I was rear ended...now what?

[DiZzyBonne]

I was driving to work and somebody with liability insurance rear ended my brand new baby! I got his name, phone number, and insurance. I took pictures of his car, and mine. What's the next step? I'm going to call his insurance, but honestly, I want my bumper and trunk replace because that's where the damage was done. What are the odds that it will be replaced, as opposed to simply "fixed?"

 

[Blackoyote]

Did you not have the police come out and file a report? In some states that's a requirement, not sure about CA. Either way, you need to contact their insurance company.

 

[venom_inc]

I was driving to work and somebody with liability insurance rear ended my brand new baby! I got his name, phone number, and insurance. I took pictures of his car, and mine. What's the next step? I'm going to call his insurance, but honestly, I want my bumper and trunk replace because that's where the damage was done. What are the odds that it will be replaced, as opposed to simply "fixed?"

It depends on how much damage is done to it. Sometimes a replacement is needed and sometimes they just fix it.

 

[Shadow Grey 03]

Be prepared to be rear-ended again by their insurance company.

 

[stmoney11]

A police report would have been ideal but from the sound of the damage to both cars it should be pretty clean cut as to who was at fault.

You will want to call his insurance company and see if a claim has been started yet by him, if not, file the claim and be prepared to wait as it can take a while sometimes.

 

[Thump_rrr]

Where I am located I do not need to contact their insurance company.
I contact mine and they take care of everything.
Out here the law is that a car less than 18 months old receives brand new OEM parts.
After that OEM equivalent and used parts may be used as long as they are in good condition and a warranty is given.

Your area may have other laws.

Back in 2006 when I had my accident I called my insurance company and informed them of the accident.
They gave me a list of garages that they recommended.
I do HVAC and know a lot of high quality body shops so I told the insurance company who I wanted to deal with.
They were not on the list so I had the bodyshop owner speak to my insurance company once the estimate was done.
The insurance company sent their own claims adjuster to confirm the estimate.
There was a $5.00/hr discrepancy between what the insurance covered and what my preferred body shop charged so I paid the difference 0f $175.00 but I still have the car and the work is perfect.

 

[thomas91169]

definitely get your insurance company involved just to be safe, that's what you pay them for.

I was hit in a parking lot by some guy that backed out of his stall quick and struck my pass side door. I called up Flo and he had state farm, I knew it would be unwise to just use his insurance company as he was already trying to blame me. Progressive got my story and went to bat against his insurance and ultimately pwned their ass with facts (I provided pics, diagrams of the incident, and spoke clear english, he on the other hand had his wife describe the incident when she was not even there). Then his insurance called me to setup the repair, and I got a rental car from them too during the process.

fwiw, you arent a repairs estimator so what you want and what they actually do to repair the car are two separate things. Their shops they use are certified to do the repair to your expectations, so use them as they warranty their work as well.

 

[shurur]

Yes..call your insurance company; give them the information and let them handle it. Your insurance company is going to make sure his insurance pays.

 

[MysticRob]

definitely get your insurance company involved just to be safe, that's what you pay them for.

I was hit in a parking lot by some guy that backed out of his stall quick and struck my pass side door. I called up Flo and he had state farm, I knew it would be unwise to just use his insurance company as he was already trying to blame me. Progressive got my story and went to bat against his insurance and ultimately pwned their ass with facts (I provided pics, diagrams of the incident, and spoke clear english, he on the other hand had his wife describe the incident when she was not even there). Then his insurance called me to setup the repair, and I got a rental car from them too during the process.

fwiw, you arent a repairs estimator so what you want and what they actually do to repair the car are two separate things. Their shops they use are certified to do the repair to your expectations, so use them as they warranty their work as well.

This all day long. Call your insurance provider and give them the other driver's info along with all your photos, description, and anything else your provider needs to go after the other guy's provider.

 

[OhIIICobra]

My wife's 2011 went through that at 2,000 miles. A "light" rear end collision with $6,500 in damage.

My back to OEM perfect repair consisted of:

-Missing OEM FOMOCO vin decal by driver door.
-Missing tire decal
-Interior left side seat trim panel missing fasteners / panel alignment off by 1/2"
-Gouged left rear window with tool marks
-Gouged left rear window panel
-Gouged rear window tint
-Non OEM muffler alignment jigs left welded on both mufflers
-1/4" x 4' OEM rear window bottom exterior seal missing due to clearance issues post repair
-2 interior trunk trim panels not staying affixed sue to tolerance issues
-Left side trunk 1/4" gap above left side tail lens
-Contact between rear glass and deck lid
-Rear bumper cover not aligned with either rear quarter panel
-Rear deck lid not aligned with left rear quarter panel (1/4" gap)
-Top left of rear deck lid scratched with tool marks
-Scratch on middle rear bumper cover
-fuel filler housing loose

DO NOT close out the claim with the other insurance company until you are 100% satisfied. I was not satisfied and I wanted diminished value paid to me and told them there is no way I'm keeping the car.

They told me good luck proving diminished value. The adjuster tried to tell me much of the above was normal wear and tear on a 2,000 mile car. I drove her car to the nearest Ford dealer and traded a few minutes later for a similarly priced Fusion. My pre-accident trade was excellent at $23,075 I only got $19,000 on the trade. I used the trade in info to justify that they actually diminished the value of the car. Keep in mind my claim was still in appeals with the other company after I had traded the car and they couldn't dispute real-world numbers that actually occurred.

 

[James Snover]

Seconding what the others have said: call your insurance company; if you haven't already, stop everything and call them right now.

