# Totaled my car while ridesharing...



## RussellP (Dec 9, 2016)

Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone cares...

I just dropped off a passenger from a Lyft ride then this happened.




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10213218834124361



It was just a baby deer, and I was only going about 35mph. The deer survived and ran off. My car not so much.










It's a 2006 Cadillac SRX, loaded with all the goodies... About 139k.

I have Geico Commercial Rideshare insurance with Full coverage, $1000 deductible.

Appraiser put it's value at $5300, and he estimated the repair would cost $4200. So it's totalled. They're gonna cut me a check for $4300.

I found an '08 SRX, black in and out, also fully loaded plus a 3rd row seat for $7500. I'm planning on buying that.

So that Lyft ride cost me $3,200. I didnt even bother with a Lyft insurance claim, since there was no rider, and their insurnace is contingient upon my own insurance denying the claim.

Having the rideshare insurance was nice that I didnt have to deal with any BS back and forth. If I didnt have rideshare insurance, then in the same scenario, my claim would have been denied, my insurance probably would have been cancelled too, then I'd have to go thru Lyft's insurance, would probably would have only paid me out about $2800.... So I'd have been out of pocket for $4,700 instead. So that's good.

My one regret was not asking Geico a bit more questions when I first bought the policy. Had I known I could have gotten a $250 deductible instead of $1,000, for about $2 more per month, I'd have done that. Then Geico would have paid me out ~$5050 instead.

By the way... My rideshare insurance with full coverage thru Geico only costs a few dollars more than their regular personal auto insurance. I'm glad I got it. I also got the towing coverage as well as Rental reimbursement ($50/day, $1500 max)... So I do have a car to get around in for the next month or so until I get the new Caddy, but I can't rideshare in it in the meantime.

Now I just gotta deal with being off the road for a month or so.


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## pismire (May 2, 2017)

RussellP said:


> Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone cares...
> 
> I just dropped off a passenger from a Lyft ride then this happened.
> 
> ...


Glad your OK bro. Cars can be replaced. And they can be *easily* replaced as you'll find out, since you had the proper insurance endorsements in place.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

RussellP said:


> It's a 2006 Cadillac SRX, loaded with all the goodies... About 139k.
> Appraiser put it's value at $5300, and he estimated the repair would cost $4200. So it's totalled. They're gonna cut me a check for $4300.


Not to get too personal, but what is the buy back on your vehicle? With only 139k miles and being an SRX there might be a good profit in there with a little bit of work.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

Sorry to hear this, but happy to hear that you are okay, and that you had the good sense to do it right and get rideshare insurance. Unfortunately you have a high deductible and can't use your rental car to make some of that 1k back.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

Glad to hear you're OK Russell, good to see what happens when a responsible adult has adequate insurance and doesn't end up being screwed.

You didn't owe a note on the vehicle, I assume, since you had a $1000 deductible. Sucks that you could have gotten a $250 for not much more!

Always a shame to see a Caddy down, although that bad boy survived well. If that were a Honda, there'd be no front end left!


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

RussellP said:


> Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone cares...
> 
> I just dropped off a passenger from a Lyft ride then this happened.
> 
> ...


Neither uber OR lyft cover your own car when your not on an active trip.

Based on the timing you gave you were "period 1" at the time of the accident.

Your deductible would have been a LOT higher had you filed with Lyft and you need collision coverage on your personal policy in order for lyft to cover you...


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## KellyC (May 8, 2017)

RussellP said:


> Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone cares...
> 
> I just dropped off a passenger from a Lyft ride then this happened.
> 
> ...


I just called Geico today and switched my personal auto policy to a rideshare policy. It's only going to cost me an additional $6.00 per month for the premium (plus about $153.00 to start). Coverage limits are 100k for injury; 50k for property damage.

The agent told me that in his experience the Uber policy always treats the driver's coverage as primary ... even, if I understood him correctly, if a wreck happens when the driver is carrying an Uber passenger. This was news to me; I read the information about insurance coverage on Uber's site and had the impression that the Uber policy would be primary as long as the driver was "online" through the app. Guess not. And of course, your personal policy doesn't cover you while you're driving for a rideshare service. According to the agent a lot of rideshare drivers find this out the hard way.

