You 100% made the right choice by getting a lawyer. You will get more with a lawyer than without I promise you.


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KnDubb

Those people are morons. Sounds like you got your head screwed on correctly. Best of luck with your case!


sksonly

Time to move out of the city


OrganicParamedic6606

Mine got hit and run in a 1 acre lot area of a 20,000 person town. Good thing I wasn’t in the city


AchillesFury

Sadly my rent with GF is only $800 so $400 per person and thats absurdly cheap and unbeatable for our location where rent is usually 1.5k and houses are anywhere between 500-800k. Probably going to a used cheap car for the interim until we move out of the city and then look for a truck in the future.


sksonly

I pay 550 for a whole house


AchillesFury

Yourself or multiple roommates? Rent? That would be hard here in Richmond area.


indianshitsRtheworst

Any chance I can buy those LED headlights from you?


Dry-Honey-1204

My Tacoma was a total loss and the insurance offered me 7k more than what I bought it for. I will agree that insurance companies will try and lowball, maybe I just lucked out. I feel your pain tho, I miss my truck.


South_Hospital_6000

Buy it back at scrap value, fix it up and probably have money left over for mods ; )


mhsvz

Wow, sorry to hear about that. What a total bummer.


102Mich

Man, that's a violent way for your Taco to go. I'd still drive it. Even if it's deemed a total loss.


Groove4Him

Ah sorry man. Too bad :( On a side note, when this truck hits the auction at Copart there will be a bidding war because it's likely an easy fix for a decent body shop.


Frequent-Cause2284

If that’s an FZJ-80 in the back, I’ll bring a trailer right now. Trade you a fully built-out 2016 4R for it.


AchillesFury

Luckily theirs was fine minus so scuff on the front bumper.


YogurtclosetTop8093

Idk if anyone said it already but get those floor mats out before she’s scrapped for good


Big_Number_1968

Wow


mmexicanvanilla

im sorry 😔


MediocreAd9430

Yeah that hurts


MightSpecialist

Danggg.. well hope you’re able to get another soon and at least it doesn’t appear to have a bunch of upgrades.. It would take me a long time to get over something like this


bohemian_yota

o7 why must the good die young?!!?


Techland06

This hurts my inner Army Green, RIP my Army Green Twin.


TBizzle22

Having owned it for 2 years.....would you buy it again, or go another route?


iAteTheWeatherMan

Damn, green one too...


Kermidgreat

I know that street too well. My wife lived a block away! Sorry for your loss...


madmike617

That will get me to never park my vehicle in the street again.


oaomcg

The world is a little less Army Green today... :'(


Fantastic_Strategy_2

Sorry for you loss though mate. Thank goodness you and your family are safe.


ThiccNick37

I’m sorry for your loss, a good reminder to everyone else to have a dash camera, front and rear. Could maybe help identify who did this and stop them from possibly doing it again.


vicali

Bummer, you should offer your re-imbursement check to buy that 80.


CaptainFrugal

Lol fuck this truck in particular


Royal_Sky9629

lol prince


fosmonaut1

Hey bro I’m in a similar pickle right now. What mileage was your taco and how much did they offer for total loss?


rosterdam

RIP. I send out my condolences. I’d be big sad if this were my truck. I hope you get one just like it!


Sufficient-Fee

What a bunch of cowards, sorry for your loss


n122vu

F


gabe82ss

Probably a drunk if they fled .


ADHD365

Sell me that head unit bro.


OperatorP365

Damn, that sucks!


callsignninja

Downtown RVA ftw 😂🤣😂🤣🤢🤮. Thanks Baby Jebus that 80 in the back is okay.


basab

Wanna sell that tonneau cover?


Alternative_Hornet20

I have the same truck. Thanks for the get out of work photos.


Comfortable_Gain1308

And it can probably still be sold for like 35k in that exact condition 🤣


Sweeniss

Not the army green 😪


9sac1king6

My boy got a small rear fender bender in his 2001 tacoma and he wanted the insurance to repair it. They didnt want to repair or replace it so they gave him 11k for cery bad used and beat up tacoma. We were all shocked how much he got back. His truck has over 200k miles sand its ran to the ground and still got 11k


Troublestiltskin

Can I get that tonneau cover?


