Lost control and curbed my wheels

[slowbrz]

It finally happened. I lost control of my car while taking a turn too fast and hit two wheels against the center medium curb. I got overconfident and took the turn too fast.

The wheels are scuffed on the side and I can tell the alignment is off. What are some possible things that may need to be replaced? And is this something I should get fixed through my insurance? If it doesnt cost much I'd rather pay for it out of pocket but I obviously dont know what is damaged

[Apex-Apex]

control arms are probably bent

[slowbrz]

How much does it cost to repair control arms? I hope I can jsut replace that and get an alignment and be done with it

I'll post some pics tomorrow

[Captain Snooze]

The best thing to do is take it to an alignment shop (or smash repairs) and get them to look it over. That way you don't get incomplete forum advice. Regardless of the pictures you post they won't be able to show everything that needs to be inspected.

Don't skimp on repairs.

[slowbrz]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

The best thing to do is take it to an alignment shop (or smash repairs) and get them to look it over. That way you don't get incomplete forum advice. Regardless of the pictures you post they won't be able to show everything that needs to be inspected.

Don't skimp on repairs.

I'm planning to but it's Friday evening and shops are closed. This is all I can do for now.

Is it okay for me to drive it to the mechanic shop like this? Do I even get insurance involved before I take it to the shop? No idea what to do since I havent been in this situation before

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by slowbrz

I'm planning to but it's Friday evening and shops are closed. This is all I can do for now.

Is it okay for me to drive it to the mechanic shop like this? Do I even get insurance involved before I take it to the shop? No idea what to do since I havent been in this situation before

An at fault insurance claim is going to cost you over the long haul. If there is no body damage I would avoid that like the plague.
There are many things that could be more damaged then you realize. You can have bent control arms, damaged hubs and bearings, warped rims, stewed up stearing components, or even broken bands in the tires. The good news is that as long as you didn't screw up any structural sections none of this is horribly expensive to fix (it ain't cheap either). You could also get really lucky and have nothing but some scuffed up wheels and messed up alignment.

Personally I would not drive the car after that sort of damage since you don't know what could give and it will never let go at a good time. If seems to be driving ok you could drive it to a shop for inspection and a quote but take it really easy.

[slowbrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

An at fault insurance claim is going to cost you over the long haul. If there is no body damage I would avoid that like the plague.
There are many things that could be more damaged then you realize. You can have bent control arms, damaged hubs and bearings, warped rims, stewed up stearing components, or even broken bands in the tires. The good news is that as long as you didn't screw up any structural sections none of this is horribly expensive to fix (it ain't cheap either). You could also get really lucky and have nothing but some scuffed up wheels and messed up alignment.

Personally I would not drive the car after that sort of damage since you don't know what could give and it will never let go at a good time. If seems to be driving ok you could drive it to a shop for inspection and a quote but take it really easy.

Isnt that the whole point of having full coverage? If it ends up being $5k+ worth of damages, my rate would have to increase significantly for it to be worth it to pay for it out of my own pocket.

[Mr.ac]

Originally Posted by slowbrz

I'm planning to but it's Friday evening and shops are closed. This is all I can do for now.

Is it okay for me to drive it to the mechanic shop like this? Do I even get insurance involved before I take it to the shop? No idea what to do since I havent been in this situation before

Well, if you want to use insurance it's best to file a claim as soon as possible.
If your handy with tools and you can work on it yourself you could fix it yourself. Then just pay for an alignment.

But if you don't know what needs fixing it's best just to pay your deductible and file the claim. For example, if you need $500 for your deductible vs $600+ if you do it yourself. It's better to go with the insurance

As far as driving, I would check if your rear axles are ok. If they are unaffected they yeah I'll baby craw to the shop. If not either call a tow, or get a uhaul with a car trailer. Which ever ends up cheaper.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by slowbrz

Isnt that the whole point of having full coverage? If it ends up being $5k+ worth of damages, my rate would have to increase significantly for it to be worth it to pay for it out of my own pocket.

Yes that is the point of full coverage but unless you have an accident forgiveness policy an at fault crash (I am a 30 year health and safety professional and refuse to use the word "accident" since there is no such thing. I will not debate that topic) is going to raise your premiums. At this point you have no idea what the cost will be but like AC said if you want to file a claim you have to do it within a time frame. Check your policy to see how long you have. If you report it to your insurance and the costs are way less than your premium increase you screwed yourself. If you have forgiveness then by all means use the insurance.
I know it sucks to pay all that money for coverage and then not use it when you have damage but you have to look at the big picture not just the immediate benefit.

