My dream just died

[Z71dreaming]

Every state handles things differently both on the law enforcement side and the insurance side. In my state the local police will almost NEVER write a collision report unless there is a major injury, however the Highway Patrol in my state will almost always write a report no matter how minor the collision. What the insurance is mandated to do also varies state by state, but they are however regulated by each states Department of Insurance. I'm a commercial auto insurance adjuster for one of the Top 3 auto carriers and have over 5 years experience as an adjuster handling both property damage and bodily injury claims. OP feel free to reach out to me with any questions, I'm happy to help!

 

[Sparksalot]

That’s bull$hit…

Officers issue citations based on their assumptions and based on what the scene looks at the time of their arrival all the time. Neither of which are based on what they actually “witness”.

That officer fücked you big time.

Dallas PD has done that for decades.

 

[Rocket Man]

That’s bull$hit…

Officers issue citations based on their assumptions and based on what the scene looks at the time of their arrival all the time. Neither of which are based on what they actually “witness”.

That officer fücked you big time.

Our cops don’t write tickets in accidents unless they saw a violation, otherwise it’s just speculation which makes sense. Witness statements, driver statements etc go into an accident report and the insurance companies figure out who’s at fault, percentage wise etc.
Edit: if it’s a serious injury or death they close down the street/ highway and bring in accident reconstruction experts.

 

[iamdub]

I am having a hard time understanding how you got $5500 out of a vehicle that had an $800 blue book value without an appraisal. They don’t just come up with a value out of thin air, and that’s quite a difference to say the least.

They estimated by the vehicle's aesthetics that $800 was all it was worth. It took factual documentation to prove to them that, even though an Aztek is a visual abomination, it still has value otherwise.

 

[swathdiver]

Well, whatever happens get a dash cam and keep it on when you're driving.

 

[MassHoe04]

That was super-nice of our member, who works in insurance, to offer help!

Glad you are OK! You did yourself a big favor by taking photos of the vehicle while it was still on-scene. If you managed to get photos of the other vehicle and the surroundings, that information will be really helpful to your insurance company.

I was in law-enforcement on a limited, part-time basis for a while. I do know that (in my community) citations can take some time. Tickets may not be issued by the officer on-scene. They may be issued after the traffic supervisor reviews the reports, which can take some time. Without the ticket, your fight is a little tougher, but not impossible.

Did anyone witness? Were statements provided or at least contact information for follow-up?
Witnesses can make the process so much easier to help determine who is at fault.

If no ticket and now witnesses, then the two insurance companies will review the reports, statements of both parties (and your photos). Since neither company wants to pay out, both sides will probably do their best to determine which side was responsible. Based on the location of initial impact to the vehicles and the position of the vehicles were when it happened, the investigators might be able to make a determination who was rightly entering the intersection or who failed to stop or failed to yield.

I found this on Progressive's site, if it helps explain some of what goes on...

At-Fault vs. No-Fault Accidents

The state where an accident occurs, and whether it's an at-fault or no-fault accident state, has a significant impact on how an auto insurance claim is paid.

www.progressive.com

MA is a no-fault state. I rear-ended an SUV after it left the ramp to enter a traffic rotary (translation: a huge over-sized roundabout for you non-New Englanders...). Nobody stops on a rotary! I was not cited. 18 months later, I finally got my appeal hearing. I was still found at fault. My bill has been high for 2 years now. 2 down, 5 to go before rates get back to normal (which are still STUPID HIGH).

Good luck!

 

[corvette744]

You won’t get an insurance company to increase the value they assign your vehicle by finding comparable vehicles, you need to pay for an appraisal from a licensed appraiser which usually cost around $500 but in most cases if your appraisal ends up being considerably higher than what they were offering, they have to pay the appraisal fee plus the difference. I built a Harley that I had $50k into plus my labor and an uninsured driver totaled it. My insurance wanted to pay me for a stock bike, about $23k. I paid for an appraisal , he valued it at 53k. I had every receipt so it helped my case. They hired their own appraiser- 47k. They compromised at $50k plus my insurance paid the fee. IMO it’s not worth it unless you’re talking at least 5k because it drags it out months and you might not end up with more money.

My insurance company state farm insured my cars at an agreed value-might be a tad more monthly but i get what amount i want if its totaled.Im not sure if illinois is different than other states but thats what i do.

 

[Electrician]

Every state handles things differently both on the law enforcement side and the insurance side. In my state the local police will almost NEVER write a collision report unless there is a major injury, however the Highway Patrol in my state will almost always write a report no matter how minor the collision. What the insurance is mandated to do also varies state by state, but they are however regulated by each states Department of Insurance. I'm a commercial auto insurance adjuster for one of the Top 3 auto carriers and have over 5 years experience as an adjuster handling both property damage and bodily injury claims. OP feel free to reach out to me with any questions, I'm happy to help!

That's what's up! Thanks for letting me know. I'm still in limbo waiting on insurance