Is it fixable?
 

Got sandwiched last night..insurance says its fixable..I don't believe them

http://imgur.com/a/UNf0F

Edit:

I did not hit the car in front of me, I was at a complete stop on the freeway when I got rear ended thus pushing me into the car in front

aka..please don't tell me how to drive :-)

wow...I would say no..but then again I don't get paid to make those assumptions.

The trunk area buckling like that would lead me to believe it's not fixable and even if they did I wouldn't want it anyway. The amount of pulling they'd have to do will ruin the paint behind the panels creating a rust issue later on

it seems like it could be fix it just depends is it worth the time and money to fix it, you are looking at about 3-4 week repair time to bring it back in to factory spec. then to replace and realign panels could take about a week in its self then. then you would need it to be checked to see if there is any mechanical damage.

Ouch...

Ask your adjuster why he thinks it's fixable. If he says no frame damage then it is just a ton of panels and fenders that the other guy's insurance company will pay for.

Ouch... sorry to hear the bad news. Also your adjuster must be insanely fast if you got sandwiched last night and they have already told you they want to try and fix it.

Ouch. I hope you are ok. Did they give you any other options?

Ummm...that looks pretty bad. I'm sure there's some way to fix it...but I wouldn't trust it.

Looks fixable.

Newish cars take a lot to write off. As long as the main crush beams aren't compromised too much it's amazing what will pull straight these days.

And since the alignment frames use the same laser alignment holes as the factory it literally cannot be repaired incorrectly without a lot of effort butchering the job. The best shops are using computer controlled frame machines now that pull back to the original alignment holes drilled into the body panels before the car was assembled at the factory.

Relax, your car was made to be bent and straightened a few times before it is scrap. Steel is wonderful stuff.

You'll get a brand new hood since aluminum isn't easy to straighten. The damages look awful but most of that stuff just unbolts and new stuff is bolted on.

Get lots of recommendations from people you trust about who the good body shops are in your area. Then choose what sounds the best.

Don't follow so damn close next time. I have no sympathy.

i will not want that even after it is fixed

No thanks, I wouldn't want my car back after something like that.

You're getting a new car, broo :party0030:

To me, it seems fixable, the only issue is I don't think it would be as safe to crash in next time. Frame seems pretty screwed up.
I do have to agree with DeadStar7, don't follow so close. Give at least 3 second space between vehicle in front. I understand if you are in a hurry, but pay attention, you just basically threw 25k down the drain.
If you fix this and try to sell it then, it'd barely sell for $13k, next year it will be $9k, and a year after that $6k-5k, and then around $3k. Also finding someone to buy a car that has been in the accident would be not easy at all.

Good luck.
(Yes, I'm pulling those numbers out of my rear, but that's just what I would expect it to be)

The airbag deployed...isn't it salvaged now?

No, to the airbag.
If the vehicle has significant damage, then yes, it is salvaged, it looks like one though.

Based on the definition, this vehicle is not salvaged, yet.

"In North America, a salvage title is a form of vehicle title branding, which notes that the vehicle has been damaged and/or deemed a total loss by an insurance company that paid a claim on it."

Make sure to ask the insurance company about diminished value claim adjustment.

Depends entirely on the $ amount to fix it. Anything is fixable. The threshold varies but 75% of the value is good number. Good luck.

^ This.

I don't think the damage looks that bad. I have seem much worst damage looking cars being repaired.

Looks much worse than it is IMO. Should be able to fix, but if it were me, I'd go for the write-off.

Wisconsin is a 70% state. The insurance company has the option of totaling it below that number, though.

The back of the car doesn't look like it's damaged too bad. I'm no expert though. mine was alot worse in the engine area. At least your air intake and radiator wasn't smashed half to hell into the engine like mine with the bumper and headlights shattering to pieces. It's not a total loss but it's probably not worth it unless you really want it to get it repaired. I rather argue to get it written off but it may be tough...good luck!

*guy gets smacked in the ass by another car and pushed into car in front, assholes on forums comment: don't follow too closely*

you guys are fucking idiots. what is using brains?
*looks at damage differentiation front/back*

Yeah, it's not too bad at all.. here is a decent read on total loss..

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/na.../05/240841.htm

This may be a good time to get some upgrades. You are already getting paid for the exhaust, so for a few bucks out of pocket I'm sure you can upgrade, and depending on the front damages, it looks like a CAI may be possible upgrade as well. I would be more concerned with the quality of the repair shop more than anything.. Best of luck. Sucks for sure...

