Deer vs Car - No Winner

pburchett · Nov 20, 2012

A deer tries to jump over our car Friday on the way to work. I managed to get partially out of the way and it collided with the front of the car and managed to continue down the side. On its way down the side of the car it damaged everything from the front bumper, grille, hood, fender, tire, both doors and the rear quarter panel and the rear bumper. The only injure who was to our daughter whose head hit the door as the deer crumpled it resulting in a slight concussion. She is OK (thank you GOD).

Liberty Mutual thinks the car is a total loss based upon description and wants to pick it up after I send them the title, keys, and a Power of Attorney letter stating that I authorize Liberty Mutual/Co Parts to handle the salvage of the vehicle or to act on my behalf to apply for a title, or transfer the title of the auto.

I think they should first agree upon an amount to either fix or replace the car before anything gets signed or the auto leaves my yard. Any advice?

retired farmer · Nov 20, 2012

Don't know that much about insurance claims, but it sounds kind of fishy to me. I would think they would send out somebody to look at it first.

IaGary · Nov 20, 2012

Every mishap I have been involved in started at the body shop with an estimate of damage.

Only one was totaled and it was picked up at the body shop after I had a check.

You at least should have a visit from an adjuster to quote the damage and total out price.

Gary

toadady · Nov 20, 2012

don't do anything until you have a check in hand, the sooner they get there hands on your car, the slower they will go cutting you a check

Royse · Nov 20, 2012

What they pay for the claim is negotiable. This I know from experience.
I would assume that's not true if they have POA, but I have no experience there.

RandyB(MI) · Nov 20, 2012

First of all you are correct, there should be a statement of loss stating that repairs will be more than 75% of retail value or that car is structurably unsafe to repair at any cost. Also there is the settlement amount to be determined of which you need to bargain for top dollar. Don't forget to include all towing charges and a charge for vehicle you may have had to borrow to take the place of wrecked one to get to work etc.Once you agree on a price then you need to RECIEVE AND CASH their check and then and only then do you give them a signed off title. Any other sequence of events requested by them is totally unacceptable and unwise.

504 · Nov 20, 2012

They will have your car and you have nothing? Check first, then the car.( They will want to offer about 75% of what your car is worth.

GordoSD · Nov 20, 2012

Absolutely. Settle first, then deliver the car.
Most likely you have "replacement value" policy. Find a car exactly like yours on ebay, auto trader.com or anywhere on the web. Use 48 states search. When you find your car, print out the ad. Then tell your insurance company you want those dollars or you will go get that car and charge them mileage and expenses. Really simple.

GordoSD · Nov 20, 2012

Just for info how fast were you driving? I live in the Heart of deer country, and now is rut and post rut. Deer are moving everywhere. 90% of my friends, their relatives have hit deer more than once. I drive the same roads. Have never hit a deer in 50 years. Lucky? No. I drive 45 mph in all the known deer crossing areas. and 55 in areas I am not familiar with. I have braked and manuevered around many deer with no collisions. What is 10 minutes compared to a wrecked vehicle?
Driveing at night in deer country over 55 is just asking for an accident

Ultradog MN · Nov 20, 2012

Deer is the winner as he does not have to deal with ins company like you do.
Call your agent!
He is your intermediary with The Company.
It's why you buy through him.

Old Roy · Nov 20, 2012

Never ever heard of settling a claim that way.

My past experience the Insurance company wanted 3 estimates /with damage reports from various body shops , then the claim adjuster would come out, and do a review for a settlement.

Even if it is totaled they should give you the opportunity to buy it back first.If you feel you can fix it yourself.

Last one I did that with was a 1960 Ford Galaxy
It was totaled because the frame was bent after it went through a ditch and lost clutch travel roof had a slight crease in it.. Back then I paid $1000.00 for it I still owed around $850.00 , the insurance company paid off my loan. the guy that towed it sold it back to me for $225.00 for his labor in fixing it. He cabled the back down on his rollback, and chained the front to a pipe that was buried in the ground and forced the bed down till the crease was out of the roof....The clutch came back, and I drove it for another 5 years.