[slowbrz]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

Well, if you want to use insurance it's best to file a claim as soon as possible.
If your handy with tools and you can work on it yourself you could fix it yourself. Then just pay for an alignment.

But if you don't know what needs fixing it's best just to pay your deductible and file the claim. For example, if you need $500 for your deductible vs $600+ if you do it yourself. It's better to go with the insurance

As far as driving, I would check if your rear axles are ok. If they are unaffected they yeah I'll baby craw to the shop. If not either call a tow, or get a uhaul with a car trailer. Which ever ends up cheaper.

Is it not a good idea to get it checked at a shop to determine the extent of damage before filing a claim?

I initially thought I slightly oversteered and my back wheel hit the curb first but there is very minimal curb rash on the rear wheel. Turns out the front wheel did hit it first but the wheel itself was parallel to the curb and the rash is just on the edge of half of the rim and on the tire.

Im not handy with tools but I have friends who are.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Yes that is the point of full coverage but unless you have an accident forgiveness policy an at fault crash (I am a 30 year health and safety professional and refuse to use the word "accident" since there is no such thing. I will not debate that topic) is going to raise your premiums. At this point you have no idea what the cost will be but like AC said if you want to file a claim you have to do it within a time frame. Check your policy to see how long you have. If you report it to your insurance and the costs are way less than your premium increase you screwed yourself. If you have forgiveness then by all means use the insurance.
I know it sucks to pay all that money for coverage and then not use it when you have damage but you have to look at the big picture not just the immediate benefit.

My insurance co doesnt have an accident forgiveness policy unfortunately. I havent been in an accident in over 8 years and had no tickets. I suppose I can always change insurance providers.

The bigger picture is more important to me. I just want to go with the most cost-effective option but I have no clue which one is.

I honestly think my car is driveable on the local roads so Im taking this to my local tire shop to check out tomorrow

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by slowbrz

Is it not a good idea to get it checked at a shop to determine the extent of damage before filing a claim?

I initially thought I slightly oversteered and my back wheel hit the curb first but there is very minimal curb rash on the rear wheel. Turns out the front wheel did hit it first but the wheel itself was parallel to the curb and the rash is just on the edge of half of the rim and on the tire.



My insurance co doesnt have an accident forgiveness policy unfortunately. I havent been in an accident in over 8 years and had no tickets. I suppose I can always change insurance providers.

The bigger picture is more important to me. I just want to go with the most cost-effective option but I have no clue which one is.

I honestly think my car is driveable on the local roads so Im taking this to my local tire shop to check out tomorrow

Changing companies will not save you from a rate increase. Your record will follow you it doesn't just go away.
Without knowing the full extent of the damage it is pretty hard to say which is most cost effective. Without a repair cost you could end up paying more in increases than you would out of pocket but if you wait too long to report it they may not cover it anyway. Sort of a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation.

WARNING best guess alert:

From the info you have provided it does not sound like you did much damage. No bent wheels, flat tires, pieces hanging down or horrible driving conditions. It sounds like you hit pretty square and that may have saved you more serious consequences.
I normally reframe from giving advice on this sort of thing but knowing the little I do, if it was me, I would take the risk and pay up myself. Like said before though if you can look at your policy and see how long you have to report it you may be able to get it checked and make a better informed decision.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I am a 30 year health and safety professional and refuse to use the word "accident" since there is no such thing.

mishap

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

mishap

Incident.

[slowbrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Changing companies will not save you from a rate increase. Your record will follow you it doesn't just go away.
Without knowing the full extent of the damage it is pretty hard to say which is most cost effective. Without a repair cost you could end up paying more in increases than you would out of pocket but if you wait too long to report it they may not cover it anyway. Sort of a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation.

WARNING best guess alert:

From the info you have provided it does not sound like you did much damage. No bent wheels, flat tires, pieces hanging down or horrible driving conditions. It sounds like you hit pretty square and that may have saved you more serious consequences.
I normally reframe from giving advice on this sort of thing but knowing the little I do, if it was me, I would take the risk and pay up myself. Like said before though if you can look at your policy and see how long you have to report it you may be able to get it checked and make a better informed decision.

I was implying certain insurance companies are more forgiving for such driving record flags. It might not apply to new members though.

I wasnt able to find any info on how soon I have to report to my insurance co but I will make my decision in 15 hours. I'm leaning towards paying it myself right now but the inspection should help me make a more informed decision.