Edit.. You can always take the money they give you and sell the car to a builder as is..

Hasn't anyone said it'll buff right out?

You are correct. But if he wasn't following so closely he wouldn't have been pushed into the car in front. Duh. lol

Don't drive like a retard.

+1 on the go for write off.

First post. Sorry about the circumstances (and the length). I was an adjuster for a decade or so, so I may be able to offer some insight and clarification. With respect to liability, if you come to a stop in traffic and then are rear ended into the car in front of you, you have no liability.

A following driver owes no duty to stop a certain distance behind another stopped vehicle, and he doesn't owe a duty to anticipate what his car might do if struck from behind by another car and leave a greater interval as a result. (i do by habit now as the result of having been an adjuster).

Damage discrepancy front vs rear can be caused by height variations among the three cars and how the bumpers align. If a low riding car like the FRS is pushed into a car or truck with a higher bumper, you'll see that kind of damage with the front fascia destroyed and the hood tented up because parts that weren't intended to absorb an impact did so.

Our guy is in the clear. The guy who sandwiched him owes both for his car and damage to the car he was pushed into.

With respect to repairable vs total loss, a seasoned adjuster who's been burned a few times by paying several thousand dollars extra repairing a car that should have been totalled will take a few extra steps to prevent that sort of thing.

The right way is to pay the shop (any shop at this point) a half day or so to do a tear down and pull all the damaged plastic and sheet metal off so you get a clear view of any underlying mechanical or structural stuff that could come back to bite you. Then and only then should the initial repair estimate be written. Skipping the tear down can result in a low initial estimate, which can incorrectly tip the car into the "repairable" column. Unfortunately, once repairs are underway it's too late and that's how a total loss gets repaired.

If after a tear down and comprehensive estimate the car is repairable (value of the car plus tax and less salvage recovery is greater than cost to repair plus a small margin for supplemental damage plus rental car expense) and you don't want it repaired you have a few options, all of which suck to some extent.

1) Have your own insurance company write an estimate and do their own total loss analysis. If you go with their numbers you'll owe your collision deductible and may not have rental however your carrier will recover both their expenses and your deductible from the at fault drivers carrier and reimburse you for the deductible at some point. Best of all the at fault carrier can't argue with your carriers decision or the amount they paid. All they can do is write a check. This is not considered a chargeable loss and will not increase your premium on your policy. Seriously.

2) Remember that you are never obligated to go thru insurance at all. The at fault driver personally owes to restore you to a pre-loss state. You're free to file a small claims lawsuit against him directly, and his insurance company owes him a defense and owes to pay whatever judgment you win, while simultaneously being cut out of the process. (The maximum amount you can sue for in small claims is limited by your jurisdiction so confirm that limit first.)

Once faced with this claims-handling nightmare, most adjusters will find a way to settle the claim to your satisfaction. (I just did that exact thing myself against State Farm last year, except they went ahead and hired an attorney and took the case all the way to trial. I still won but it created a lot of extra work.)

3) Have the repair check written to you and your lienholder. Pay the loan off with the proceeds. (You may need to come out of pocket some depending on equity) Sell the salvage piece yourself and hopefully get close to whole.

My recommendation in this case would be to request a tear down if they haven't done so already, and ask to be present once the tear down is completed and the estimate is written. Ideally the tear down needs to happen at the shop doing the work, and you can arrange for the shop owner or manager to be present for the estimate as well. Three sets of eyes and all. I always welcomed that input as an adjuster and if yours doesn't there's a problem.

No adjuster wants to commit to repairing a car that should have totalled. Total losses are an adjusters best friend...you write one check and you're done. Big repairs take weeks and weeks of monitoring and reinspecting and rental car extensions. Trust me...we love to total stuff.

For shop choice, if you have a trusted shop based on prior experience go there. (Generally stay clear of the dealership body shops unless you already have a trusted relationship.)

If you don't know a good shop based on previous work, an independent shop that handles high end work (Mercedes/BMW/Audi etc) is a safe bet. Their customers are incredibly picky and they typically have the best techs and equipment.

Finally, most insurance carriers have preferred repaired facilities and will offer a satisfaction guarantee if you use "their" shop. I always offered our preferred shop but on a heavy hit it was a relief when they didn't take me up on it, because I knew I was stuck with that car forever.

