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I got in an accident, I have a question

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by kingkong5, Nov 23, 2009.

  1. kingkong5

    kingkong5 Junior Member

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    I've had my 2006 Prius since July. Although it was only a few months, I was getting used to the great gas mileage and the carpool stickers for my very long commute.

    As luck would have it, I was rear ended a week ago on the freeway, coming home from work. It was stop and go traffic, the driver behind me just didn't pay attention to the stop part. Looked like a small fender bender, almost no damage to her large SUV but my Prius back end was toast. I was afraid the bumper was going to fall off.

    CHP came, had us swap our info. The lady didn't have her insurance info on her, but was able to call somebody to give me the carrier and policy #.

    After getting home I called my insurance to open a claim. I let them know what happened, they said I would have to pay the $1000 deductible but they would take care of the rest, except that if I wanted a rental car it would be out of pocket for me. Well, no big deal, I took the car in for an estimate.

    $9700! Wow, really? Apparently the frame needs new rails welded on, that must have been some serious damage. OK fine, whatever, my insurance is picking up the tab. And as it turns out, the lady let her insurance lap so she was uninsured - since I carry uninsured motorist liability waiver on my policy, I don't even have to pay the $1000 deductible, and I'm only out of pocket for my car rental.

    $9700 of repair seems like a lot of work. So here's my question - is this a reasonable amount to repair a rear-end collision in the Prius? Also, with this much work being done, what should I ask/look for to be sure the car is repaired correctly?

    [​IMG]
     
  2. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    You should have delt directly with the other persons insurance. But even if you use your own you should still not have to pay a deductigle since they will go after the other persons insurance anyway. I got hit last week my self and just got a check in the mail today from the other persons insurance, and it was for $200 more then my body shop said, now I can get my hood repainted and get rid of all the stone chips!

    Just re read your post didn't since the part about her being uninsured sorry. How come the cops didn't do anything about her being uninsured?
     
  3. quadracer1014

    quadracer1014 New Member

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    9700 for that:eek:. I will let you in on a secret why. In a moderate speed hybrid collision some states require the body panels and hybrid batteries to be replaced as well. Thats why your costs are so high
     
  4. kingkong5

    kingkong5 Junior Member

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    Yeah I know, the CHP officer didn't really want to have to write a report. We just took her word for it, becuase she was able to come up with a carrier name and policy number. But since she didn't pay the insurance bill, the carrier dropped her insurance coverage.

    Had he known the policy was no good I'm sure she would've gotten written up. And you're correct about the deductible, her insurance would have picked it up. But I have to front it since I'm claiming on my insurance, and I get it back when/if the other side pays it. But now that she's determined to be uninsured, I won't be responsible for the deductible either way.

    Thank goodness it's not $9700 out of my pocket, it's all covered by insurance. It does seem excessive for the small accident, but I guess replacing the frame rails and batteries must be expensive. I am going to have to look at the itemized bill closely to see what all they replace for that much money!
     
  5. kingkong5

    kingkong5 Junior Member

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    Oh and re: The Carpool HOV stickers - When I first purchased the car, two of the stickers were torn off. I bought the car anyway, figuring that it couldn't take THAT long to get replacement stickers, could it? Well yeah, it took like almost 2 months to get replacement stickers.

    So the body repair shop says that I can come pick up the stickers in a couple days when they remove them. But they just updated me this morning; apparently the guy there can transfer them to the new bumper without causing the VOID message to appear. Wow! Has anyone heard of being able to do this? I guess it can't hurt any, if they're able to transfer the stickers for me. I've got my HOV Sticker registration card, so I can match up the serial number with what it should be. And worst case scenario the stickers are no good I'll take them off and mail them to DMV for replacement anyway.

    But has anybody been offered this before? How strange that the professionals can transfer the stickers to my new bumper despite the stickers being designed to not allow that to happen.
     
  6. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Some have said that with a heat gun or steaming tool, and a bit of luck you'll maybe have a 70% chance of pulling them/glue and all. Since the stickers run with the car, you can always get replacement ones ... at least for 13 more months ... then they go away ... forever.

    :sorry:

    But at least you'll have your WAY cool 'white' Prius back in shape. I'm partial to white ... you can probably tell.


    .
     
  7. Rhino

    Rhino New Member

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    You are going to get ripped off again when it is time to sell the car.

    I am trading in my car. It was rear ended just like you described - through no fault of mine. Well, the car's number got into a national registry of damaged cars - or whatever - that any dealer can easily look up. This instantly decreased the trade in value by $1000.

    So you should list all your damages. Your actual damage is 10,700. Sorry to bring you bad news. You might as well know.
     
  8. kingkong5

    kingkong5 Junior Member

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    Ouch! Thanks for the reminder about diminished value. That's true, I figure once the car is repaired it's not as good as it was before, especially with such extensive damage. And there's no way for me to get that value back, since the other lady isn't insured.

    OK then, time for an ethics question. The Prius which you bought for $11.5k four months ago is rear ended, causing $10K in repair bills. After the repair, the insurance company as well as the body shop claim that it's been repaired correctly, and basically as good as new with a new frame and body panels.

    You list the car for sale. Some prudent buyers check CarFax and see the extensive repairs, and don't want to purchase your car. The dealership will take your trade-in with a massive discount, because they know about the damage as well thanks to CarFax.

    You then find a nice buyer who doesn't know what CarFax is, and wants to buy your car. The new buyer does not ask you about its accident history. Well, heck, as far as you're concerned it was legally put back together as good as new, right? So do you disclose this information freely and scare the buyer away, or do you withhold this information unless they ask you directly?

    PS - I already know which way I'm going to do it, I'm just asking to see what most people might do :)
     
  9. Rhino

    Rhino New Member

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    Don't rely on me. Get other opinions.

