re: Car insurance claim question

Depends on the circumstances of the accident as to any comparative fault on your part. Blowing your horn to alert a distracted driver thats hits you when you have the right away does not bring you into a faulty position. If you were not a 100% in a legal position when they hit you then you may share some fault. Insurance companies are bean counting weasels and will try and nickel and dime the uninformed and weak. If they totaled your vehicle you are due the retail value plus the tax on that value. They cannot force you to buy it back for salvage. It sounds like on the surface of the limited info that they are playing games with you.