May be a dumb question, but I have never really been involved in a wreck before and have no experience with this. FWIW I was driving through a "millionaire" neighborhood today. A woman in a MB CLK 320 runs a stop sign and plows into my pbuttenger side rear door, smashing it and damaging the door frame too. She didn't want to call police, only her husband. I insisted she also call police. She finally did, he came, and she was cited.
Okay, here's the deal. I was driving my 1990 Mazda Protege, with a market value of what, maybe $800? Her insurance company will probably make it $400. So what's the usual procedure here....will they cap my payout for damages at their "market value" for the car? That would really suck. Especially since this car is FAR from being a typical 16 year- old Mazda. It looks great and has always been well maintained and still runs like a top. I feel pretty sure that I'm going to get the shaft here one way or the other. What should I do, get three estimates at body shops and then try to sue in small claims court the woman for the difference after I get it repaired? Funny sidenote: when the woman's husband came up to me and asked what happened, I told him. Know what he said under his lips? "She was probably spaced." She had told me she was on her way to a doctor's appt.......THis has NOT been my week, as other poo has happened I won't go into.
BTW, I have talked to her insurance company and they have all the details. An adjuster is supposed to contact me soon, FWIW.
-- Flores
