amc49, I can understand what you are saying, but this is only cosmetic damage, there is zero structural damage done, I've spent a good hour and a half under the car and found nothing bad, no warped floor pans or bent "frame". This is all cosmetic damage. If anything maybe I can get a "repairable total loss" settlement, repair the car and have it inspected to have it be recorded as repaired.
Just throwing ideas out there, but since it is cosmetic damage, and if the insurance adjuster agrees that there is no structural or mechanical damage, would it be possible to negotiate with the adjuster to keep the vehicle from being written off as a total loss, and settle for an amount less than (no saying HOW MUCH less) what they would offer me to keep the vehicle and still write it off?
If I can keep them from writing it off as a total loss and still make get some sort of settlement to reimburse myself for the repairs I would do myself, I will. I'm not afraid of doing the repair myself, in fact I would actually prefer to.
Writing it off as a total loss and and still keeping the car wouldn't be unacceptable, but I would prefer not to have it written off for records sake.
I will never sell this car, that is all it is. It has been in my family since new, handed down twice and my mother signed it over to me in 2007. She was hesitant to, as she still loves the car (it was her first new car, ever), and told me to "take good care of her baby". I plan to hand the car down to my daughter when she gets old enough to truly appreciate it for what it is and the history that goes with it.
Therefor, a total loss write-off and retention of of the vehicle would not be unacceptable, but I would like to avoid it if possible.