* EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE * >:-(

[Pixilated]

So I finally got my car in today for repairs (and I did ask them to check for frame damage; they assured me they would) and the car rental place gave me this as a loaner.

I'm scared to take the damn thing out of the driveway.

And I am most definitely NOT going to try to get it into the garage.

[Pixilated]

I was wondering about that, Jester, given what the previous assessor had suggested. I will mention it. Hopefully they will do so. Or possibly I should call my insurance company before I drop the car off and ASK if I can expect them to do that ...

[Jester]

Always always always always ALWAYS have them check for frame damage!

[Pixilated]

Wrapping up: my insurance agent called me Friday to tell me I am 0% responsible for the accident and so the deductible will be waived. I'm supposed to drop my car off Monday morning and pick up a loaner. Hope I remember to ask whether they will be looking at anything other than just the body, since the first assessor suggested there might be other damage besides just the body, LOL.

[Pixilated]

Took my car in today for the "official" estimate (by the company the insurance folks sent me to). No indication that the car is a write-off or even a hazard to drive. The guy doing the estimate even called in an employee (after the necessary photos had been taken) to use something like a miniature Jaws of Life so that I can now open the front door properly!

THIS guy says if I bring the car in early in the morning, they will have it fixed by the next day. Not like the 4-5 days the other guy quoted. If that is accurate, I might not even need a loaner (not that it matters as the insurance will pay for one if I do need one).

Just waiting now to see if I will have to pay the deductible. If I had the cash, I would bring the car in now and have them fix it and get a refund from the insurance company (if the deductible is waived), but as I don't have that kind of spare cash ATM, and since the car is drivable, I'll just wait for the insurance guy to finish his investigation.

[Pixilated]

I've had one or two other people suggest that, despite the fact the car is still moving, it might in fact turn out to be a write-off. Also had an aunt tell me they had an accident which resulted in a 'totalled' car (the airbag went off, which apparently automatically makes the car a writeoff) and the insurance company didn't give them enough to buy a new car ... but of course, I don't know what they were looking for. Me, I'd be looking for a used car again. But I hope it doesn't come to that; without a decent job I can't imagine how I'd get a car loan.

It'd be interesting to know what the damage is to her big-ass van. The guy that did the assessment on my car said the way cars are built these days, the outside can look fine while the damage under the plastic exterior can be considerable.

[Sapphire Silk]

If the damage is bad enough that you can't open or close the door properly that is usually not a cheap repair at all.

Yeah, that sounds bad. Could be frame damage; that could end up totaling the car.

I was wondering about that myself, bhskittykat; has she had one or more other accidents on her record?

Makes me wonder if she has as well. In which case, she might get dropped, which means she'd have to take the state high risk plan: which is incredibly flippin' expensive . . . about 2K every six months.

[sstabeler]

Yeah, a door hit to the point it won't open? That cannot be cheap. I remember my mother got hit last year (it hit just in front of the driver's side front wheel, IIRC) and that turned out to be something around £6,000 to fix, IIRC. ( about $10,000, I think) but fortunately the other driver's insurance paid up. ( there was some argument, but IIRC, it was because it looked at first like the car would need to be totalled!)

but yeah- the other driver is trying to avoid their insurance finding out. Don't let them.

[Pixilated]

I went down to the collision reporting substation the day after the accident to report it. They asked for a lot of descriptive stuff that I didn't have, LOL. "Well, if you're ever in an accident again, you should write this stuff down ..." Thanks, lady, but I seriously hope NEVER to be in another accident! (But of course, that doesn't entirely depend on me ... as this accident showed.)

I was wondering about that myself, bhskittykat; has she had one or more other accidents on her record? If so, I'm not trying to be vindictive, but that's not my problem -- I need my car back, in working order. I think we have that forgiveness thing up here; I know my insurance broker mentioned something like that when I was talking to it.

Wow, that sucks about getting hit in the parking lot! You mean your insurance company wouldn't cover it at all?

[bhskittykatt]

You usually have a certain timeframe to file a report with police/insurance. It shouldn't be too late.

I'm guessing this may not be her first collision and she's afraid of her premiums skyrocketing. Many insurance companies these days offer accident forgiveness, basically a get-out-of-jail-free card if you have an at-fault fender-bender. If you're a repeat offender, though, prepare to pay through the nose.

At least you have her info. I had my passenger-side door smashed in by a hit-and-run driver in the mall parking lot. We could barely open the door. And without uninsured motorist, I was screwed. Hubby took it apart and hammered it back so the door would open and the window would roll down, but it still wasn't pretty. I was pissed.

[kpzra]

Most places I've lived you can file a report online after the fact.

[PepperElf]

No police report

You don't actually have to call the police to file an accident report. A couple of years ago I pulled out of the parking lot too fast and scraped "Mrs. North's" car. I left a note I think and my contact information / apt number (our apartments shared a wall). After Mr. North reviewed the damage he talked to me about it and produced the accident form. Although in my case the insurance never went up because apparently the price of the deductible wasn't worth the cost of repairs (just a small paint scratch on a car that already had plenty of paint damage).

although the caveat with insurance premiums is that... the price of fixing the damage yourself might eclipse the price of the higher premium.

[Seshat]

At least in Australia, driver & passenger doors have a structural member in them to reduce the risk of injury to the driver/passenger. If the door won't close or open properly, this member is probably distorted; which means it was hit hard enough that there may well be significant damage to the door frame.

You absolutely, definitely want a mechanic - and a good one - to check this out. The door frame and the door's safety beam are your protection against being killed in a T accident. You want that frame and the door to be repaired correctly.

And so does everyone who cares about you.

[Pixilated]

That's definitely the way it's going to go. The assessor said the door will have to be replaced (they will do their best to match the car's colour but no guarantees ...), plus he said it looked as if she had also hit the wheel; if so, we may be looking at suspension damage. So yeah, I'm not taking any chances on this. Tomorrow I go to file a police report and then I contact my insurance broker to tell her to start the ball rolling.

I really should've taken a different route, dammit!

[Pixilated]

It may yet hit $3,000 or better, once they get it up on the hoist ... or start pulling the dented bits off and looking at what's behind them.