Thanks for all the help, and recommendations. I was able to bump up my settlement a good bit. Originally they wanted to total it out for $6,900 if I kept it, and $8,900 to sell it. After a back and forth with comps and me providing receipts and documents for a $3k Turbo and manifold (Tater Built 63/65 w/Steed Speed manifold) that I bought and installed a year ago and warrantied out this past September. I was able to get the settlement for my property damage raised to $10.3K to keep and $12.5K to sell.
I'm keeping her.
I should be good to go after I install my new headlight housings($120 total) and straighten out my bumper following a free lifetime alignment at Firestone. I also snuck in my Firepunk HPTuners ECU tuning as "Engine Computer Calibration and reprogramming" as a "Critical service towards my vehicles continued use and well-being" with my recent work receipts.
The Geico adjuster knocked off $1800 initially for my cracked dash, "torn" seats and my rust holes in my bed that I've had license plates and street signs patched into the side of, also they didn't like my tailgate stickers and took off for that too.
My statements and comments below aren't legal advise, nor am I encouraging or endorsing any fraud of any manner.
Find an attorney that doesn't take property damage into their service fees so that you can pocket that directly
Going forward my next car will have a dash cover even if the dash is intact, tinted windows so they can't see my interior condition, and only an NC Sheriff association license plate and badge on the back and most importantly a dash camera. The reporting SC Highway Patrol officer must've had a long day because I had to repeat my side of the story more than once for him to finally understand that there were two seperate accidents and the first one indirectly caused the second one (mine). Had my accident happened in NC I would be in a totally different boat regarding accident fault. If I had been even a single percent at fault It would've screwed me over in NC.
My advise if I can offer any from this experience: in the circumstance you have a vehicle you wouldn't sell to the insurance company if it were totaled. Make sure to take quarterly pictures of it after you wash and detail it. Additionally always being buying something for it at least once a year; the more expensive the better, Even if you don't keep or install the item the invoice alone should be enough. It needs to be critical items towards the vehicles continued use and well-being as phrased by my attorney. Axles, transmissions, Transfer-cases, engines, or major engine components etc. Rock lights, wheels and tires, and sound systems won't count. Lift kits count with Geico, they gave me within the itemized settlement lines $475 for my truck being lifted 0"-4"s even though my truck is stock height with a stock tire size.
Geico only allowed me to supply recent work receipts from the previous calendar year, and when they sent an adjuster to look at my truck I was at work and it was locked. I recommend this since it keeps them from getting too detailed and they'll have to ask you to provide a picture of the odometer and the interior later. If my windows and windshield had been tinted I would've used carefully reviewed AI to "modify" my interior, only my driver seat is ripped and you'd have to be close enough to the window and looking down to see it.
Not sure if my bumper helped me out in the long run yet pending my alignment specs, but in the short run I think it helped me out pretty well, My Mishimoto inter-cooler, and radiator were undamaged. All my lights are still functional, so far the only electrical issue I have is the block heater cord getting chopped in the accident since I had it zip tied to the bull bar, but i'll get a new cord for it. I'm not a crash analysis expert but I think this design on this particullar road armor bumper deflected alof of the crash force down and outwards.
The only car in this multi accdient pile up that made it out better than me in terms of damage was the Tacoma who only got its hitch hit
On the bodily injury side i'm not 100%, still getting checked over, I'm in PT and have an MRI scheduled this week.
Thank you all again, Drive safe the Holidays are coming up; and watch out for those two legged deer glued to their phones. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, anything can happen out there.
