Accident and a question. Ugh.

[TilesMeague]

Man that's such a shame. I'd be losing so much more than just a car if that happened to me, I'd be losing my best friend

[JDB]

It does look like a write off....there is a lot of possible hidden damage there. I have had good luck at Michael and Michael in Toronto........they are down on Eastern. great, great guys, and they have had mine apart twice.......don't ask.....

[D_Thissen]

Damn! Sorry man. Post some more pics if you can tomorrow and let us know how it goes..

[Stewie]

Former insurance adjuster. The buckle in the rear quarter means that they will have to put your on a rack ("frame alignment device") measure where everything is at currently and then apply force to pull everything back into spec. Once they've done that they can assess if the rear quarter can be repaired or if it would need to be replaced. If it needs to be replaced they will cut it off the car and weld a new quarter panel in.

Getting it "pulled" by a good shop is going to be the key here. If the shop doesn't do a good job, the trunk won't align properly and you could end up with a leaky trunk. Check the trunk with a hose while at the shop,after repairs.

[DarkSunrise]

Sorry about the accident! Sucks when you put in the work to take care of your car over the years, and then one day some careless SUV driver barrels into the rear of your car. Glad to see you weren't serious hurt though.

[NOHOME]

Any airbags go off?

In order for that quarter to buckle, the frame had to give. Frames are designed to give...once. Pulling it back in position does not reset the strenght of the frame member.

If there is any damage to the DS quarter, the entire car is going to need painting.

In my case, front fender, new door, and full paint on DS to avoid blending was 4k. This was for a 5 mph bump with no structural damage.

Diminished value most often takes the form of a civil claim, eithe small claims or via one of the many shyster legal firms that specialize in the claim. If you are not planning to file any medical claims (I would not dismiss the option) then mention that unless they make you whole in good faith, you will consider filling such a claim; it will end up costing them more in response effort than you are looking for.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by NOHOME

Any airbags go off?

In order for that quarter to buckle, the frame had to give. Frames are designed to give...once. Pulling it back in position does not reset the strenght of the frame member.

If there is any damage to the DS quarter, the entire car is going to need painting.

In my case, front fender, new door, and full paint on DS to avoid blending was 4k. This was for a 5 mph bump with no structural damage.

Diminished value most often takes the form of a civil claim, eithe small claims or via one of the many shyster legal firms that specialize in the claim. If you are not planning to file any medical claims (I would not dismiss the option) then mention that unless they make you whole in good faith, you will consider filling such a claim; it will end up costing them more in response effort than you are looking for.

No airbags went off.

I just got off the phone with the repair shop and the insurance adjuster. They haven't finished pulling the car apart yet, so I have no idea about costs right now. I did ask about the "uni-body and/or frame" damage and the shop explained that there very well could be frame damage, but the buckling seen on the exterior rear quarter panel doesn't always indicate frame damage. He said given the angle of the hit, the frame could be perfectly intact but the sheet metal buckles if there was enough force at the fender/bumper connection point.

He did say that if this was the case, they would typically "pull" the sheet metal to see if they can get back in spec or replace the entire quarter panel and re-weld (shitty in either case). He also mentioned that I would be VERY surprised how quickly the cost can add up with this type of repair, but not to get my hopes up of it being a write off. To be deemed a total loss in Ontario, the repair costs would need to be over 75% of the current replacement value of the vehicle. So I'm guessing that there would need to be $15k+ worth of damages to be written off...?

Also, the insurance adjuster echoed exactly what you just said about diminished value. We don't have that here in Ontario like many US states do (totally sucks). If I wanted to go after any depreciation due to the accident, I would have to take the guy to court and try and recover that way. Which I'm sure would cost me more in legal/time/aggravation than what I would receive in compensation (if anything at all).

Bah this sucks.

[RobertPaulson]

oh man so sorry to see that, i can echo that repairs to these kinds of accidents built up very fast. my last car had similar damage and my buddy is an adjuster, at quick glance i thought about 6k, he figured 8, once they started tearing into the car it jumped up to 13k and they hadn't even started looking to ensure the frame hadn't been damaged and totaled my car (it was worth 16k).

[zc06_kisstherain]

shit...accident happens. i am glad you're ok. that matters most and car can be replaced.
anyway GL with repair.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

I did ask about the "uni-body and/or frame" damage and the shop explained that there very well could be frame damage, but the buckling seen on the exterior rear quarter panel doesn't always indicate frame damage. He said given the angle of the hit, the frame could be perfectly intact but the sheet metal buckles if there was enough force at the fender/bumper connection point.

He did say that if this was the case, they would typically "pull" the sheet metal to see if they can get back in spec or replace the entire quarter panel and re-weld (shitty in either case).