Anyway, the policy seems pretty affordable. Only catch is if I decide to quit doing Uber after a month or so (which may well happen) I can't switch back to a regular personal auto policy until Uber sends a letter verifying that I no longer drive for them.


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## RussellP (Dec 9, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Not to get too personal, but what is the buy back on your vehicle? With only 139k miles and being an SRX there might be a good profit in there with a little bit of work.


They want $850 for it


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

RussellP said:


> They want $850 for it


That's not bad. Your vehicle looks really nice and with the exception of the transmission a GM SUV can last 300k. If you have any connection to a body man it looks like you can get the bumper, running light kit and quarter panel done for $1500. That's only $2350 total. Easily sell for $6k. If I didn't live 2500 miles away I would make you an offer.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Always fight the insurance on accident claims. Take it to several local body shops to get estimates, also go to reputable local dealers and ask them to appraise the vehicle, if in perfect condition what would they give you for it or resell it for, use that to fight the insurance.

BUT, one reason they could be willing to total it, and SEAL Team 5 is not accounting for this, vehicle color. From the pics, your either white or pearl white? I've seen vehicles with even less damage get totaled because the paint is faded, and they don't want to repaint the entire vehicle. If it's pearl white, they will be quick to total those as it's often a total respray. Friends wife wrecked their '13 Escalade in '15, 20K miles, fully loaded, pearl white. She slid off a snow packed road trying to avoid a deer, hit a tree took out the front bumper, right front fender, grill, right front tire/wheel and hood. Liberty Mutual paid it off and replaced it, physical damage was $7,500, but paint was an extra $18,000 as they had to repaint the entire vehicle to get it match correctly.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> That's not bad. Your vehicle looks really nice and with the exception of the transmission a GM SUV can last 300k. If you have any connection to a body man it looks like you can get the bumper, running light kit and quarter panel done for $1500. That's only $2350 total. Easily sell for $6k. If I didn't live 2500 miles away I would make you an offer.


If an insurance company calls it total loss, wouldn't it have a salvage title?


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## RussellP (Dec 9, 2016)

If I cancelled the claim, I could just pay to have it repaired myself. But it is white pearlescent 3 stage paint... I dont know if the whole car needs painting to match. Geico estimated $4200, and they thought that was low.

I might buy it back... I had one guy offer $1200 for it thru craiglist... that would be $350 more than I'd have otherwise.


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## pomegranite112 (May 14, 2017)

So how much more do you have to pay in order to put Uber on your insurance. I don't want the total, I just want the added cost. Also how would I get an endorsement through an insurance company?


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## RussellP (Dec 9, 2016)

pomegranite112 said:


> So how much more do you have to pay in order to put Uber on your insurance. I don't want the total, I just want the added cost. Also how would I get an endorsement through an insurance company?


I adjusted my coverages and ended up paying $1 a month less with rideshare insurance. Other people have reported it goes up by 5 or 6 bucks.

Call your insurance and ask for a quote for doing rideshare.

Known rideshare carriers are Geico, Allstate, and State Farm


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## pomegranite112 (May 14, 2017)

RussellP said:


> I adjusted my coverages and ended up paying $1 a month less with rideshare insurance. Other people have reported it goes up by 5 or 6 bucks.
> 
> Call your insurance and ask for a quote for doing rideshare.
> 
> Known rideshare carriers are Geico, Allstate, and State Farm


so why have I heard that it's 600-1200 extra every 6 months?


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## jafi_112 (Nov 30, 2014)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> Neither uber OR lyft cover your own car when your not on an active trip.
> 
> Based on the timing you gave you were "period 1" at the time of the accident.
> 
> Your deductible would have been a LOT higher had you filed with Lyft and you need collision coverage on your personal policy in order for lyft to cover you...


