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The Shoulder
careful-otter-771

Totaled my brand new truck before I even made the first payment. Insurance won't cover what I paid.

I still can't believe this is my life right now.

I saved up for almost three years to buy a new pickup — paid cash, drove it off the lot on a Saturday afternoon, and was rear-ended so hard at a red light on the way home that the frame got pushed in. Less than four hours of ownership. The airbags deployed. I was shaken up but physically okay, thankfully.

The other driver was 100% at fault — multiple witnesses, a nearby traffic cam caught the whole thing, and the responding officer noted it in the report.

Here's where I'm losing my mind: the at-fault driver's insurance came back with a total-loss offer that's noticeably below what I paid at the dealership just hours earlier. I have the purchase contract sitting right here. I paid for an upgraded trim package, a dealer-installed tow package, and an extended protection plan — none of which they seem to be accounting for properly.

I've been pushing back for about six weeks. I've sent:

  • The original purchase contract
  • The dealer's itemized breakdown of every add-on
  • Listings for comparable trucks in my region (way harder to find than you'd think)
  • Photos of the interior and bed showing it was literally in showroom condition

They nudged their offer up slightly after I complained but it's still hundreds short of what I actually paid, and now my adjuster has basically gone silent. I call, leave a message, get a vague email three days later saying they're "reviewing."

Is there anything else I can do here? Can I file a complaint somewhere? Get an independent appraisal? I feel completely powerless. I did nothing wrong and I'm the one eating the loss.

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