If they took my check and went somewhere else and then hated the repair, i was completely off the hook and they had to hash it out with the shop themselves. Otherwise me and the preferred shop had to bend over backwards to make it right, up to and including a couple of instances where we as the insurance company bought the car back. essentially paying both to repair and to total the same car. (See why seasoned adjusters pay for tear downs?)

if you don't have a trusted shop by all means used the carrier's preferred shop and make your problems the adjusters problems as well.

If you want to scan or PDF the estimate by PM or posting I can let you know what you're dealing with. Good luck!

My condolences to your car and hopefully everyone is ok. I am by no means an expert, but, I'd be surprised if it doesn't get written off. I would want it written off. Unless the shop is full of miracle workers, the car will never be the same again. Good luck.

Wow that sucks man. I agree with what a lot of others have said, go for having it totaled. No matter how good a shop is the car will never be 100%. If insurance will not total it research and find a great shop and be sure to ask about the shops warranty or if your insurance has a recommended shop that they will warranty the work from. Also be sure you get a fat check for diminished value so you can buy mods ;)

GA is one of the few states that allow for a separate action for diminished value. Fake injury claims is how it's done in most other states. :D

Unfortunately the decision by the insurance company to either pay for the repair or pay for a total loss isn't up to the owner. Just remember that the adjuster wants a heavy hit totalled as much as you do, but if the economics don't work, they don't work.

Most folks with heavy damage want the car totalled, but not always. If the car is still new and the loan payoff exceeds the value and there's no gap coverage on the loan, totalling the car leaves the owner with no car, and an unpaid balance on the totalled car as well.

It's hard to tell from the photos so far, but unless it got into the engine somehow that does look repairable. The trunk floor would be my biggest concern since that's a factory welded unitized panel that's very labor intensive to section out and replace. Some minor distortion can be pulled out and repaired, refinished and have corrosion protection replaced, but some shops figure if it's hidden under the trunk liner who cares.

Exactly what I was getting ready post. It can be repaired, and a diminished value claim could get you a check for loss in value (insurance will try to avoid this but it can be done) but it seems like a roll of the dice to get a proper repair that won't be in some way noticeable or result in rattling panels and bad fitment. I would try for a new one.

Don't forget the whiplash claim...

'Murica

Eh? I figured you guys started the whole claim culture, do you mean you can't claim personal injury or that you do automatically?

While this is mostly true. If car 2 hit car 1 first, then was hit by car 3. Car 2 pays for car 1, and car 3 pays for rear damage on car 2. I went through this in December. I was car 1. Rear ended by car 2. Car 2 claimed a 3rd vehicle rear ended her and left. Since I felt one bump, it was deemed car 3 pushed car 2 into me. Car 3 was responsible for all damage. If I had felt 2 bumps, car 2 would be responsible for her front and my rear. Car 3 would be responsible for car 2s rear and car 3s front.

So, if OP hit car 1 first, then car 3 hit him. He DOES have fault.

I know we all want a new car if someone were to hit us, myself included, but in reality it's not always necessary. I see around $10-12k in damage, so you're fairly close to Wisconsin's 70% threshold. So far I see around $4k in rear end damage (including new trunk floor), $5-7k in front, as well as the new driver airbag. You will need all new front radiator supports and fender extensions, and possibly new front fender apron reinforcements (these can easily be hammered out but with the radiator supports already removed your shop may opt to replace them). The rear might need a slight pull if it crumpled at the left shock tower, but I don't think it did. A picture of the rear with the trunk closed would help a lot in this regard. I've rebuilt a few of these cars with similar damage so I am speaking just off experience, your car could very easily be rebuilt, but since you're so close to your state's threshold you should push for a total loss. As others have mentioned, pay a shop for half a day to do the initial tear down and find any hidden damage (there will be a lot). Take it to the most expensive body shop you can find for this service, and have them set as your primary repair facility. If they charge more for labor, your repair will will obviously go up. The liable party's insurance will be forced to pay whatever your body shop charges (within reason). This seems like your most realistic route to a total loss claim. Best of luck, I'm sorry you're being forced through this.

Exactly. Had the OP struck the car ahead and then been pushed into it a second time, he would owe the rear end damage on the car ahead, and some portion of his own front end damage. The key is the statement of the front car's driver and how many impacts he recalls.

Since the OP indicated liability had been resolved in his favor, my presumption was that the at fault carrier had ruled out two impacts to the front car.