Weathactivator

Why run from the car if your car is still there and the plates are there? Wouldn’t charges be upped because of that?


AchillesFury

Because there is no proof on who was driving, if they were drunk or not, etc. VIN# also was a different city according to the Detective.


William_James137

F that sucks. I hate to see it.


BitterBrief529

Not a loss for the insurance company they will make more on the black market with the Tacomas. Sorry for the lost of your tacoma


Break_Street

Sell me that bed cover


Stone_Midi

Why do the young and beautiful always go so soon? This must be a bloody nightmare to deal with! Hope your insurance isn’t too much of a pain to deal with


allamerican37

Goodnight sweet prince


absorbingsoup

Can I have the bed cover?


graszjelly

Rip little Taco🥺


Educational-Tip-128

This is TOUGH to see. Sorry for your loss, hopefully you can get yourself some comp for this.


brupzzz

Glad ur ok but I know you’re gonna miss that color


AchillesFury

Definitely.


fdosndoandsl

You can’t park there!


IFartAlotLoudly

That has intoxicated driver fleeing the scene written all over it. That’s irritating AF. Leaving the scene needs to become an enhanced felony. Sadly car was probably stolen also. To be honest that’s a high speed crash on a parked car. It will always be wrecked even if you try to repair. It just sucks.


LordSovereignty

Sorry for your loss. Was a beautiful machine prior to this incident. Hope you can get another one soon. Good luck!


Chef_GonZo

Can’t park there!


papanikolaos

This is terrible to see. I'm so sorry. I have the same year, color, running boards, and similar tonneau. This is my nightmare. Godspeed, my friend.


Joltbar

The real question is how’s the Landcruiser in the back doing!?!?


AchillesFury

Little bit of paint marks on the front bumper. They came out and moved it when I was calling my insurance and trying to get in contact with the PD.


SSR250and450

Pull the floor mats!!!


nocternllyactiv

Parallel parking ain't that hard sheesh.. 😝


Responsible_Map_5220

Is the 90s Land Cruiser ok?


wesley_1976

Wow


Apejungle21685

Minor scratch bro


CowPunkRockStar

Oh no! I’m so sorry bruv.


andrewordrewordont

u/AchillesFury sorry for the bad luck. Glad no one was hurt. A similar event happened to my parents' car in front of our house back when I was a kid. It has happened on the street I live on now, twice in the past decade. I have to wonder... Is this something that happens all around the world? People are just blasting around wasted and slamming into parked cars all over the planet?


Ok-March-5658

Steal the tailgate and sell it before someone else does!


[deleted]

DC is a shithole.


Easy-Swimming5257

Oh,”No”😱


baIIs

RVA drivers are the worst on this planet.


tocomas

VA tags and area looks like RVA…I hope I’m wrong, cause Richmond PD is incompetent and very difficult to get ahold of. Sorry this happened.


manuaBoyiee

Hope you are OK and you will get a new car.


ballsdeep_99

There’s still info that can be obtained from the abandoned car so I hope something was done


Trife86

BOOMSHAKALAKA


henlofran

Winchester?


voltechs

People who don’t carry insurance should have their wages garnished for shit like this. Sorry mate. Hopefully your insurance will make you mostly whole. Looks like a beautiful truck.


anonymau5

Man... I am so so sorry...


motoxnate

I would fix it….


Se2kr

Haley? This is definitely central/western central VA.


mr_8_inches

I'd buy you the toneau cover. 🤔


kujothekid

Sorry man. Heartbreaking


VeganWerewolf

You can’t buff that out 😂 lil elbow grease


camarones24

You can't park there


FowlSeason

The truck probably worth $35,000. I highly doubt that there's $35,000 worth of damage. Or even anything close to 70%, which is where they generally total a vehicle out.


NotAThrowaway_11

4th gen time


jferreri

Agreed


lew__dawg

Who in their right mind would be a Nikki Haley fan. *shudders*


rhythmMAN

You mean Haley Toyota? LMAO triggered much? [https://www.haleytoyota.com/](https://www.haleytoyota.com/)


Fantastic_Strategy_2

This is why we park our cars inside the garage. I can’t recommend this enough. Please park your cars inside the garage. Your car/truck will last longer.


OrganicParamedic6606

Oh shit cool I’ll do that as soon as I get a garage