Well, I Was Just Side-Swiped...

[YSSMAN]

Wonderful!

So I was on my way home from work, running down the East Beltline, and a lady side-swiped my Jetta. We were both traveling at about 60 MPH, and she drove right into the side of my Jetta with her Chevrolet Lumina when changing lanes. Her car wasn't hurt too much, but mine sure as hell is:













So, I get to play runaround tomorrow with the Insurance company and the Kentwood Police Department. Then I get to run around and find a body shop, have the work done, etc.

...The only good news is that I get to rent a car for a day or two. Whoopie!

 

[1X83Z]

...The only good news is that I get to rent a car for a day or two. Whoopie!

Brad, I'm so sorry about this - based on the fact that it's about a zillion panels it will probably be relatively expensive. Hopefully your prior safe record (I presume you've had a safe record, because getting a speeding ticket in that vehicle would be difficult ) and not being at fault will mean your insurance rates won't rise.

Please keep us updated on what the insurance company says.

And rent from Enterprise (we rent Jettas, Passats, and New Beetles)!

 

[TopHat]

... Psst, rent a new Jetta if you can.

 

[Omnis]

I think it's pretty lol and ironic that GTP's resident chevy freak gets his VW pwned by a Lumina.

That said, I'm sorry about your car. I hope whoever did it is caught and you have as convenient a time as possible repairing the car.

 

[YSSMAN]

I have full coverage insurance, and the only other accident I've been in wasn't my fault, and didn't give me any points on my license.

...It sucks, but at least I don't have to pay for all of it. That front quarter panel is a total loss, so thats going to be worth a couple hundred dollars (likely about $600), and the door isn't too bad, it will just need to be repainted on the top-half. Thats probably $1000 worth of labor, parts, etc that I really don't have to worry about. I'm also probably going to get the alignment fixed too, since thats screwed up now as well.

...I've probably got at least two or three days worth of fixing to get done, and thankfully I've got car rental insurance too. Although, I don't know how much that covers...

I think it's pretty lol and ironic that GTP's resident chevy freak gets his VW pwned by a Lumina.

I didn't even think about that!

...Her car was hardly damaged at all, which I found to be pretty odd. I don't know how she didn't see me, I wasn't anywhere near her blind spot.

We'll see what happens in the morning.

 

[Tornado]

Are you okay? My mom was in a side collision of similar intensity back when she owned a Scirocco, and she was fine for a day or two and then she had to go to the hospital due to neck trauma. It wasn't anything too serious (she had to wear a neck brace for a week and a half), but I think you should try to get checked out as soon as possible. Especialy since it was driver's side.


With that out of the way, considering the speed involved that doesn't look too bad., honestly.

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm fine, its the car thats hurt more than anything. We were both going about the same speed, so all it really did was knock my car out of the lane just a bit, but I'm feeling like I normally do.

...This is probably the least-traumatic accident I've ever been in. The last one was a near head on in my old Fox without airbags...

 

[Wolfe]

That really sucks, man, but at least she stuck around to exchange information (right?).

I hope you have as much luck with the insurance/body shop stuff as I did when a woman backed her minivan out of a driveway and into my driver's side door. Knowing that it'd be covered by her insurance, the body shop I took my car to went the extra mile in fixing it (repainting the panels next to the replacement door just so the colors would match) while ringing up a bill just below the value of my car.

This is kinda odd, too, because I was nearly T-boned today by some guy in a Focus.

 

[JCE]

Stupid *****, I hope she gets hers. I can't stand stupid people, how can you NOT pay attention to your surroundings and know what's beside you. Sorry to hear about this YSS. But, on the brightside at least she didn't force you off the road and cause some REAL damage or even total the car. I bet she was on her cell phone, or doing her makeup, or maybe doing something else other than driving the car.

 

[1X83Z]

I bet she was on her cell phone, or doing her makeup, or maybe doing something else other than driving the car.

Just being a woman is enough.

Love you Duke!

...Her car was hardly damaged at all, which I found to be pretty odd. I don't know how she didn't see me, I wasn't anywhere near her blind spot.

Her car pushed, yours absorbed. Often the way it is with these things.

