How much do insurance companies usually pay out in car accidents?

[cellular]

My car was wrecked by some guy a few months ago, the other guys insurance company is about to pay me out.
I actually dont know how it works, the other guys insurer is multifund and im dealing with these people from europ assist for my claim.
Anyway, multifund confirmed with europ assist that they are paying me out at around 19 grand for the car accident, when my 3 quotations that i sent to them all say that repairs will cost 30 grand or more.
They said that they are working on the quotation from their assessment of my cars salvage value, 21500 less 30%(an insurance companies industrial norm reduction in salvage value) and they are reimbursing me for tolling and storage. Is this correct? Im a bit suspicious about the 30%.

[supersunbird]

They trying to rip you off.

[arf9999]

Were you insured? If so, you should claim from your insurer, not his.

What was your car worth (blue book value?) and was it considerably more than the 30K for repairs? If so, they shouldn't be paying you out, they should be paying for the repairs (they can specify who does the repairs tho').

The car's salvage value only comes into effect when it is uneconomic to repair the car (a write off), but they should still settle the value of the vehicle no matter what the salvage value is. It sounds to me that they are trying to rip you off.

[PearlJam]

Some companies pay retail value and others pay the average between retail and trade (market) which is based on the Mead and McGrouther book.

They can only deduct the 30% (which is fairly std) if you keep the salvage. I would insist that they keep the salvage and rather pay the additional 30% if i were you.

[SoftDux-Rudi]

Hey PearlJam :)


A lot of insurance companies will try and dodge the buller as far as possible. Someone I know brought a car last year in October. 3 weeks later some drunk drove into her, smashed her car into a brick wall, writing it off. The car isn't even a month old, and the owe the bank R140K for a "tincan". The insurance, in this case Hollard, only pays out R70k!!! They recond it's a lot of factors, like car value depreciation, etc etc etc.

[xrapidx]

...take it to the short-term ombudsman, they're actually pretty good.

http://www.osti.co.za/

Looksie here also about inadaquate vehicle compensation.
http://www.osti.co.za/motor_memo1.html