 

[mavericks-03svt]

I am an insurance adjuster in Texas. Basically you need to file a claim and then an adjuster will call you to either do a recorded statement or discuss the facts of loss with you. Once you speak with an adjuster they will set an appointment to inspect your vehicle. I would try to file with the other persons insurance first and if the claim is denied or disputed then fall back onto your policy. No sense in filing on your own policy unless you have to. A lot of insurance companies are moving towards if you have too many claims in a certain time period they are non renewing polices. I have seen some policies that have rate increases for no fault claims since it moved the policy into a different rating tier. As far as the repairs are concerned, pick the best shop possible and wait to see how the estimate is written. If you are at a decent shop they will negotiate with your adjuster so that the repair can be repaired properly. Ultimately the insurance company can only pay to have your vehicle repaired properly and it is up to the shop to make sure the repair is right. Good luck, sounds like you did a good job at the scene and I am sure you ride will be as good as new in no time.

 

[mavericks-03svt]

My wife's 2011 went through that at 2,000 miles. A "light" rear end collision with $6,500 in damage.

My back to OEM perfect repair consisted of:

-Missing OEM FOMOCO vin decal by driver door.
-Missing tire decal
-Interior left side seat trim panel missing fasteners / panel alignment off by 1/2"
-Gouged left rear window with tool marks
-Gouged left rear window panel
-Gouged rear window tint
-Non OEM muffler alignment jigs left welded on both mufflers
-1/4" x 4' OEM rear window bottom exterior seal missing due to clearance issues post repair
-2 interior trunk trim panels not staying affixed sue to tolerance issues
-Left side trunk 1/4" gap above left side tail lens
-Contact between rear glass and deck lid
-Rear bumper cover not aligned with either rear quarter panel
-Rear deck lid not aligned with left rear quarter panel (1/4" gap)
-Top left of rear deck lid scratched with tool marks
-Scratch on middle rear bumper cover
-fuel filler housing loose

DO NOT close out the claim with the other insurance company until you are 100% satisfied. I was not satisfied and I wanted diminished value paid to me and told them there is no way I'm keeping the car.

They told me good luck proving diminished value. The adjuster tried to tell me much of the above was normal wear and tear on a 2,000 mile car. I drove her car to the nearest Ford dealer and traded a few minutes later for a similarly priced Fusion. My pre-accident trade was excellent at $23,075 I only got $19,000 on the trade. I used the trade in info to justify that they actually diminished the value of the car. Keep in mind my claim was still in appeals with the other company after I had traded the car and they couldn't dispute real-world numbers that actually occurred.

That sucks. I would not have paid you any diminished value either. The reason why is because the repairs were not up to par. If you could have had the shop correct these issues first, then I would have negotiated a diminished value claim with you. Sounds like the structure was not pulled back correctly causing the gap and fitment issues. bottom line is bad repairs will detract from value more so than a vehicle that has been wrecked with good quality repairs. I would not use that shop again if you have another wreck in the future.

 

[OhIIICobra]

That sucks. I would not have paid you any diminished value either. The reason why is because the repairs were not up to par. If you could have had the shop correct these issues first, then I would have negotiated a diminished value claim with you. Sounds like the structure was not pulled back correctly causing the gap and fitment issues. bottom line is bad repairs will detract from value more so than a vehicle that has been wrecked with good quality repairs. I would not use that shop again if you have another wreck in the future.

Maybe you were the agent...it happened in Texas? It was the most reputable shop in my city and recommended by my insurance. The body shops and insurance companies can piss and moan all they want but they aren't gonna push a sub-standard wreck onto me telling me that it is back to OEM and there is nothing else that can be done.

They told me to pound sand and my car was "like it never happened". I drove my 2011 GT and let the dumb ****s do a side by side comparison. They ultimately paid me because I would not be intimidated by their bull shit.

 

[DiZzyBonne]

Thanks for the advice everybody! I spoke with my insurance as well, they said I don't need to do anything with them unless they need to get involved.

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

Talk to insurance, find the body shop you want to fix it in the meantime, wait for check, have body shop fix.

Do you have the car? You can take it in for an estimate from another shop and if you leave the car with them the insurance company will send out their adjuster to do the estimate. Tell them you want only OEM parts too because if there is aftermarket (A/M) they may try to sneak them in there. You have all the say though as far as what parts are used and who fixes your car.

If there are any supplements that need to be fixed while in the process the body shop should be the one handling the supplement between them and the insurance company.

 

[DiZzyBonne]

Yeah, I'm going to make sure to get OEM parts straight from Ford! I wonder how difficult Grabber Orange is to match with new paint...

 

[Thump_rrr]

Yeah, I'm going to make sure to get OEM parts straight from Ford! I wonder how difficult Grabber Orange is to match with new paint...

When speaking to paint and body shops ask if they own and use a sun gun such as the solux solar simulator. This will ensure that the color match will be correct in all lighting conditions.

 

[HEMIHUNTER]

I just went through this. I was the end car in a three car fender bender. I had to get three estimates and turn it in to his insurance co. They had an appraiser come out and do an estimate and it was within a $100 of the middle estimate. They paid for the rental while the truck got fixed.
That's the Cliff's version.

 

[DiZzyBonne]

When speaking to paint and body shops ask if they own and use a sun gun such as the solux solar simulator. This will ensure that the color match will be correct in all lighting conditions.

Is there anything else I should look for when choosing an auto body shop? I actually live really close to Galpin Ford, I was thinking of taking it to Galpin Auto Sports (but they actually referred me to Ford Auto Body down the street.) So I'm between Ford Auto Body and a few others. It's difficult finding reviews online, most of these shops have about 5 Yelp reviews, and that's not very helpful.