 

[Slicks]

Sorry to hear about this, YSS.
I just hate it when you take such good care of your own car, only to have somebody else's careless actions damage it. Speaking from experience, of course, as I'm sure a few of us are.

Did Jenna have original paint, or was she already resprayed?

I had one of my best friends back into my drivers door and quarter panel, and even after the "best" shop in town repaired it, I'm not happy with it. Nothing compares to original paint.

 

[LewyMan]

I too get rather annoyed with people on the road who shouldn't be i.e. people who can't drive properly, or don't pay enough attention. I sympathise with all of you who've been unfortunate enough to have been hit.

A few weekends ago, my mum and I went down to Broken Head, in NSW (ugh Blues territory). It was for a holiday thing, at a caravan park right near the beach, it was great!
Not so good on the roads though. I was driving the family car (EL Falcon 4.0) and I drove all the way there and all the way back (about 5 hrs drive all up).
When driving in NSW, I came close to being involved in an accident 3 times, none my fault whatsoever. Also, does it not seem ironic that compared to good ol' QLD, there's a helluva lot more speed cameras and the like in NSW?

 

[Joey D]

Sorry to hear about that man. Hope the car makes a hasty recovery.

With me I've been in a couple accidents (none my fault) and it's not the fact that someone hit me that makes me annoyed. It's the fact that I have to be carless for weeks while the stupid thing gets repaired.

 

[Omnis]

I didn't even think about that!

...Her car was hardly damaged at all, which I found to be pretty odd. I don't know how she didn't see me, I wasn't anywhere near her blind spot.

We'll see what happens in the morning.

I'm pretty sure the Lumina's awful interior is ugly enough to create a blind spot regardless of where you're looking.

 

[Scaff]

When driving in NSW, I came close to being involved in an accident 3 times, none my fault whatsoever. Also, does it not seem ironic that compared to good ol' QLD, there's a helluva lot more speed cameras and the like in NSW?

Nope not ironic at all, just logical.

Speed cameras (of which we have more than our fair share here in the UK) do not reduce accidents at all, and in many cases can cause an increase. The reason is quite straightforward, if you know a speed camera is around then people tend to stare at the speedo and are constantly re-checking speed. All of which is time not watching the road and surroundings, less observation equals less chance of seeing someone and more chance of an accident. However don't worry, just think of all that money rolling in to the government coffers (at least here in the UK) and by ignoring standard and straightforward statistical modelling tools they can fudge the figures all they want.

As you may guess I have a small issue with speed cameras.

Scaff


Oh and on topic - YSSMAN, sorry to see the damage, as Doug rightly said (before his women driver rant went and spoilt it) damage to that many panels is always expensive. Hope it goes smoothly in getting it sorted out. I know from bitter experience (at least in the UK) that the level of assistance and help you get can vary massively between insurance companies.

Regards

Scaff

 

[Duke]

Good luck getting it straightened out, literally and figuratively. Nice older cars are a blessing and a curse - cheap to own and operate, but very vulnerable to totalling on stuff like this. I wish you best of luck with your insurance company!

Our older minivan got rearended and we were pushed into the car in front of us (an Evo with temp tags still on it). For the replacement of the hatch, rear bumper cover, the grille, and one headlight, they totalled the car because it was 11 years old. It only had about 90,000 miles on it and had been in the garage for half its life. I almost took the settlement check and fixed the car myself, except that Delaware makes it tough to get a salvage title.

 

[///M-Spec]

That's a damn shame. Sorry to hear it.

So did the woman stop? Or was it a hit and run? If she had insurance you shouldn't have to pay a dime.


M

 

[Speedster502]

Good luck on getting it fixed. I feel for you as I was involved in a accident a few years ago and I was more gutted about the car's damage than anything else (everyone was fine so I had an excuse). I am glad that you know who actually hit you we only found out a day after it had happened (hit & run suspect). If you want the full story then just click on the link below.

Ekkk That Hurt

I hope you get your vehicle fixed quicker than ours (4 months!!!) and hope you don't have to pay a dime. Good luck
Speedster

 

[1X83Z]

Oh and on topic - YSSMAN, sorry to see the damage, as Doug rightly said (before his women driver rant went and spoilt it)

Six words does not a rant make!