I've been through two wrecks in the last few years (not with the BRZ, knock on wood), and I got fed so much bullshit by both the adjusters and their "preferred" repair shops that I would take anything these people are telling you with a handful of salt. I didn't get anything close to a straight answer on my Jeep until I took it to an independent shop.

Once you get the adjuster's estimate, I would suggest that you take it to another shop to get an independent estimate, not only of the damage but also of the value of the car against which the damage will be compared to determine whether it's totaled. Actually, it's better to do that before the insurance adjuster looks at it, so that you're armed with better information.

As as much as adjusters hate this and just assume it's fraud, if you have any pains at all, go get checked out by a doctor and file an injury claim also. On my first wreck, I was sore but didn't bother going to the doctor. On the other, I had learned my lesson and went. The difference in how the adjusters dealt with the claims was simply amazing.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I've been through two wrecks in the last few years (not with the BRZ, knock on wood), and I got fed so much bullshit by both the adjusters and their "preferred" repair shops that I would take anything these people are telling you with a handful of salt. I didn't get anything close to a straight answer on my Jeep until I took it to an independent shop.

Once you get the adjuster's estimate, I would suggest that you take it to another shop to get an independent estimate, not only of the damage but also of the value of the car against which the damage will be compared to determine whether it's totaled. Actually, it's better to do that before the insurance adjuster looks at it, so that you're armed with better information.

As as much as adjusters hate this and just assume it's fraud, if you have any pains at all, go get checked out by a doctor and file an injury claim also. On my first wreck, I was sore but didn't bother going to the doctor. On the other, I had learned my lesson and went. The difference in how the adjusters dealt with the claims was simply amazing.

This is actually my preferred shop it just so happens that they are on State Farm's approved repair facilities list. I've know this shop and owner for almost 10 years. I do trust them.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

No airbags went off.

I just got off the phone with the repair shop and the insurance adjuster. They haven't finished pulling the car apart yet, so I have no idea about costs right now. I did ask about the "uni-body and/or frame" damage and the shop explained that there very well could be frame damage, but the buckling seen on the exterior rear quarter panel doesn't always indicate frame damage. He said given the angle of the hit, the frame could be perfectly intact but the sheet metal buckles if there was enough force at the fender/bumper connection point.

He did say that if this was the case, they would typically "pull" the sheet metal to see if they can get back in spec or replace the entire quarter panel and re-weld (shitty in either case). He also mentioned that I would be VERY surprised how quickly the cost can add up with this type of repair, but not to get my hopes up of it being a write off. To be deemed a total loss in Ontario, the repair costs would need to be over 75% of the current replacement value of the vehicle. So I'm guessing that there would need to be $15k+ worth of damages to be written off...?

Also, the insurance adjuster echoed exactly what you just said about diminished value. We don't have that here in Ontario like many US states do (totally sucks). If I wanted to go after any depreciation due to the accident, I would have to take the guy to court and try and recover that way. Which I'm sure would cost me more in legal/time/aggravation than what I would receive in compensation (if anything at all).

Bah this sucks.

Won't cost you that much money for the diminished value claim. Just use a company here in the states. They can do all the research and give you a value.

Take the guy to small claims court, and present your evidence. If the court rules in your favor, he easy part will be done. Getting them to pay what they owe you...might not be so easy.

They will need pics of the vehicle showing the damage and the complete repair bill showing all repairs and supplemental repairs.

The shop was right to tell you that this type of repair can cost a lot. It can. When I saw the pics of the damage to your car I was thinking between $8-11k easy.

[Lonewolf]

@Burrcold

I had a similar accident 16 years ago (when I was still in college) and the intermittent neck/back pain is still with me. Keep in mind I was perfectly healthy and as strong as a mini-ox when the accident happened. I only had a bad headache and some shoulder/neck stiffness for the first couple of days...then the real pain started shortly after that.

Get checked out thoroughly by a good doctor and don't settle for the first lameduck settlement the insurance company will throw at you...you will have pain that will be with you forever.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

@Burrcold

I had a similar accident 16 years ago (when I was still in college) and the intermittent neck/back pain is still with me. Keep in mind I was perfectly healthy and as strong as a mini-ox when the accident happened. I only had a bad headache and some shoulder/neck stiffness for the first couple of days...then the real pain started shortly after that.

Get checked out thoroughly by a good doctor and don't settle for the first lameduck settlement the insurance company will throw at you...you will have pain that will be with you forever.

Luckily I can deal directly with my own doctor and his referral for a chiropractor or whatever other specialist I need to see. Even the bodily injury claims adjuster from State Farm told me today to get my neck and back looked at for the exact reason you mentioned. He also said I can make an injury claim up to 10 years after the accident (obviously only if they can relate any pain to the prior accident). Neck and shoulders are definitely VERY tight today but I presume that's to be expected.