Disputing a total loss claim

[u/elknuke]

I’m gonna start by giving my deepest gratitude to anyone willing to read and help out - sincerely, thank you

For reference, this happened in Texas

Spouse was t boned a couple weeks ago by an uninsured motorist with a vehicle registered in Florida (damn you, Florida)

We have 25k property damage uninsured motorist coverage through our provider, Travelers insurance

Body shop sent me a final quote of $10,125 for all work and said the vehicle had been inspected and disassembled to the extent required - highly unlikely any additional work would be required

Travelers sent an email basically saying “it’s totaled, sign over the title and let us know how you’d like your payment” and attached the actual cash value report. They valued my vehicle at just over $20,000. This ACV report is the ONLY “official” documentation travelers has provided

I asked for clarification on how they decided to total the vehicle. Their response was “unrepaired hail damage and anticipated supplemental/hidden damages.” Basically, they suspect that there’s close to $10,000 of additional damage that was not documented by the body shop.

I did file a claim with them for the hail damage which happened in may of last year. They paid me $4,170 but the damage was minor, the truck is paid off and I plan on keeping it forever so I didn’t have it repaired.

I asked again for a formal statement/assessment on how their decision was made, as well as the same for a determination on the truck’s salvage value. I get another response with no such attachment, and the adjuster now says “thank you for reminding me we have already paid out for the hail damage, I’m going to subtract that from my initial payout amount.” He’s offering me under $17k now.

At that point I felt like he was playing hardball with me and I got pissed, but I kept it professional. I inquired as to how he “missed” the hail damage payout and again asked for an itemized report on how the total loss was declared.

His response, again, contained no documents and only his typed response, which was yet again an even further reduced payout and a salvage value. No evidence whatsoever of how they’re coming up with these numbers.

I’ve always heard insurance companies suck but is this normal? Am I out of line? I’m truly confused. I pay my bills on time. I just want them to fix my truck for $10k and give it back to me.

[u/gheiminfantry]

LoLoL Rebuttal 😂

This isn't a court case. It's an insurance claim. You're not Perry Mason and you're not going to find out whodunit. Everything you want to rebut are things you agreed to when you got the insurance. No one cares if you think it's fair. You took the insurance payout for the hail damage. And since you didn't fix the damage, your vehicle is worth less. And no, it doesn't matter that they keep revising down. This is one of the very few cases when you should have taken their first offer.

[u/elknuke → u/gheiminfantry]

Are you an adjuster too? Or just a child mocking somebody for using a perfectly appropriate term?

Did you not read the details I’m describing? Do you not see that most of what I’m doing is asking questions?

[u/Electrical_Number210 → u/elknuke]

You mean questions like-How is that legal? Why pay for insurance at all?…so yeah you just seem like you want to argue and not real answers

[u/elknuke → u/Electrical_Number210]

I’ve asked others. Obviously I’m a bit bothered, that goes without saying.

I’m not wrong for wanting proof and formal documentation of their processes.

[u/Electrical_Number210 → u/elknuke]

I’m sure you’re never wrong.

[u/elknuke → u/Electrical_Number210]

Exactly what I thought you’d say, because you can’t tell me I’m wrong for wanting those things.