How do you deal with an adjuster that will not give you fair value for your totaled car. My son was hit in the rear end (no fault on his part) in my 1985 300D with 191K on the clock rebuilt trans still under warranty. The insurance creep says its only worth 3100 when the median NADA value is 7450. We have gone back and forth playing phone tag for two weeks and he won't budge from this value. I have given him multiple examples from E bay and auto trader that support my valuation of a replacement. I want around 4000. WHAT do I do next ? Any experience out there with Nationwide Insurance ?

3100 actually sounds about right to me

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

So If your car were totaled today through no fault of your own you would accept 3100 for it ? Sorry ain't happening.

'Bad analogy [they are all bad!]

'You buy a life insurance Policy of 100K on your own life.'You die.The insurer
does not send an "Adjuster" (Read: Professional Thief) to your heirs to haggle
over the wear and tear of your recently deceased carcass.'Whining and
postulating about how you had 75 years of living on your chassis and the
insurer cannot possibly pay the full stated value of the policy on such an
old person as you used to be.
The insurer is STUCK and must pay the CONTRACTED amount stipulated to the heirs.
You could not sell ANY kind of life insurance to anybody if it were based on
the "Shell Game Principle" that we've allowed our elected state representatives
to hornswoggle us into over automobile insurance!

Adjuster? I will not even speak to one! 'Have one call me,and the immediate
response is "paper" served on the insurer.

Even if y'all ain't got none of them Solicitors,Counselors or Attorney type
people in Maryland,I here tell that the streets of that Washington,D.C.
place are paved with them.

Edit: I just know y'all have one of them Insurance Commissioners (or some
such type official) give 'em a call on that newfangled VOIP telephony device.

Unfortunately, Here in Georgia, the state official in such a position is of no
assistance to the general public in such matters.
BUT, if you live in Florida...it's a whole 'nother ball game.The Insurance
commissioner's office in Tallahassee will go to bat for the citizen's.

Tell him to find you an equal car and buy it for you. Make a good list of what makes your car worth what it is. If he gives you a list tell him why the cars on his list are not equal to yours.

And don't expect to have him give you 7450 if you only paid 3000 for it, unless you have made genuine improvments to the car.

IE if you bought it with a tranny that worked fine and the tranny goes out and you buy a new tranny for $3000 don't expect to get 3k increase in your value. A brand new tranny with a good warranty is worth something but not $3k.

I have always been able to work out a fair settlement with the insurance company. Often I will take a settlement check and buy the salvage and fix the car.

A wrecked car is generally worth about .10 on the dollar, so if it is worth 5K before wrecked it is worth 500 as salvage.

So if your car is worth 5k and the wreck repair is 6k they will only give you the 5k. If you want to fix the car yourself, they will usually sell you the wreck back for 500 so you would be getting in this case the car plus 4500.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Too badly damaged for a repair frame is twisted in the rear by about 4" rear half axle sheared and unknown differential damage. I do understand that the trans is on me I don't expect to get back the 7450 but that is the NADA guide. The insurance immediately discounts the NADA of course, dealers don't.
Thank you for the reply. I count very heavily on yours and others guidance on repairs.

All true but I did go through the "you paid $XXXX" and that's all you are going to get routine, I had an attorney friend draft a letter and coincidental I received a few few thousand over KBB.

The insurance company bases rates on replacement value so IMO that is what they should pay.

apparently, Nationwide is not on your side...

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Actually I believe that I will verbally wrestle the sum buggers to the ground....I am damn persistent.

You don't have to accept the offer, but your recourse will be defined by either the insurance contract if it's your policy or via administrative or judicial action.

Correct. Here in NY, if they won't budge (and they won't), you just sue them in small claims court if the amount is not too great (under $5K IIRC).

The mere act of filing causes them to raise their offer.

But, if you do go before the judge, you've got to have a good case with many vehicles selling at the amount you want. You might have some difficulty with the typical W-123 with 190K on the clock.

I am laughing because you guys are all over the place on this one. This is so easy to fix, it is a throwaway.

Here's how to just get rid of this problem:

It is about knowing the routes and structures within the Insurance company.
You are dealing with the property damage adjuster. Get the BI guys in.

So - It is easy:

I don't know how long ago this has happened, but even a *hint* that your son was injured, in this, will get the WHOLE claim file (PD AND BI!!!) bucked over to BI, and THOSE adjusters will give you the price you want for the car without trouble or any argument.

Why is that?

The risk/damage exposure for them in a case like this where their policyholder was at fault, could be HUGE for a BI claim, (Medicals, pain and suffering lost wages, etc etc) so to avoid all that, they will settle up fast, and give you whatever you want for the old Car, (even if it is more than they think the car is worth) JUST TO MAKE IT - and YOU - GO AWAY.


How do I know they will do it?


Because I used to be one of "they"!!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

You son should start complaining about his hurting neck... mention medical problems and they start to straigten up real fast.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I mentioned the Insurance commission complaint process and bodily injury to the adjuster yesterday and bingo we were talking almost instantly. I got 4,050 $ for the car and I keep my damaged car. I feel like I did OK. I also made it very clear that this payment was for property damage only. Now comes the bodily injury settlement, once my son recovers completely. Thanks to you all for your advice.

Nice!