I need some help.

I'm looking for some advice...more of the helpful kind than not. I recently bought a new 2007 GMC Sierra. Crew cab, SLT, 4X4 Z71, towing package, pretty much fully loaded. About two weeks ago this fella runs a stop sign and smashes my front end. So it is currently in the body shop and the running tab is around 4,000$ in repairs last time I checked. The wreck was declared the other guys fault so It all falls on his insurance company. They have been helpful so far... with lots of questions from my end(they volunteer very little information.) I believe I am entitled to "pain and suffering" or diminished value claim, my question to you all is how much should I try to get. I am definitely not looking to sue anybody and I'm not trying to get a free ride... I just don't want to end up screwing myself over. To tell the truth I would rather them just pay off my loan and I would take the loss for the first few months I have paid, then I could just get a new truck. Anybody had a similar experience?

11/5/2007 6:01:08 PM

Dont hold your breath, my mom went through this a while back and it was months before she got anything for diminished value, and even then it wasnt much.

11/5/2007 6:40:47 PM

hire a lawyer. yes, they'll take some of your winnings but you'll still end up ahead with them than without.

[Edited on November 5, 2007 at 8:02 PM. Reason : -]

11/5/2007 8:01:52 PM

hard to get anything like that in NC, damn hard

11/5/2007 9:07:59 PM

^^ this is where getting your insurance co. on board helps. cause then you have a whole gaggle of lawyers ready to go.

11/5/2007 9:09:24 PM

^ yep, claim dimished value through them, they will pay you and get their money back through the other guys company

11/5/2007 9:11:13 PM

1st off sorry man but, diminished value still ain't shit. They might give you 1500 or so and we both know if you ever try to trade it in they will take off 5K easily.

11/6/2007 4:22:21 PM

Here comes the flaming.

11/6/2007 4:22:53 PM

Appreciate the help guys... I'm really still not sure. I keep hearing different things from people. While most of ya'll have said it's pretty much hopeless. Some other people I've talked to said they got up to 1/3rd the "value" of the vehicle, and everything I've read backs me up in that I, being the "third party" and fully innocent, have every right to diminished value. Like I said I've never been through all of this before but it seems there are two ends to the spectrum(like most everything), but maybe I'm wishful thinking here.

11/6/2007 5:21:19 PM

i'm going to assume that being a 2007 you have full coverage insurance. if so, your company should be more than willing to fight for you. some will even go ahead and cut you a check, then go after the other company to get their money back.

without their help or a lawyer, it's going to be very hard to get much if anything. nc insurance laws SUCK for victims compared to some other states.

11/6/2007 5:28:55 PM