Insurance question/other driver liability

[cam76034]

Last week my daughter was rear ended while sitting at a light. The other driver turned out to be a 15 yr old girl who doesn't have a DL yet and her PT Cruiser was apparently pretty messed up and had to be towed away. Daughter's 96 corolla held up to the impact pretty well, although I haven't seen pics yet, she is still driving it around.

15 yr old's insurance company (Unitrins) calls and emails me to say an adjuster will be out to look at it and an estimate and pics will be emailed to me.

I hear nothing all week long until this morning when I get this email:

I am in receipt of the claim reported to us on your 1996 Toyota Corolla as we discussed it is likely your vehicle may be deemed a total loss. To assist us in making that determination, an independent appraiser has been assigned to inspect your vehicle to assess the total extent of the damages.

In anticipation that your vehicle will be determined a total loss, I am providing you with the enclosed Power of Attorney as well as list of what will be needed to conclude your claim once our settlement offer is conveyed. We will need the following items prior to the payment for your loss:

• Power of Attorney (The document must be signed exactly as the vehicle is titled and original.)
• Original Title if your lien holder doesn’t possess. Please send in if no lien holder. (Please do not sign the title.)
• Loan number and contact information of your lien holder, should one exist.
• Additional keys you may have available for your vehicle.
• Remove all personal effects from your vehicle and have vehicle released.

As we discussed, if your vehicle is a total loss and we have provided you with a rental, we will extend the rental for two days from the date that we extend our settlement offer.
I will be in contact with you as soon as I have the appraisal in hand. In the interim if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

#1. I never talked to this person about anything, much less it being totaled.

#2. What is the deal with the POA? I've had this happen before, the insurance co. chisels you down on the value and you either accept the total settlement or keep the car minus salvage value.

I'm amazed that they think someone would automatically sign over a POA along with the title to their vehicle before a $ figure is discussed. I actually want to keep the car, at least for one more semester.

Any ideas what the hell is going on here?





Oh yeah, here's the POA:


POWER OF ATTORNEY

Year:
1996
Make:
Toyota
Model:
Corolla

License No.




KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, do hereby make, constitute and appoint Insurance my true and lawful attorney, in fact, for me and in my name to execute and to sign my name to assignments of title, transfers of titles, applications for titles or any other form involving titles to the above motor vehicle. This Power of Attorney shall remain in effect until such time as the title to this motor vehicle is out of my name, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney or substitutes shall do therein by virtue of these present:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

Signature of Owner: _____________________________________

Signature of Co-Owner: __________________________________

[Ataim]

THat sounds like a scam to me.

[trickyrix]

Looks like the Nigerians are branching out...

[Nexus Flux]

Sounds pretty hokey to me. I'd get on the horn with my insurance company and a lawyer to see that the hell they are tying to pull.

[gabkwong]

Fishy indeed! At least they didn't ask you for a "small deposite" to hold your $$$$ coming from the Ins. Co.!

[Nails]

Nope. This is standard operating procedure. It's really for your convenience.


"In anticipation that your vehicle will be determined a total loss, I am providing you with the enclosed Power of Attorney as well as list of what will be needed to conclude your claim once our settlement offer is conveyed. We will need the following items prior to the payment for your loss:"

They haven't yet seen the car but no insurance company is handing over a check (especially if it's a total loss) without receiving proper paperwork to transfer title.
They are sending you the papers to fill out but you don't (nor shouldn't) hand them over until you have the check, in the agreed amount, in your hands. Most insurance companies have branch offices where the transaction can be made.

I know this because of my totaled caddy. If you check my profile page you'll see an album with pictures of my compact deville, used to be a coupe deville.


Hope your daughter's ok.

[cam76034]

Daughter's fine, thanks. She didn't think there was much damage, a crack in the bumper skin and the panel around the license plate. (I'm guessing the rear finish panel) but it don't take much for insurance companies to want to total it. I thought it was pretty odd to receive a POA and request for the title prior to a $ figure being discussed.

When my other daughter was in another Corolla sitting at another red light when she was smacked by another driver... the insurance company wanted to total it. I kept the car and original title, they sent me a check for the assumed value minus the salvage value. I picked up a door and a fender, same color, at Toyota Heaven for $100 and put it on myself. I don't recall ever signing any POA.

[VFR750]

I don't recall ever signing any POA.

that's cause you did not surrender the title..........

[Miatamaniac92]

Sounds pretty hokey to me. I'd get on the horn with my insurance company and a lawyer to see that the hell they are tying to pull.

+1, make your insurance do the legal work if need be.


Chris

[CosmosMpower]

I usually ignore anything that starts with "I am in receipt of"

[doc]

I agree with cosmos I ignore them to when it starts " I am in receipt of "
Most insurance companies start out "We have received a copy " or " A copy of you claim has been received "
So do be really careful with this