Accident
 

Hey style

Need some advice, my 2002 Subaru wrx just got backed into its kinda bad. Trying to figure out the best way to get it quoted, and make sure absolutely nothing is missed. As far as i can tell it will need:

Hood(Paint)
Fenders(Paint)
Headlight
Radiator support/Cross bar?
Bumper
Bumper support beam
Bumper Cover
Fog lights
Fender liners
Hood latch support beam perhaps a hood latch as well



My concern is my car is obviously modified tastefully. Mishimoto radiator which dosnt appear to be damaged, neither does my condenser but then again its dark and cold i couldn't tell...oh and a None oem colored Hood, and of course a full 2005 Sti engine swap (irrelevant to the equation im sure they will go off the vin).

My question again is there anyway an individual can have an influence as to what goes on their car? Im thinking along the lines of "we cut you a check for the damages," you choose your repair facility or choose not to repair the vehicle at all. I guess being compensated at minimum for the damages would be fine.

It would just suck to take a hit when it comes to things like my Fog lights. Front lip ect ect The car started making funny noises on the way home almost like a dragging noise or so (irrelevant perhaps?) The alignment is off for sure...I thought about pulling over and towing it home, but decided to drive the few extra miles and made it home.

I got his drivers license and insurance information and need to figure out how to get most things quoted accurately preferably by somebody i could myself talk to?

Thanks guys,

Re: Accident
 

You get a police report?

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no since last I heard or read unless vehicles can not move or injures no reports will be fooled

Re: Accident
 

I'm pretty sure insurance company will need a police report.

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You should be able to take it to any shop of your choice and get an estimate on parts and labor for the replacement cost. I think that should include the STI parts on your car, like fogs or front lip. Their insurance can either pay the shop directly or cut you a check for the estimate.

Without a police report, I'm guessing it'll be hard for you to get their insurance company to pay for it though, they'll just claim equal fault or something and make you pay. Or if the person at fault admits it openly, then you can probably get their liability to cover it.

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The only thing I have is a witness. The other driver said he would call it in....my mistake on the report. I need to figure out what to do for vehicle and work while it's in the shop....

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Sounds like you got screwed over. Sell your subaru for 10k like every other rusty subaru asshat out there. ;)

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Yeah i dont know man...i wont be able to now with the front end all smashed in...i mean there is always court. He totally admitted fault...once he talks to his insurance company that story might change but for now...i guess a text message from him apologizing the eye witness and insurance info is all i got to go off...

Re: Accident
 

Your best bet is likely to call the non emergency line for the local PD and tell them what happened and if it really is to late to file a report. Don't ask a forum, ask those who you can be sure of. Then take that reply to your insurance company and let them direct you.

Re: Accident
 

Regardless of who's insurance pays, you can dictate what parts are ordered and put on the car. Body shop generally doesn't care as long as lead time of parts will affect their turn around time. I believe you can get the check as well.

A couple friends ended up with better cars after similar situations.

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I strongly am leaning towards the car going to Subaru...if this can of worms gets figured out tomorrow morning, I will call my insurance agency and if all pans out...taking into considerations the good ol "Beggars cant choose" mentality... ill take what is given to replace what was lost as far as the physical damage goes. If there is some flexibility i would like some OEM upgrades available through Subaru. Anyways for now i just need it all figured out and the vehicle absolutely needs to have OEM QUALITY PARTS no knock off garbage ect

I want to figure out whether to have my insurance estimator come out, or whether to take the vehicle in for the estimation and then provide my insurance company with the max estimate. I just do not want them to make me pick from a list of CHEAP HAND ME DOWN SHOP nonsense if that makes sense? That is the only reason why i asked for some advice from some of the more experienced individuals on the forum thats all...

Re: Accident
 

You don't need to call the police and file a report. IF you had called the police they would have told you to do exactly what you did. But you should definitly call your insurance company and get them on board. They will do everything they can to get the other drivers company to foot the bill. If you have a witness and the other driver admited guilt You shouldn't have to pay for any damages. As stated above. you can take the car to anywhere you like for repair and they will cut you a check. I always fix the car myself and pocket the extra money for go fast parts.

