Expert: Richard Hixenbaugh - 8/4/2009

Question
I was in a car accident last Tues.. The insurance totaled my car.  All they want to give me is $559.95 for the car.  The man that rear ened me, has had a total of 4 car accidents in the year.  Do I have to accept the amount that the insurance company is offering me?

Answer
Hi Lisa,

You do not have to accept what the insurance company is offering. However, it will be up to you to prove them wrong. You can go to www.autotrader.com where you can look for other vehicles like yours that are currently for sale in your area. You will need to find 5 to 10 comparable cars. Print out the information you find so you can send it to the insurance company in order to negotiate a better deal. If they will still not budge, you can hire a professional appraiser to determine the value, but this could cost you $300 to $400.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh