I'm not sure if this is the one you are looking for , but mabey it will help.

-------Robert

... posted by David on Saturday, 7 April 2001, at 8:00 p.m.

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First of all let me say thanks to all the people that took the time to respond by responded regarding mileage. There were a total of almost 900 cars...the lowest was 95,000 miles...the highest was almost 1,700,000. It was influential on proving my point that Volvos are indeed long lasting cars.

Now, for some help in case you have accident.

Before you have you an accident...

1. I would suggest finding out the rating or how many complaints currently registered against you present insurance company. Perhaps paying a higher premium may offset the hassle and headache of dealing with a claim from a low priced insurance agent.

2. Secure a letter from your dealer. Since most cars don't run well after a major accident, a letter attesting to the mechanical condition of your car is recommended. Those of you who perform all the service yourself will have a more difficult time. But an itemized list or a video made of the engine running helps clarify the point of "My car was in excellent shape."

3. Take pictures of your car (pre accident). We all love Volvos, so why not right? So why not fill our homes with beautiful photographs?! Actually doing this helps clarify the physical condition of the car. Hard copy photos are the best--since they can't be readily altered, but digital pictures are good as well. Just take pictures from every imaginable angle. This might help you get more money out of your claim--In my case it did.

4. Save all your receipts. I saved all my receipts down from the transmission rebuild right down to the screws and dash lights. Make copies and give them to your agent. While it wouldn't raise the initial value too much--it will affect the final value.

If you are involved in an accident...

1. Get an overview of the claims process Although, this is article biased against the insurance companies and thus holds little legal value, it is helpful to see how they tweak the numbers so that they get initial low values.

2. Do your homework. Before the adjuster or whoever gives you a value on your car, consult the N.A.D.A. guide. Although the popular Kelly Blue Book is a popular guide, it is not a very "authoritative" guide in eyes of the insurance company--translation: if you use the N.A.D.A. guide you'll get somewhere. At least that is the way it worked for me.

3. As a rule of thumb, never accept the first offer from the insurance company--unless it's reasonable. The first offer is usually a "test" to see how much they can get away with paying. Normally, insurance companies want to pay as little as possible so their first offer might be low.

4. Don't get Angry. Although it may sound absurd, becoming angry at the adjuster or agent has an adverse affect the process and as a consequence the money that you get. During the negotiation process just keep as calm as possible even though they will try to shortchange you. I followed Teddy Roosevelt's advice: "Speak softly--but carry a big stick."

5. Be honest! Don't lie about the condition of your car to get a few extra dollars. After all you want them to give you a honest value for your car...don't you?

6. Prove it! Prove that your Volvo wasn't getting ready to kick the bucket (If this is the case). Remember the majority of claimsthat are handled by insurance companies are for American vehicles (if your live in America)...so they will treat your Volvo like a Chevy unless you can prove to them that it is a far superior vehicle. In my case I used the mechanical condition statement from my dealer with the the responses that were posted here on the Brickboard regarding people's mileage to prove my case. The supervisor seemed impressed and upped the offer.

7. If all this fails to solve the dispute, get your state insurance commissioner involved. I understand that insurance companies really hate this.

8. Don't sue (right away--at least). Let the insurance company working it out. I talked with several people on this issue and most suggested that adding attorney only complicates matters. In most cases your state's insurance commissioner can resolve the conflict. Only sue if necessary but remember 9 times out of 10, you'll lose money.

9. Another important thing. When the insurance agent writes out the check, make sure that taxes and tags are included. After all they are supposed to be replacing your WHOLE car.

Finally, I would like to say that I do not endorse any of these sites, they are sites that I used to do research on the process, there are sources such and law books, magazines and other sources that I used but these are not readily accessible. Also, the above is not "the way" for settling a claim...it only worked for me. Different insurance companies act different so experiment and see what works be for you.

So how much did I get? Fortunately, I didn't have to take my insurance company to court, I settled this peacefully. Well, the first offer on my immaculate 1986 240DL sedan with 290,132 miles on it was $1,475. The book value on it was around $3,000 retail. I had number of people tell me that not to expect any more than $2,500. The final settlement on my car was $3,700. In addition they let me keep the car at no additional cost. I think this settlement is fair...any less, they would have been cheating me and any more, I would have been cheating them.

Hope that helps!