grayman
Enthusiast
Sad story to write but it bears telling. Some very vital points to know when buying a high dollar car like a Viper.
Purchased a mint 04 SRT about a year ago. Obviously got full coverage insurance even though I had no loan – paid cash. Put about $4k in extras….exhaust, intake, misc..blah blah blah.
Anyways, got in an accident in Oct 04 at an event about 3 hr from home. Really not that bad. Airbags popped but vehicle held together great. Jumped a curb and hit a brick wall about 15 mph. Contrary to what some of my friends say, I truly believe it was maybe a $15k fix. But I could be wrong, …no bodyshop expert here. Anyways, car gets towed to local salvage lot at direction of police on the scene. Im given a business card of the shop it goes to and I contact the next day to make arrangements for car to be delivered back to my house (about 3 hr trip). Local shop the car was taken to was very helpful and made arrangements for me and friend to ride back home with car on flatbed. Scheduled trip home the following morning.
Called in the morning to confirm arrangements and am told that there was a fire on the lot that night and car was completely destroyed. What #$@@ luck I am having this weekend. Good thing I don’t get too upset over material things, because this series of events is about to make me go postal. Anyways, I ask what the hell happened and the lot owner has no idea and puts me on the phone with the fire marshall and police who are investigating. Oh boy I think, and am I right or what, here is where the fun begins…
Get treated like a big time criminal from here on out as police try to accuse me of burning my own car up. Unbefrickinlievable. Questioned for an hour or so with buddy at local police station and generally treated like crap. After accounting for whereabouts the entire time with witnesses, the cop actually says…”Well, you didn’t have to actually be there to burn your car, You could have paid someone to do it!!!” I start laughing and my buddy says, “Yeah right, we’re here partying 3 hrs from home and on a whim decided to look in the yellow pages and found 1-800-dial an arsonist”. 30 seconds later the police threw us out and said they would talk to us later.
Well, thinking it was all over I called my insurance company , Nation#$%^% , and reported everything. Relying on the coverage I know I had, I thought all would be taken care of….You know their motto…Nation$%^ is on your side. Ha!!! What a friggin joke. They put me thru the ringer for 9 months before just settling. Their position was that I had burned my car and they were not paying, plain and simple. I told them right off the bat to kiss my cherry red ass and discuss everything with my attorney. They played the insurance handbook of BS, including calling me multiple times to deposition, calling my wife, investigating my financial history, debts, angry girlfriends and underwear color. Only after threatening to sue and reporting them to the state insurance commissioner did they agree to settle, and then tried to seriously low ball me.
Bottom line is, I finally got what I wanted but had to seriously fight for it. YOUR insurance carrier will be quick to pay on low $ claims, but lose a Viper completely and see how quick they send you a check. Also, and this is important, make sure you have a lien on your car even if you don’t want it. Legally, an insurer must play by a different set of rules regarding payouts and timeframes when a 3rd party is involved. By having a lienholder, your carrier must settle the claim completely IAW state sponsored guidelines whereas if you own your car outright, a 1st party claim usually is not as strenuously regulated and you could get screwed.
Take it from me. Full coverage is a joke if there is even anything out of the norm with your claim. You may finally win what you deserve, but odds are it will not be as easy as you think it should be.
Purchased a mint 04 SRT about a year ago. Obviously got full coverage insurance even though I had no loan – paid cash. Put about $4k in extras….exhaust, intake, misc..blah blah blah.
Anyways, got in an accident in Oct 04 at an event about 3 hr from home. Really not that bad. Airbags popped but vehicle held together great. Jumped a curb and hit a brick wall about 15 mph. Contrary to what some of my friends say, I truly believe it was maybe a $15k fix. But I could be wrong, …no bodyshop expert here. Anyways, car gets towed to local salvage lot at direction of police on the scene. Im given a business card of the shop it goes to and I contact the next day to make arrangements for car to be delivered back to my house (about 3 hr trip). Local shop the car was taken to was very helpful and made arrangements for me and friend to ride back home with car on flatbed. Scheduled trip home the following morning.
Called in the morning to confirm arrangements and am told that there was a fire on the lot that night and car was completely destroyed. What #$@@ luck I am having this weekend. Good thing I don’t get too upset over material things, because this series of events is about to make me go postal. Anyways, I ask what the hell happened and the lot owner has no idea and puts me on the phone with the fire marshall and police who are investigating. Oh boy I think, and am I right or what, here is where the fun begins…
Get treated like a big time criminal from here on out as police try to accuse me of burning my own car up. Unbefrickinlievable. Questioned for an hour or so with buddy at local police station and generally treated like crap. After accounting for whereabouts the entire time with witnesses, the cop actually says…”Well, you didn’t have to actually be there to burn your car, You could have paid someone to do it!!!” I start laughing and my buddy says, “Yeah right, we’re here partying 3 hrs from home and on a whim decided to look in the yellow pages and found 1-800-dial an arsonist”. 30 seconds later the police threw us out and said they would talk to us later.
Well, thinking it was all over I called my insurance company , Nation#$%^% , and reported everything. Relying on the coverage I know I had, I thought all would be taken care of….You know their motto…Nation$%^ is on your side. Ha!!! What a friggin joke. They put me thru the ringer for 9 months before just settling. Their position was that I had burned my car and they were not paying, plain and simple. I told them right off the bat to kiss my cherry red ass and discuss everything with my attorney. They played the insurance handbook of BS, including calling me multiple times to deposition, calling my wife, investigating my financial history, debts, angry girlfriends and underwear color. Only after threatening to sue and reporting them to the state insurance commissioner did they agree to settle, and then tried to seriously low ball me.
Bottom line is, I finally got what I wanted but had to seriously fight for it. YOUR insurance carrier will be quick to pay on low $ claims, but lose a Viper completely and see how quick they send you a check. Also, and this is important, make sure you have a lien on your car even if you don’t want it. Legally, an insurer must play by a different set of rules regarding payouts and timeframes when a 3rd party is involved. By having a lienholder, your carrier must settle the claim completely IAW state sponsored guidelines whereas if you own your car outright, a 1st party claim usually is not as strenuously regulated and you could get screwed.
Take it from me. Full coverage is a joke if there is even anything out of the norm with your claim. You may finally win what you deserve, but odds are it will not be as easy as you think it should be.
