Waah, my poor car was hit head on by a postal truck!

Very sorry to hear about your accident, glad you are unhurt. My guess is that your car will be totaled and not repaired.

If you find that it in fact will be repaired, then you will want to be careful about selecting a body shop, and examine recently repaired vehicles to satisfy yourself regarding workmanship and paint finish.

 

That's about as bad as the '08 salvage car I bought. Did the airbag deploy? I would say that it's totaled.

 

One thing I would pursue is diminished value payment.
Records will indicate the car was in an accident, this will affect any trade in value in the future. Better to pursue this now as opposed to later. And be sorry.
Most insurance companies will balk at this, but even if the car is fixed at a dealership, it is now a car that at one time was wrecked, so not worth as much as one that has not been in an accident, check into it.

 

A few months ago we hit a coyote driving south on the 5 frwy. It caused an amazing amount of damage. We lucked out and found a body shop in Antioch calif. called Jims auto body - 925-754-7600 (the manager is James). The work they did was expertly done and the service I would highly recommend. As a matter of fact I would drive several hundred miles to get the service supplied by this body shop!

Good Luck!

 

Did it puncture the radiator? If not, combined with the no airbag deployment I would say that there is a chance they may fix it. It's still leaning toward totaled though. On a side note: I would love to get a hold of a salvage car like one in your condition. I could have it back on the road in a weekend.

 

Regarding the issue of diminished value: my 2001 was hit from behind by a Dodge Durango almost four years ago and incurred >$4,000 in repairs. The other driver's insurance company disclaimed any responsibility for diminished value and my attorney advised me that this would be a difficult claim to successfully pursue. I'm located in CA; perhaps things may be different where you reside.

 

Your Toyota dealership would be a good one to talk to as far as diminished value goes. If the dealer says they would not consider the value diminished, get them to put it in writing for when its time to trade.
I had a Subaru repaired, at a dealership. They swore there was no diminished vale as it was fixed by their technicians.
Week later took car back to same dealership, talked to different people about trading the car in. Told me the trade in would be $2000 less due to the shoddy repair job that needed to be fixed. You should have seen the look on their faces when when I told them their shop did the shoddy repairs. They would not stand by their poor repairs, and correct them for free if I traded the car on a new one...................never went back to that dealer, never bought another Subaru.

Diminished value is very real.
But for the most part, collision shops do not want to be put in the position of admitting it, as they certainly do not want to end up in court testifying to it. And if a collision shop does anything that costs an insurance company money, they can lose their "favored" status with insurance companies, effectively putting them out of business.
Always watch for insurance companies that want to send you to one of their "approved" shops. These shops are generally recommended by an insurance company as they will cut corners and use aftermarket or used parts instead of OEM.
A few years ago, my own insurance company, Progressive, tried to "steer" me to one of their approved glass installers to replace a windshield on a Dakota I owned. They made it sound so easy, as their guy would come to my home or my work and change the windshield. I pointed out it was late December and 15 degrees outside and wanted to know how they could effectively seal a windshield under those conditions. They fed me a line of BS about how they would not be able to "guarantee", the installation if I had someone else do it. I asked for a copy, in writing, of their guarantee for their installer................they of course would not provide one.

One last thing.
Never, but never, accept a check from an insurance company by an "instant claim". You will find yourself with money in hand and signing a paper stating the claim is settled. Then you wuill find the damage was more extensive than your adjuster calculated. Try and go back to the insurance company after you signed off on it.............

 

I see frame damage - that's a write off.

 

I see this time and again where posters believe that if the dealership has a body shop it is presumed to be superior to non-dealer body shops. I would strongly encourage anyone to shop for a reputable body shop via direct referrals from friends, co-workers, etc.

In Oakland, CA Brooks Motor Cars is top drawer. I am not associated with them other than they have been repairing my cars for 15 years and they are the best IMO and I use to work at a body shop. I always suggest taking a tour of the shop to see what it looks like. If it looks like someone's backyard mess, the work is typically consistent with that. Walking through Brooks is like touring a day spa for cars. Their prices are in line with all other shops too. They have worked on my Prius several times.

 

Even if it isn't totaled out the gate, it may be later. They'll find more damage once they get inside and start taking it apart. They always do.

 

Hey there, sorry about your car. I just got mine back after a $6700 deer hit. I am in the insurance industry, a couple to notes:

1. frame damage does not mean total loss. It certain will need to be addressed, but in no way means total loss.
2. pick a shop that guaranteed the work and paint as long as you own the car. Get it in writing. Get all your invoices from the shop for parts.
3. having a government truck hit you is a bummer. They (govt) insurance is usually handled by a third party administrator and they are VERY slow. Stay on top of them.
4. try and get all OEM parts if possible. The parts and the quality of the repairs will directly impact your demonition of value claim. Until the repairs are done and the vehicle is inspected it is impossible to guess a DOV amount.
5. Try not to stress. With a hit this hard, even after the repairs you may need to take the car back to the shop. Any engine or Hybrid work would be best subbed to the Toyota dealership, but the body work shold get done where you feel most comfortable.
6. check NADA online to get the value of the vehicle. If the damage estimate starts to approach 50-70%, may end up total los as your title may be "branded".

Good luck!

 

N.A.D.A. Home Page

Tool to get a value of your car. Make sure you chose your geographic region as well as ALL the options on your car. Good luck