Allstate Insurance I've been given no financial assistance with car deemed total loss. Roanoke Virginia

I moved across the country with my boyfriend, towing my 2001 Ford Focus behind our U Haul. We moved from New York to Colorado. Once unloaded in Colorado, my car was not running well, and I had to take it to a dealership to have it looked at. One look and the 'Collision Expert' said "Your frame is broken!" He went on the say the cause was from extreme rust-out.

Now, I know New York salts the roads to death, but there was very little rust visible to the naked eye, and my car appeared to be in good shape on the cosmetic side. I had bought the car, used, from Carriage Traders, of South Glens Falls, NY in 2005, and was still making payments on it. Also, as required by Carriage Traders, I carried Gap Insurance. I had Allstate Insurance (have had it for many years), with full comprehensive collision, as required when financing a vehicle. Never before had I filed a claim with them.

So I went ahead and filed a claim, and was told over the phone, and by the "Collision Expert" of Phil Long Ford in Colorado Springs, that my car was a total loss. They didn't even give me a figure to see what it would cost to try and repair the damage to all the frame components. I still owed approximately $4700 on the car. I had it regularly maintenance and it was current on it's annual inspection. The car was still working fine and in one piece in New York, which only leads me to believe that the towing was what caused the damage.

In the end, despite crying on the phone with Allstate for not helping me and leaving me broke and car-less in a new city, I traded in the '01 Focus and rolled my remaining car loan into a new car loan, which was really my only option. They were kind enough to give me $500 for my trade. Yay. I now hold a car loan for more money than my 4 YEARS of student loans. Stupidy, I kept my Allstate Insurance, and my rates have more than doubled because of my newer vehicle and new location.

So who do I blame? The car dealership that sold me a sub-par vehicle with serious underlying issues that was unaware of? Or the insurance company that left me for dead?

Any input would be helpful.

Jessica
Colorado Springs, Colorado
U.S.A.