Re: Accident
 

Here is the deal, you have the other parties insurance info - call them and start a claim on his policy and explain what happen ect. ect. they will call him and get his side of the story/accident. 9/10 times this is not a big deal, not everyone out there is an asshole. If it was me, i would try and not get my own insurance involved unless it came down to it. but thats just me. Let me know what insurance company he has and if you want i would be glad to help you. As far as the parts on the car - they owe you for what you have. Not a big deal to get the same parts replaced. You just need to provide the info of where you got them and brand and whatever else. MN law states that insurance companies can not use non - oem( i dont mean a/m perf. parts but orig. body parts) parts on your car without your consent, if they do this then they are breaking the law.

Many insurance companies like to send out appraisers to look at your vehicle first which is fine, they will cut you a check most likely and then you can bring it wherever you want. If the bill is more at the shop they can supplement the insurance company for additional costs if deemed related. More often than not accidents are really not that big of a deal in the end.

Also when that insurance company takes responsibility for the damages, they will cover the cost of a rental vehicle while it is in for repairs.

I am an estimator for a body shop and if you need any help with this i would be glad to give you a hand.

Re: Accident
 

Thanks a ton Matt!

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Yeah, no problem. Let me know if you need anymore help. Progressive is a good company to deal with imo.

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I feel ya on that one bro go fast parts. Ive been dealing with insurance agency's all day and its an experience to be marked thats for sure. Im in contact with Matt's shop to see what can be figured out...it might look like the car could potentially get totaled out though that needs to be avoided at all cost! Only because i owe some cash on the loan for that car...at best the damages will go straight to the lean holder...so a bit of adjustments to the plan of attack needs to be made.

I got the hood open and yeah there is a bit more damage then i thought which is not GOOD!

Re: Accident
 

All I can say is no matter what dont use any shop an I insurance suggests. They get paid/used because they promise to keep the costs to the insurance company down.

And dont get suckered unto. "If you use our insurance company's people" you get a 2yr warranty" as soon as you pick up the car thats void because they can claim tjere is no way to tell if you did something new etc.

And over claim /check every thing yourself. Was the car parked? Moving? Is the alignment now off, camber issues, etc.

Insurance companies are a scam and will do what ever they can to get out of paying for stuff as well as over depreciate your car to help there bottom line.

Had a horrific year with them this year with my wife getting hit by other people on 3 occasions.

None of them were her fault and some how even though the insurance company was to pay for all damages. It still cost me over $2,000 out of my own pocket to fix her car because they said there was no way certain damages could have been caused by the accidents.

Re: Accident
 

Any reputable shop would give a lifetime warranty to cover the one the insurance company would give if you used there "preferred" network.

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Thats what i would think....

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If the car is going to shop then yeah i have a place Im already considering it to go as mentioned. But yeah if there is any other issues afterwards ...as in after i pick my vehicle up...its going right back to my old dealer to make sure all is inspected over again...put on a Alignment rack if it wasnt already done by the previous shop...and as i found out talking to awd claims can be re opened if something wasnt fixed. I will not hesitate a second to do this either literally the slightest creek i hear repair it!

Re: Accident
 

So, what happened? Curious now that the laws have changed and how one documents these things with the insurance company and so forth.

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Alright so after a whole bunch of back and forward. Wrong policy claim orders being closed and re opened a few times. This was the verdict.

Progressive offered me about 8900 close to 9000 dollars for my Subaru. I still owed 6000 on my loan. My options walk away from the car and loan with about 3k in pocket or buy the vehicle back for 2200 and since the vehicle is still drive-able and it has a newer sti short block with the oe heads its still worth a bit of money. I figured a free car and 700 dollars pocketed not to bad of a deal.

Im still going to the doctor as far medical part goes the pain and suffering settlement ill deal with later. However the damage was estimated at about 7k. With a actual shop evaluating it im sure it would spike some working with matt we ended up at right about 7k as well. I should be able to relatively in expensively repair the vehicle.