J.Wondergem · Nov 20, 2012

A lady last week braked hard for a deer on the interstate, got rear ended, rolled her, and she was killed.

toolz · Nov 20, 2012

The wife hit a deer last Thursday ("12 Durango R/T). Adjuster came out yesterday, and I had it delivered to the body shop shortly after. Make them send an adjuster, or have a body shop do an estimate before you agree to anything. Their first offer (if totaled) will be low, so do some research to make sure what your car is worth.

pete black · Nov 20, 2012

strange how a deer's body can travel down the side
of a vehicle causing damage the entire length.
youngest son hit two deer with a 96 ford f150;
destroyed grill and left front fender; damaged door
and rear truck bed. oldest son hit a deer with a
f250; damaged left front fender, door and rear
truck bed.

ericlb · Nov 20, 2012

stop everything! there is something very wrong here, first i know enough about this to know that you don't total any vehicle over the telephone,an insurance adjuster first contacts you, then if the vehicle is drivable they have you go get several estimates, the cost of repairs is what determines the total or fix situation, if the car is not drivable then the adjuster will have a estimate worked up then the decision is made, never, ever let anybody pick up your car before you have money in hand, there is no way a legitimate company can total a vehicle without first having an estimate of the cost of repairs to establish the repair cost vs the value of the vehicle, also, they dont want you to know this since a lot of companies have deals with certain salvage companies to buy all their claim cars, but you also have the right to buy the car back from the insurance company at salvage value if you want it for some reason, i did that when an idiot totaled my dump truck years ago, i needed the wrecked truck to get the dump body, hydraulic system ect off of to build another truck, this whole deal sounds very fishy to me,

Anonymous-0 · Nov 20, 2012

Im 58 years old drive like you, And like you I have never hit one I also drove 45,000 miloes year. Don"t mean chit! I could hit one anytime, Only thing your telling Me is that you don"t know deer, And you don"t know how lucky you have been.

ShadetreeRet · Nov 20, 2012

Sounds like the ins. co is trying to keep the gold mine an give you the shaft.
About three years ago my daughter's boyfriend totaled her car, (swerved to miss a deer, sideswiped a concrete mailbox post and jumped a ditch). We had it hauled to a body shop that a friend operates. Insurance totaled the car, daughter said can I keep it? They cut her a check for value of car less junk value. It now has a salvage title, but after the body shop replaced a wheel and tire. outside mirror, and a few other things, we had an alignment done and she has put about 50,000 miles on it since then. It looks like crap, but it still goes.

ericlb · Nov 20, 2012

forgot to add after i got the parts off of that wrecked kenworth,i sold what was left, basically a low hour souped up big cam 400 Cummings engine[ less fan and accessories] 13 speed transmission and 2 rear ends that stuff brought more than i paid the insurance company for the whole wrecked truck, salvage value will be around 10% of the value of the vehicle

oldtanker · Nov 20, 2012

OK you got some good advice and so not so good.

Get an estimate! Most states do not require you to get 3, just one.

The 75% is BS. Lets say your car is valued at 10K and has 5K of damage it can still be totaled if the insurance company has an offer from a slavage yard that brings it up to 75%.

Do not get values from all over. Get local area replacement cost. Say 60 to 100 miles from your door.

Rick

John B. · Nov 20, 2012

I agree with many of the other posts. Something sounds fishy..

old · Nov 20, 2012

Just did that with the same company. So now a few questions. Can you still drive it safely?? If your state has inspections will it pass?? Do you plan to keep it or get a new one?? Do you have full coverage or just collision??? My son hit a deer with the wife's car, same company as you have and they wanted to pick it up and all that and I said hey I want to keep it so if you pick it up what then and they said well you would have to pay to have it towed back and I said HECK NO so they told me to take pictures and we went from there. Still have the car and still drive it and yes it passes inspection and all that and yes they payed for it so we now have a totaled car we drive. Does not look real good but still gets 40mpg

2x4 · Nov 20, 2012

if you're going faster than 45 mph at night you can't stop in time to avoid a deer. When someone rides my bumper at night, I pull over & let'em by. Serves as a minesweeper for me.

just thinkin · Nov 20, 2012

If the insurance is going to total the car and you want to keep it, do this.
Take a few dollars less from the insurance than what the totaled out price would be. Have them cut you a check as though you are going to fix the car. By doing this you will not get a salvage title as you would if you bought it back from the insurance company. In IL you have to be a licensed rebuilder to buy a salvage titled car.
I bought a damaged car out of Fla. and was told it had a rebuilt title but when it was transfered to me it was a salvage title. I had to sell it to a rebuilder even though I rebuilt it myself the rebuilder had to own it to get it inspected and then I bought it back fom the rebuilder. will never do that again.