What happens when you are in period 3 with two passengers


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## LilRedWagon (Apr 14, 2017)

jafi_112 said:


> What happens when you are in period 3 with two passengers


Wait, I thought the new Uber coverage was for period 1 but it doesn't cover repairs on your car and has $1000 deductible.


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## RussellP (Dec 9, 2016)

Also FYI, neither Uber or Lyft insurance covers injuries to you (the driver)...


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

RussellP said:


> Also FYI, neither Uber or Lyft insurance covers injuries to you (the driver)...


you gotta get aflac for that...


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## coconutking (May 20, 2017)

that's really sad...


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## Uberfunitis (Oct 21, 2016)

Appraiser put it's value at $5300, and he estimated the repair would cost $4200. So it's totalled. They're gonna cut me a check for $4300

That seems odd to me granted it has been about 13 or so years ago that I totaled a car, but they gave me the appraised value..... but than again their estimate to repair the vehicle was greater than the estimated value. Is it common not to get the appraised value when the vehicle is totaled?


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

Uberfunitis said:


> Appraiser put it's value at $5300, and he estimated the repair would cost $4200. So it's totalled. They're gonna cut me a check for $4300
> 
> That seems odd to me granted it has been about 13 or so years ago that I totaled a car, but they gave me the appraised value..... but than again their estimate to repair the vehicle was greater than the estimated value. Is it common not to get the appraised value when the vehicle is totaled?


Appraised value less your $1000 deductible, perhaps?


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## Telsa34 (May 7, 2017)

RussellP said:


> Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone cares...
> 
> I just dropped off a passenger from a Lyft ride then this happened.
> 
> ...


Can I ask what your insurance costs a month.


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## RussellP (Dec 9, 2016)

It was 784 per year with $1000 deductible full coverage including rideshare on the 2006 cadillac
It will be going up to $1000 per year on the newer 2008 cadillac and changed to a $250 deductible

$65/mo before
now $83/mo


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## Telsa34 (May 7, 2017)

Here is the irony I was told today a Uber driver had Farmers Rider insurance and was involved in a accident and reported it and Farmers told him to file with Uber first. As it should be with those drivers that have standard non commercial insurance. If your in a accident on Ubers clock you file with them first, of course if you have a separate commercial policy it is totally different.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

Telsa34 said:


> Here is the irony I was told today a Uber driver had Farmers Rider insurance and was involved in a accident and reported it and Farmers told him to file with Uber first. As it should be with those drivers that have standard non commercial insurance. If your in a accident on Ubers clock you file with them first, of course if you have a separate commercial policy it is totally different.


depends on the state..

What you are saying is florida state law... not Maine.


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## Telsa34 (May 7, 2017)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> depends on the state..
> 
> What you are saying is florida state law... not Maine.


I did not say it was Maine. And you are from Orlando so you have lost me.

I was sharing a story you are taking information out of context. But that is to be expected.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

Telsa34 said:


> I did not say it was Maine. And you are from Orlando so you have lost me.
> 
> I was sharing a story you are taking information out of context. But that is to be expected.


 I assumed you were talking about Orange Park in the country of Florida where the insurance laws are different than the country of Maine...

If you think I am being sarcastic there's a LOT of things where law varies a LOT from state to state. For one example a lot of states don't transfer teaching or nursing licenses between the states because the standards/laws vary so much.

It's best NOT to comment on insurance in a state you don't live in... because the laws vary so much.


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## Telsa34 (May 7, 2017)

Well you were from Orlando that's why I posted it take a midol and you'll be alright have a good day my friend drive safe


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

Uberfunitis said:


> Appraiser put it's value at $5300, and he estimated the repair would cost $4200. So it's totalled. They're gonna cut me a check for $4300
> 
> That seems odd to me granted it has been about 13 or so years ago that I totaled a car, but they gave me the appraised value..... but than again their estimate to repair the vehicle was greater than the estimated value. Is it common not to get the appraised value when the vehicle is totaled?


You know you can ask for more right? You do not have to settle for less. Call an attorney.

ALWAYS REJECT THE FIRST OFFER!

How is your back feeling?


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

Very informative thread. Sorry about your car. Glad you came out of it ok.


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