OP, do not accept a repair offer. Like the others stated, your vehicle's title is now salvaged. You are lucky to even get 30% of the cost of the vehicle if you decide to sell it.

Hey, we dont trust others to drive our cars. You know what nor do main car dealers. They dont even let the mechs use their cars on the lot for errands, they use our cars to do their errands , its called the "test drive".

I'd sooner damage my own car while working on it than allowing someone else to touch it. Shame really, as finding a trustworthy independant mechanic is not easy. Took me around 10 years to find one back in UK.

Man, I can only imagine. I would have to be physically restrained.

Ya, there isn't any fixing a total loss, it would never be the way it was nor would I accept a salvage title vehicle that was new before the wreck.

As others have said, I don't care what the shop says, you need to lawyer up and do it now if you haven't already. Time without your baby and mental anguish is worth more than the value of the car and you aren't going to see that money unless you get a lawyer.

:wtf2:

I'm tearing up just reading about this poor Z.

Just met with a lawyer who explained that Florida has a no fault stature that pretty much states as long as i have insurance that covers the damage cause you don't have much you can sue for. He explained unless the value of the car is worth more than it's original price and an expert witness can the value of the vehicle I won't get more than what an insurance company is willing to pay. 30k is what my car is worth I owe 14k to my loan so I guess I will have 15k to put towards a new vehicle. But that's only if my car is totaled by insurance which that decision is still not made. Looks like I'm screwed.

:confused: So you have to file a claim with your insurance company and are left paying higher deductibles because a shop decided to let one of its yahoo's drive the car?

If thats the case Florida sucks.

Couldnt you technically go take a rental for a joyride and crash it then just leave and let them worry about it? They couldn't sue you for any damages?

wow.... just, wow.... :icon14:

Damn....I would check with another layer there's probably something u can do

Not true at all.

Each insurance company has a cost of repair against percentage of current value chart. Some insurers will repair at 70-80% of current value. Farmer's Insurance tried to repair my business partner's Cadillac with $22k of damage with a value of $29k. They only totaled it after I got involved

... and yes, Florida does suck for car insurance.

Where you getting the 30k number from? That seems high to me but who knows
You could certainly call BBB or blog the hell out of the business. It's just not right I would be so angry.

Really messed up what happened! Hope it gets totaled so you can get a new car. If they don't the car will never be the same and most autobody places do crap work! Especially in FWB! I use to live there, was stationed at Hurlburt Field. There are a lot of back woods idiots down there, I had issues with joy rides with my car when I was living there.

I'm sure you could also call a local News station. They'd probably eat that story up.

30k is what my car is worth being a 40th anniversary with zero flaws and under 24k miles. Factor in a few aftermarket parts. Plus or minus 4 or 5k more.

Get another lawyer. You should hire a good one :tup: