Our car was stolen and recovered by CMPD (Charlotte, NC) roughly a day later. The car sustained roughly $15,000 of body damage and the inside was trashed. Per the police, the inside of the car both looks and smells like a "drug factory".
Per our adjuster, because there was only $15,000 of damage, they will not total the car and want to move it from the impound lot to a body shop to be repaired and returned to us.
We have a 4 year old and a 2 month old infant. I asked our adjuster if these shops would be willing to certify in writing that all trace amounts of drug residue are 100% eliminated from the vehicle. Per adjuster, the body shops will do a deep clean "to the best of their ability". I also asked if they would be ripping out and replacing the carpeting, headliner, upholstery, HVAC, etc.
The adjuster is giving off the impression that nobody has ever asked questions like this before and seems in a rush for me to just accept the body shop repairing the car. Am I crazy for not feeling safe putting an infant back in a car where there was drug use with no guarantee that it will be return to pre theft condition?
Any guidance as to how I should be interacting with/pushing this towards a total loss so I can guarantee the safety of my children?
Drug Use in Stolen Car – Insurance Won't Total (Or Guarantee pre theft Condition)
byu/uncheel88 inInsurance
Posted by uncheel88
8 Comments
Weird. If the police report confirms the presence of drugs 99% of insurance companies total it. I’ve totaled plenty of theft recoveries because the police report suggests meth/fentanyl/drug of choice was present at all.
I’d get the police report and push back on the adjuster and ask for a manager.
Most will do drug remediation when there’s evidence of drugs in the car. Ask your insurance if this was done.
I live in a high theft high drug use area and will 100% get in a car after decontamination. It’s expensive but important.
They will decontaminate the vehicle. There is no reason to panic. Even if there was some minor trace left, it would have to get into your blood stream to have any effect.
Retired NC Adjuster
Speak to the CMPD Investigator first there should be a supplement to the initial police report.
It sounds like your Adjuster may be inexperienced. I would firmly, but politely, ask to speak to a Supervisor.
I would escalate to a supv on this. Usually obvious drug use is an automatic total.
Theft recoveries are a huge pain in the ass for everyone involved (insured, adjuster, shop). What’s the year make and model?
Can you post any photos of the damage? I worked a vandalism claim a few months ago, no damage to the body of the vehicle, but every single window was smashed, and the entire interior was infiltrated with glass. This required us to replace all seats and carpeting because there was no way to get thousands of glass fragments out with complete assurance – despite the shops best efforts. We ended up totaling the vehicle, and it was a 2025 Kia K5 with less than 4000 miles on it.
If it smells so much is it most likely just weed? I have no idea if other drugs smell.