    Some insurance companies use premium original equipment parts. Some companies are cheap and use the cheapest substitutes. If your insurance company use premium parts, I would think the repaired car is just as good or even better since it is getting a new rear end. But nevertheless, you are in a damaged car database.

    If, like most cases, you sell your car "as is" to a stranger, then you don't have to disclose anything, no warranty, nothing from you. The buyer should take it to a mechanic and have it checked out. You are both trying to maximize value. When the buyer's mechanic says the car is worth $2000 more, do you expect him to pay you another $2000 to clear his ethical duty?

    On the other hand, if you are a pastor of a church, and you are selling to your 85 year old parishioner, I think you are obligated to disclose. Or you are selling to your friend, who is paying you a little more because he knows and trusts you, you should disclose.
     
  10. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    The insurance company will send an assessor to look at the car and the quote will come down. I can't see how there is frame damage in that picture but maybe I am missing something. It would be good to see a picture of the floor down by the spare tyre.

    You shouldn't have to pay for the other clown's mistake, there should be no excess/deductible even one you will get back when the other driver pays, it wasn't your fault they had no insurance. I was hit by an unlicensed uninsured driver in a shopping centre carpark, I was not charged for the repair which cost $4500 to execute. My insurance company will extract the money from the other driver.

    Best of luck with your claim.

    To the question above, if there has been no affect on the car once repaired why not sell it to the highest offer? I really don't understand this carfax thing anyway. If you have a proper repair carried out why should it devalue the car? If you have a crap repair a reasonable pre-purchase inspection should pick it up.
     
  11. ibmindless

    ibmindless Member

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    I'd go after another $1000 or more for the loss of value you will inevitably suffer on resale. I wouldn't settle too quickly either. Make sure you give yourself a few days to see if any back/neck problems crop up. You could also seek a 2nd estimate from another shop before agreeing to having the first shop proceed with repairs.
     
  12. Dalton1

    Dalton1 New Member

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    must have been hit alot harder than it looks to bend the sub-frame
    at least the insuarance is paying for it!
     
  13. kingkong5

    kingkong5 Junior Member

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    Well, that $9700 ($9688.23 to be exact) estimate was FROM my insurance adjuster. My insurance (21st Century) has already agreed to pay that amount for the repair.

    OK, admission - I'm a very grandpa driver. Yes, when I was younger I thought I was invincible, but since I've grown up I cruise at the speed limit, I pay attention to my surroundings as much as possible and yield to other drivers. I am not aggressive at all. Having said that, I've been in three accidents in the past 10 years. One was a rear ender too, but that was barely a love tap - just a few scratches on my bumper and I never bothered to file a claim or get it repaired. That was on a Lexus GS400. The other accident was in a Lexus LS400 - driving in the #2 lane when a car in my blindspot in the #1 lane blew a tire, and sideswiped my rear driver-side quarter panel. Spun me around on the freeway at 65MPH and I flipped the car, resulting in a total loss.

    This rear ender was definitely in between the other two accidents, but I thought it was more towards the harmless scratches side than the total loss side of the spectrum. Luckily that quote was from my insurance, at the place they told me to take the car to, so there's no need for a second opinion; insurance has confirmed that at that price they will pay it.
     
  14. bighouse

    bighouse Active Member

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    Sorry to hear about your accident. I hate it when people don't pay attention on the roads, especially on freeways. I always pay as much attention to what's happening in front of me as what's going on behind me just because I KNOW there are people behind me who aren't paying as close attention as they should be to what's happening in FRONT of them and in front of me!
     
  15. cairo94507

    cairo94507 Active Member

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    I start a file the day I purchase a car and everything that happens to it is included in the file, parts, repairs, services. etc. I believe in full disclosure up front so I never have to worry about some disappointed buyer finding me on the street and then someone being hurt in the ensuing argument. I like people who are honest because I am honest. It is all about being a good person and treating people the way I want them to treat me.
     
  16. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    How can I subtly put this..

    YOU NEED TO SPEAK WITH A LAWYER!!!!

    It's a free call, and may save you much grief in the long run!!!
     
  17. ibmindless

    ibmindless Member

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    I mentioned getting a 2nd quote for the purpose of being assured you received a THOROUGH analysis of all damages. I imagine there could be an incentive for your own company to skimp on a few items since they have to foot the bill. Regardless, good luck.

    Oh, and I agree with post #16 as well:

     
  18. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

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    I am shocked that a little fender bender can cost so much money. I am wondering if you can estimate how fast the guy was going when he bumped you. I always thought that frame damage can happen but at a higher threshold. I'm glad you're okay and best of luck with the car after the repair. Let us know how she drives after you get it back.
     
  19. swi66

    swi66 Member

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    When you took your car to a collision shop your insurance company recommended. They recommended them on the fact they are insurance company friendly and work to please the insurance company and NOT the car owner. This is known as "steering". They will use "certified" replacement parts and not Origenal manufacturers equipment. In certain cases they will use "used" parts or re conditioned parts. They will cut corners wherever possible even if it only saves a few dollars here and there.
    A car dealership will certainly be able to know they are not factory replacement parts, and will severely discount the trade in value of the vehicle. They may even tell you the complete job has to be redone before they sell the car.
    By this time it is too late as you have already "settled" with youtr insurance company. As for the now diminished value of your vehicle, it is almost impossible to collect that from your own insurance company, let alone the insurance company of the person who hit you. You would have a better chance against a different company, but seeing as that person was uninsured, you are left with almost no recourse other than to sue them personally.

    I would check with a different collision shop for a second opinion on damage.
     
  20. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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    I suspect you got hit harder than you think you did. The Prius crumple zone strategy took most of the hit, and you felt what was less. Although expensive, all that damage reduced your risk of injury.