wisbaker · Nov 20, 2012

They may be on the up and up but you're handing over a lot of
power and don't be to surprised if you wait a long time for a
check that isn't s much as it should be 'cause you give them
everything THEY want so now you have no bargaining power with
them. Before you do anything get an estimate to repair and find
out what it'll cost you to replace the car, if you have anyone in
the area that deals in rebuildable cars talk to them, what'll they
give for it and what would they want for one like it? Knowing what
it's going to cost for replacement and repairs, gives you reason
to turn down settlements that are low. Another person posted on
here that if the car isn't drivable make sure it's towed to a body
shop or impound yard that's charging by the day for it to set
there, the insurance company will need to settle that bill before
the yard will release the car to them, gives them a $25/day
incentive to settle with you and get you your money. It's not in
your best interest to release your interests in the car until you
are made whole by the insurance company. Remember they are an
insurance company the only thing they like better than shaving
claims is collecting premiums. They figure everyone is out to get
them so they figure its good business to get you before you have a
chance to get them.

EricInSEI · Nov 21, 2012

Speed doesn't matter, I was doing 35-40 mph (you should see the road) and a deer ran into the side of my S-10. Only time an animal has put my vehicle in the body shop.

Geo-TH,In · Nov 21, 2012

A friend told me that his insurance adjuster also owned a slavage company. Can you say conflict of interest. They wanted his totalled car really bad. He kept it and fixed it for less than $1000.

pburchett · Nov 21, 2012

Yes it looks fishy and smells worse. I am going to call Liberty Mutual again this morning and then I am going to get 2 estimates today if they are open. I’ll put plastic on the side window and drive there. It won’t look any different than the rest of the crap driving around here. I don’t care if they total it or if it is fixed as long as I don’t get the shaft on the deal.
The car is a 09 focus with 75K miles and should book for $10,900. We have the better car replacement which should get us a year newer car with 15K miles less if they total it. It’s a good car, gets good MPG’s and is extra clean as we try to take the best care of things as it is hard working for your money.
It should be an easy fix so I think they want to sell it to Coparts as they auction used and salvage vehicles to auto parts dismantlers, rebuilders, used car dealers, wrecking yards, and the public for insurance and rental companies.

Dodgeit · Nov 21, 2012

Liberty Mutual is a crafty Ins co. Guy that hit me had them as insurance, they fought six ways to Sunday, about paying. The Hiway man working the accident, even said good luck getting your car fixed when he saw the insurance card from the other driver.

INCase · Nov 21, 2012

My experience with Liberty was bad.

Had a lady rear end me while i was driving #1 daughter's 91 New Yorker (totaled her BMW only ripped bumper off mine). She had Liberty..

They fixed it and insisted on a quote.

Gave us a rental car and complained we took too long to get the car fixed and turn rental back in. I had a heck of time dealing with them as the delay was on there side by not authorizing the body shop to fix it. Cost them 3-4 days extra rental.. had to talk to a high manager to fix issue.

We have USAA-- NO problems. yeah a bit more $ but they take care of things.

RN · Nov 21, 2012

Sort of depends on state laws and YOUR insurance company- but a couple times articles note the person who was hit turns the claim to their insurance company who fix"s the car or pays off total damage, then the injured parties insurance company goes to other company and says "pay up in 10 days" or the state insurance office pulls the non paying insurance companies license and bond. This may be in the "no fault" states, but I know of case from Illinois where a specialty insurance company paid for repair of old classic 1950 Packard and then sued other company, reported crashing driver to secratary of state and got his license pulled for financial responsibility, had complaint with state against other company and filed for their bondsman to pay them- all within 30 days of paying for repairs, restore done by one of parts store shops I delivered to. The specialty insurance company got paid back- something called subrogation of claim procedure-and body shop got on their list of preferrd restores, got a couple chrysler 300s and 1940s Buick in for restore/repair in the next 6 months or so, prompt payment. RN

pburchett · Nov 21, 2012

Called Liberty Mutual and let nice lady on phone know I was not signing anything till I got some $$$ and not to pick up car until then. She said I was supposed to have gotten an estimate and reported back to them, (per her computer). :shock: I told the nice lady it was the first I had heard of this and not to worry I was going now to get an estimate. She said it was not necessary they she would schedule me one for Friday and that the appraiser would call today to make an appointment. Well it never happened, and I expected no less. :wink: I will call back Friday and see what the story is then. The estimate I received was $6,600 and the car books for $10,800 Well that was $1000 below totaling it out, and I could care less if they total it or fix it, but I an impatient…

Deer vs Car - No Winner

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