Car Accident – Can I get Cash/Check instead?

My vehicle (pick-up truck) was legally parked on a street and a car struck my truck and caused some damage to the body and bumper. When I called, the other driver’s insurance company told me to take it to a collision repair center to get it fixed and give them the estimate and they will pay for it.

My problem is that my truck is a used construction truck with many dents in it, and taking half a day or a full day off of work to drive there and get it fixed is a waste of gas and a waste of my time.

Would it be possible to just have the insurance company send a person to estimate damages and pay me in cash?

One thought on “Car Accident – Can I get Cash/Check instead?

  1. Alex B

    Yes, you can get cash for the accident. I was in exactly the same scenario and got an insurance payout for a repair I did not want to make.

    The risk you are taking is that there is more damage than readily apparent.

    For example, if you let the insurance company repair the car, this is a typical scenario:

    • Initial estimate is $1000
    • Insurance pays $1000
    • Take car to get it fixed. Discover $500 more damage
    • Insurance company will now cover that additional $500.

    Decide based on the damage and estimates if it’s worth taking the risk of having damage missing from the estimate. In my case it was worth the risk.

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