hit deer with my van what should i expect

[mrpike1973]

hi 2002 ford windstar van 204000 miles. so i hit mr deer. i have comp on the van trying to get blue book any where from 1680-3705 i have a hard time figuring it out. has rust on it. the grill is gone, left fender, the bumper is ripped off and gone the door is bent the inner fender liners where ripped off the left headlight assembly is totally gone. i have 500 deductible will the insurance probably total it. do i have to take it to a body shop i drove it home but i dont want to get tickets for no lights blinker etc. i would think with that many miles its not worth fixing just asking for advice thanks

[aanderud]

I'm guessing it's going to be a total loss. I had an 01 impala that had a hole in the bumper and NOTHING else wrong, and while I had it in for something unrelated the chevy dealer gave me a quote on the bumper and it was right around 2 grand. LOL. So, you're looking at probably 3 grand or more worth of issues, depending on where you take it.

Call the insurance company and ask them if they can send an adjuster out to your house if you don't want to drive it (doesn't sound like it can be driven safely if there's no blinkers). If nothing else they might tow it to a body shop for you.

[Tom7227]

Start shopping. The only issue is how much you are able to get for the bent up rig, and whether it is worth it to even accept a check. If you are inclined to make a claim make sure that it won't kick up your rates. A deer committed suicide using my truck and it ended up that the $1800 repair was cheaper for me than the increase in rates for 3 years, Benefit of having a real agent and not some blasted computer telling you what to expect.

[nofishfisherman]

Also if you think the offer the insurance company comes back with for the totaled van ask them to relook at it. I did that with a totaled out toyota corolla a few years back and the second offer was almost double the first offer. Usually what they'll do is call local dealers and check to see what it would cost you to buy a comparable car, they'll average out the quotes from different dealers and that will likely be your new offer. Thats at least how Allstate handled it.

[aanderud]

If you are inclined to make a claim make sure that it won't kick up your rates. A deer committed suicide using my truck and it ended up that the $1800 repair was cheaper for me than the increase in rates for 3 years,

[Macgyver55]

A deer committed suicide using my truck and it ended up that the $1800 repair was cheaper for me than the increase in rates for 3 years,

There isnt always a rate increase depending on your claims history and your individual company's policy. Make sure to find out! I know my brothers did not go up and it was a pretty large claim.

I got the following off of an Insurance information web site.

"Q I hit a deer today. Will my auto insurance premium go up if I make a claim under my comprehensive' coverage of my auto insurance policy?

A It will depend upon your state's laws and also your insurance company's rating system. In some states Comprehensive claims cannot cause your rates to rise so if you live in such a state your premiums should not go up due to you making a claim for the damage the deer caused to your vehicle.

If state laws do not say whether or not an auto insurance company can raise rates after a Comprehensive claim then it is up to the rating system of your insurance company and their guidelines. Typically since you are not at fault a claim for damage sustained due to hitting a deer will not raise your rates, however if you have already had claims then this claim adding to the amount of claims you have made in total with your insurer may cause your premiums to go up.

Ultimately, you will need to talk to your insurance company. Remember, even if your insurance company says your insurance rates will increase, you will need to weigh that against driving around in a damaged vehicle (or not being able to drive at all due to a disabled vehicle).

[ANPACMN]

Deer hits are covered under your comprehensive coverage along with fire,wind,hail,glass breakage, theft etc... The wording on the insurance policies are that comprehensive claims are not a chargeable accident which is true. However what you have to keep in mind is that most companies do give you a discount for being claims free and there also discounts for being comp claim free. If you see that your rates increase after a comprehensive claim more then likely you will see this on your renewal when you will not qualify for the existing discounts.