Good luck getting it straightened out, literally and figuratively. Nice older cars are a blessing and a curse - cheap to own and operate, but very vulnerable to totalling on stuff like this.

You really think there's enough damage for them to possibly total it?

 

[Jim Prower]

Well, some people are in too big a hurry to pay attention. You know that little Toyota Nova I've got? I was forced off the road by a lady doing 80 in her Explorer. Thankfully, "off the road" was actually a wide shoulder, so I was able to get off and back on safely.

It's too bad, really. Did she stop? did you get her insurance? did you at least get her plate number?

 

[Kent]

You really think there's enough damage for them to possibly total it?

Not sure what the blue book value of the car is but if it is lower enough that the repairs equal 75% of the car's value, then yes, it could be totalled.

Hopefully the cost or repairs doesn't reach 75% of the car's value. 👍
(unless he wants the car to be totalled).

In any case, sorry to hear about the bad news.
Best of luck to you with getting everything straightened out (no pun intended).

 

[G.T]

I find it annoying when a car comes out a hell of a lot more damaged than the car the caused it. One that I've been in broke the front left indicator light, crumpled the bumper, and crushed the plastic guard above the wheel arch (not sure of the real name). The white Astra looked unharmed!

Another one, someone hit us side-on. The whole driver's door had to be replaced, due to the massive dent that had been created. It had to be tied by string to be shut, as the lock was damaged too. The other car just had a dent in its front bumper...

Good to hear you're alright though.

 

[Scaff]

Six words does not a rant make!

Tongue in cheek, three words a reply does make (but I don't believe you'll find that a rant has to be of any particular length to qualify).

You really think there's enough damage for them to possibly total it?

Its possible, if insurance companies look at damage in a similar manner to those in the UK, when multiple body panels are involved it may be cheaper and easier to simply list it as an economical write-off. Which does lead to a quick question, in the UK the driver could then buy the car back off the insurance company, get it re-validated (required to remove the write-off status and insure the car again) and get the car repaired cheaper). Do the same apply in the US?

Regards

Scaff

 

[YSSMAN]

To address further concerns:

- We pulled off to the side and exchanged information. She was more freaked out about it than I was, which really was a surprise. I had everything the Police needed, registration numbers, license numbers, insurance numbers, etc.

- The insurance guy said everything was good this morning and I only needed to get a few things from a few different places. I have a $250 deductible that will be covered by the other lady's insurance, but sadly I don't have renter's insurance (like I thought I did), so I'll be borrowing the Grand Prix for the day.

- The car is set to be fixed on Tuesday the 12th, to the total of about $1500. The parts themselves were pretty cheap (only $150 for the front quarter panel), but the paint and the labor is what is going to cost quite a bit. But, my whole family has been getting work done at this shop since they opened decades ago, and they're pretty good about getting stuff done as quickly as possible, but looking the best as well. The last time I had work done, the guy told me that he spent a long time trying to get the color right (my car is silver, but you already know that), and that he wouldn't charge me for the time it took.

If you're ever in Grand Rapids, I highly recommend the guys at Ada Body, they're awesome!

- I filed the Police report this morning as well, and the Police Officer said I did everything right (more or less). I have to wait until Friday or so for the report to be finished, but I'm not at fault, so everything turned out good.

She still rides and drives fine, she just doesn't look too good right now. I got off pretty easy this time, which is nice for a change. The only reason why I'm fixing it is because I just love this car too much, and its still worth more money than what I bought it for...

...Thanks for the kind words everyone. It sucks, but I'm really not as angry about it as I thought I would be. An accident is an accident, and thats what insurance is for...

I'm just glad I wasn't driving a nicer car...

 

[1X83Z]

Do the same apply in the US?

Probably, but you wouldn't want to - once a car is totalled it would receive a salvage title; salvage titles absolutely kill the value of a car. You'd spend more money paying to fix it than you ever would get off it. I imagine you could do this if the car had some huge sentimental value, but it really wouldn't be worth it.