The claws and hissing started with the compensation for my after market parts that were damaged. I Unfortunately didnt have most receipts...everything bought cash or a while back ect... unless you have Receipts validating or proving the exact purchase date and amount they will rake you over the coals. So i got nothing for my after market stuff. The estimator added 280 for aftermarket parts but then also deducted 250 for the over all condition of the vehicle which looked shifty to me already. On Monday a check was sent to my bank and one supposedly to me.

Once i receive and cash the money and my loan is pay'd of i will be contacting a attorney in regards to my injury's and stuff but yeah the only thing im not happy about is the rental situation..the aftermarket parts...and the un willingness to negotiate as far as the buy back went.

Re: Accident
 

There insurance should cover all rental costs. (Each time my wife was hit) our progressive aggent claims adjuster said if we have any problems getting a free rental of equivalents to size of our car to call them and let them talk to the rental place or the other insurance company.

My first go around they tried giving me a 2 door car with no room in the back for kids.

(I have a 9yr old, 5yr old, and 3yr old) and it was the car my wife was going to need to drive the kids around. So no back seat wasn't an option.And they fussed about how they aren't going to upgrade and that it would be an extra $20/day for me to upgrade to a 4 door.

Only part that I got screwed in the end over was insurance. I had to pay extra for full coverage because they stated it was required. How ever turns out the state minimum that I was carrying was all I needed. It was just the rental place trying to get more money. ($100 lost)

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Bump, quick update for those that were interested in the out come...This case is getting shadier by the week. Even though it might just be my in experience making me feel like im getting taken for a spin around the block.

As far as my car goes It ended up getting totaled out. I did not receive a penny for my aftermarket equipment due to no recent purchase receipts being available. Now im suppose to not go into to much detail online in regards to the accident as far as injuries ect go. I ended up buying the car back for about 2200 dollars my remaining loan was paid off and i was handed a check for 650 or so bought a beater honda civic untill i get back up on my feet. All considered it turned out not to bad with the car if you take the parts out.

Long story short i need some references to accident lawyers if any of you guys have any good pointers. It would be appreciated. I contacted 1 800 ask gary I KID YOU NOT! For laughs and giggles, i set up a meeting with them. Stand by for that story once all this is figured out, but wow talk about major SCAM...It boggles my mind how many people can so easily be taken advantage of. Yet on the other hand the insurance agency's are not much better unfortunately as im sadly starting to figure out. I feel like ive repeatedly been tried to be bought of the first time i was offered about a few hundred dollars for my pain and suffering the second time not much more. The worst or most annoying part is how lengthy the stand bye time is. Waiting to hear if its ok to go to a certain physician or whether its even covered and what not.

Please point to some good accident lawyers or lawyers period.

Re: Accident
 

I'm so sorry to hear about the hectic outcome and how grim things have been becoming. It doesn't exactly give me any confidence if something major were to happen to my vehicle without complete proof, especially regarding theft. I hope it all works out for you! I have a good lawyer I can recommend but he specializes in criminal defense however is still very good.

Re: Accident
 

I see ads for this guy a lot... http://tsrinjurylaw.com/

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^ Same here, plus alot of other firms listed here https://www.google.com/search?q=inju...e=1&gws_rd=ssl

Re: Accident
 

See guys thats the problem though...these main stream attorneys, have the money to advertise like crazy based on this very simple concept. In my experience with the garry crew atleast. There are 3 Basic Concepts. Every time you get in an accident at least if its not your fault there is money to be had...to compensate you for emotional distress, time, wage loss ect, property damaged ect ect. Now, that all is labeled under what im coming to learn as a settlement. Most of these big time lawyers will state you dont owe them a penny, if you dont win your case, and if you do win the only thing they want is 1/3 of your settlement so if its 30,000 dollars they get 10,000 dollars.

