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fender bender advice??


Guest ekvh

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I stood by and watched as a man backed into my car at around 2 mph the other night. It was at an angle to my right front. At first I thought it wasn't much. It was dark out. The next day I see the inner fender is moved back and broken. the bumper is pushed in and the vinyl is out of the groove. I also have a slight crack in m windshield. It starts from the lower front nearest the collision. It is not connected to a stone chip that was already there. Any advice in working with the insurance companies on this? It seems like no matter what you lose on these. No one was in the car at the time, so I would think they would have to repair the damages. I am afraid with the windshiled that they will total the car. It has many new parts and is in good running condition. the body has some rust. It is still a good dd for me.

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Insurance company does not want your car, often they will let you keep it for a pittance even if "totalled" (really just a way to limit the payout). The big thing is to not give your title to anyone even for a minute. Show them a copy if you must but not the original. In Florida if they stamp the title "salvage" it is almost impossible to sell in the future.

Hopefully you will be dealing with the other guy's insurance company since there is no question of fault as long as you were legally parked. Am sure others here could give more professional advice.

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Guest alex_houston

Most l;iikely totalled by insurance guidlines. Particularly because of the windshield.

Must have been one heck of a hit to crack the windshield!

Other than the windshield being about 2k replacement, the rest doesn't sound too bad. likely easy repair for a driver if you can live with the cracked windshield.

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no reason to remotely think this will total your car.

we've helped over 57 people in the last year (eight in January, 2009 alone) get insurance settlements on their cars, with the average value accepted by the insurance company for a 1988-1990 Reatta coupe with 170,000 miles being $7,250. lower mileage cars, convertibles, and all 1991 models are worth considerably more.

assuming that you have a 1988-1990 coupe, this will allow the total damage to be in the $5,000-$5,500 range, before there is any discussion of the car being a total loss. most insurance companies look at the 60-65% loss-to-value range as being where they draw a line for a total loss.

bear in mind that insurance adjusters are paid bonuses for "settling cheap"; don't allow yourself to be a victim of this. their first offer will almost always be a very low one; just laugh, and ask to immediately speak with their supervisor. continue right up the ladder, and you will ALWAYS get satisfaction. most folks seem to think the adjuster has some authority; they have absolutely none.

most major "first tier" insurance companies, like Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, GEICO, Farmer's, USAA (by far the best), are very easy to deal with; Liberty Mutual is bad, and Progressive is by far the worst, by leaps and bounds.

Mike

buickreattaparts.com

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Do check your insurance. I never used it, but didn't even try to get a $500.00 deductable for the windshield, which the insurance company didn't realize was a bargain. Check your policy.

Tom T

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Hail broke windshield and left 17 dings. 1989 Reatta with 220,000 miles. American Family I think priced each ding at $70 and the windshield was about $1400; as if it was a new car. Went to Jim Finn and got a windshield,hood,and trunk lid for about $600. Windshield is crystal clear. Your results may vary.

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Thanks for the encouragement guys. I know the gentleman who did it and he just said,"Let me know, I'll take care of it." The car was parked, so I don't know how I or my insurance could be responsible, I will get estimates and go from there. I did a KBB and Edmunds search and they show my car at a little under $3000. I may be asking some of you for help to prove values higher.

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I should have included that he was probably only going two MPH and the brake lights were on. It was cold out. I am sure the windshield was not cracked. It does have a stone chip a ways above the crack, but the crack does not reach the stone chip, and the chip has remained the same since I purchased the car. I took pics of the crack in case it spreads to the stone chip. To be honest, I find it odd for a crack to occur, but what are the chances that it occurred the morning after the bump?

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