Drunk driver hits my cars & home..help

[msspikeNY]

A neighbors son lost control of the car and careened across my lawn and smashed into my husbands car and my car pushing the car into the garage door on Thurs early a.m. He was charged with DWI and admitted to smoking pot, however, he was not driving his own car. The car belongs to a friend and fortunately is insured and the owner has contacted me. My vehicles are damaged but driveable, thank God. My question and concern is both cars are old..one 1993 Mercury and 1997 Dodge Intrepid and we have spent alot of $$ on their upkeep and are vital to our livelyhood. If the insurance company determines that the body damage is more than the cars are worth, will we be left with no cars and minimal money?? We don't have any money saved to repair these car nor replace them, we are hard-working people struggling to survive like everyone else..we also have property damage to the lawn, walkway and garage door is broken..what are our options, if any? Thank you for any help you can offer..Maureen..we live in New Jersey

 

[kevinaz06]

I am an adjuster, not in your state. Check your own isnurance policy under damage to a vehile, there should be some guidelines on how the insurance company will deal with a total loss.
Where I am from, we used NADA retail value. Sometimes we do real market searches for comparable vehicles. We do deduct for pre existing collision damage, not normal wear and tear. We do add value for things such as rebuilt morots, transmissions, new proffesional paint job.

I believe that you can take the money for the repairs and keep the car if it is deemed a total loss. You will probably have to pay a salvage value, which is based on historical data of what a salvage yard would pay for the vehicle.

Good upkeep and routine maintance are part of owning a vehicle and do not add value.
It is important to read your state laws on indemnification on auto's as it varys state to state.