Now again, most people only see dollar signs and figure thats not that bad deal. I still get 20 grand, they take 10 no problem...if you hopefully dont have a bad back, or anything crazy like that it might just not be a bad deal. If you are seriously hurt though..., the one thing they dont share with you is the cost of the Hidden fees...which can easily make up another third or in some nightmare cases the whole amount of your settlement. You legally can not do anything about that ...because if he had to send letters out or document doctor visists ect.

The reason why i stress reputable preferably not mainstream is because most of them of course are money driven. NO way around that lawyers are in it to win it which is great! I just need to know i will not owe a ton of money in the long run. Also the tone in which your insurance agent as well as the fenders agent turns into as soon as you mention attorney is just wow not good as if you all of a sudden have the pest! Doing research teaches you why...because again there is money to be had unfortunately. Its great for those that weren't injured all that bad...but awefully for the average citizen that dosnt wanna go buy a GTR with his settlement.

These type of lawyers flourish in what is called NO FAULT STATE...which MN is one of them. Meaning no matter what angle you look at it there is money to be won. Even from your OWN INSURANCE COMPANY....Honestly i dont know at what point this loop hole stop's Its the most interesting thing ever to read up on...Unless you have chronic head aches and back pain and other paint aches fractures ect lol

Re: Accident
 

Im trying to really pay attention to this deal as much as possible, because there is much to be learned. Most people wouldn't think twice about taking max advantage of the system. I was really only looking for compensation for my car and get my medical bills paid of but when you're basically insulted on that kind of level it really sets you back. Its worded and put together all so delicately you say the wrong word and BAM your funds are cut just like that. This will definitely be interesting outcome

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So do you want one of us to represent you? You will owe nothing but you won't win. Sounds like you want a public defender or something.

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Mn change their accident injury laws about 5yrs ago. It makes it impossible for someone to collect with minor injures to get a sizable a judgement.. I.e 30k. The lawyers and doctors are able to still able to collect. The way, I inderstood it...
Settle minus any medical and lawyers fees. Where as before it might of been settle minus lawyers fees.

Re: Accident
 

But either way what can we possibly loose, it dosnt hurt asking. After all that is how i learned once my bills reach 4000 dollars i am allowed to sue which would also re open my aftermarket parts claim! They could have just worked with me instead of giving me the run around.

Re: Accident
 

No you are not understanding. If you go to a mechanic or a doctor i dont care who you go to for service and they dont tell you how much their service will cost in addition to their initial diag how comfortable would you be? It has absolutely nothing to do with a public defender? What dost that even mean this is not a public situation it has nothing to do with Government you lost me hodi.

Re: Accident
 

I haven't gone that far into it or researching the laws. Either way lawyers get paid big time, so do doctors...so yeah its a very good idea to advertise in as many places you can. Its just not what its all cracked up to be telling you about these huge settlements blah blah as you stated. My problem is how hard and almost impossible it is to deal with these kind of situations on your own and be treated fairly is all.

Re: Accident
 

I go to the Doctor all the time without knowing how much it will be besides what my copay is. Even then. I will still be charged for other crap that I may not know about.

Re: Accident
 

Because you do not ask. If you wanted to really find out you would be given a detailed brake down. On that note though when i went to the er room i got a discount for not being "insured" it was like a 600 dollar discount...as soon as they got wind that i was actually covered i got another nice billing statement with what initially was a discount as additional charges. I got a good laugh out of that one. but either or CO pay is still a number you can work into your budget.

Re: Accident
 

If you want your aftermarket parts covered then in most cases you need to have them documented with your insurance which will most likely cause an increase in your payment. Also documenting the parts ect. you have with updated pictures and such is not a bad idea either in case of theft ( i would think they want proof ) .

Some do cover it automatically, Progressive for instance covers aftermarket stuff on motorcycles. They paid me out for everything i had on my rocket when i totaled it.

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Alpha, if your not getting what you want with the other parties insurance you can always use yours to see if they will make it easier and have them deal with the other parties insurance instead. Just another option instead of using a scam lawyer.

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Good point sir, thing is since they both happen to be progressive they are working together i just got off the phone with them. Frustrating....

Re: Accident
 

Oh damn, forgot about that. Hmm.. that makes things interesting.