Let's say for instance you had a $10,000 car with $7,500 in damage. The insurance company would thus total it, and give you what it's worth. The car would be titled as salvage. You could purchase the vehicle back and then spend $7,500 repairing it, but with a salvage title that $10,000 car probably won't be worth more than $5,000 - so it wouldn't be a smart move to spend $7,500 repairing a $5,000 car.

- The car is set to be fixed on Tuesday the 12th, to the total of about $1500.

Well, that isn't so bad - certainly not seventy-five percent of the vehicle's value. Brad you're looking at this exactly the right way - rather than being upset and freaked out you seem to be pretty calm and appreciative that it wasn't more expensive, and that you were unhurt. I really feel for you, but you'll get this taken care of pretty soon and everything will be okay.

Is the woman going to get a ticket?

 

[YSSMAN]

Is the woman going to get a ticket?

Thats for the Kentwood Police department to decide. I'm going to assume that she will get a "moving infraction," or whatever they call it, but it shouldn't cost her too much. I'd be more worried about her insurance prices increasing if I were her...

...With me, I have no idea what effect it will have on mine. Given that I've only been in two accidents ever, neither being my fault, and with full coverage on my car, I'd hope it doesn't go up too much (if at all)...

 

[Perfect Balance]

I find it annoying when a car comes out a hell of a lot more damaged than the car the caused it.

Thinking back on the crashes I've seen and been involved in, that is so true.

 

[Scaff]

Probably, but you wouldn't want to - once a car is totalled it would receive a salvage title; salvage titles absolutely kill the value of a car. You'd spend more money paying to fix it than you ever would get off it. I imagine you could do this if the car had some huge sentimental value, but it really wouldn't be worth it.

Let's say for instance you had a $10,000 car with $7,500 in damage. The insurance company would thus total it, and give you what it's worth. The car would be titled as salvage. You could purchase the vehicle back and then spend $7,500 repairing it, but with a salvage title that $10,000 car probably won't be worth more than $5,000 - so it wouldn't be a smart move to spend $7,500 repairing a $5,000 car.

Similar to the UK then, we have six write off catagories over here, some of which allow a car to be returned to the road, others force the car to be destroyed...

Category A
A vehicle which should have been totally crushed, including all its spare parts.
Category B
A vehicle from which spare parts may be salvaged, but the bodyshell should have been crushed and the car should never return to the road.
Category C
An extensively damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road.
Category D
A damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road.
Category F
A vehicle damaged by fire, which the insurer has decided not to repair.
Theft
These vehicles have not been recovered and ownership rests with the insurer who made the total loss payment. They are able to repossess the car as soon as it is identified, even if it has been bought innocently.

Source - http://www.autocheck.co.uk/write-off-categories.html

..but in a similar way it will have an impact on the value of the car> I have known it to be done for either very old vehicles that are pretty much at the bottom of the depreciation chain and older, rarer cars in which the expense is worth it.

Regards

Scaff

 

[JCE]

YSS, I'm glad to hear that the car wasn't damaged enough to be totalled.

Just being a woman is enough.

I wasn't going to say it, I was going to wait for someoene else to. Truth be told I love women, but I hate women drivers.

I just hate it when you take such good care of your own car, only to have somebody else's careless actions damage it. Speaking from experience, of course, as I'm sure a few of us are.

+1 That is so true. When someone used my 3000GT VR4 in a parking lot as a "guide" to "aid" them in parking their car I was livid. I cleaned that car every day--it was a 2 hour job. I even use Qtips to get the hard to reach places! Then some moron scrapes the whole side of the car...needless to say their car wasn't in too good of shape when they found it. *cough* Did I say that outloud?

Disclaimer: I do not recommend or encourage vandalism. That incident happend 8 years ago and thus something I did in my youth. [/disclaimer]

 

[Jay.]

Sorry to hear what happened.

At least the other drivers insurance will cover you.

The only thing worse than this sort of thing is a hit and run or vandalism.

My car has been damaged by someone sitting on it outside my own house.

I know for a fact that it was one of my neighbours but I can't prove a damn thing. 🤬

Meanwhile I'm left with a repair bill for £215 and an empty wallet.

All I want to do now is punch his damn lights out.

SOOOO FRUSTRATING!!!