Post by manda on Nov 20, 2014 6:47:55 GMT
So last month I traded in my previously beloved car for a brand new car after doing a lot of research, weighing the pros and cons, etc. I feel like I came out ahead in the negotiations for trade-in value of my car as well as the deal on the car I purchased. Then I put 50% down on the car so I'm totally invested in it.
On day 37 of owning the car (still don't have license plates!!!), I was rear-ended when I stopped for a pedestrian at a protected crosswalk. The other driver was going approximately 30-35mph and did not brake when he hit me. I didn't see him coming at all so the impact of him hitting me was quite the blow.
I was able to drive my car away. He was not. His insurance company accepted 100% fault immediately so that's not really the issue.
Last week, I obtained a quote on my car repairs from a AAA affiliated auto body shop (or whatever they call it) and made arrangements to drop my car off this week and get a rental car. Great, right?
Well, when I dropped my car off this morning, the guy who checked my car in at the auto body shop noticed more damage than was noticed last week (admittedly by me as well but I've been in lala land)... particularly 'buckling' in the body of my car.
I purchased a 5 door Mazda3 Grand Touring Hatchback so these huge dents were in the upper right and left corners of the body where the window to my back hatchback door is but kind of on the sides (maybe corners of the body on either side of the window to the hatchback door?) To quote the guy, "these indicate you were hit at a high rate of speed." No kidding. I have the body pain to prove it. Side Note: go read about how the never-ending quest to make cars less damaged in accidents is transferring the force of the accident impact on the human beings inside. UGH. Pain.
Anyway...
How concerned about these 'buckles' of the outer body should I be worried about? I haven't heard yet whether they completed the tear down of the damaged area and what it looks like so far. I don't care. It's one thing to have the bumper and muffler repairs needed, but this type of body work? A month after purchase?
At 750 miles. The car was manufactured in June 2014. I want to cry. I haven't heard yet if the frame was impacted as well. I don't care.
Quite frankly, I want a brand new car. Maybe this sounds like a temper tantrum but I'm really upset by this and really don't want to get legal with an attorney. I'm not that person. I don't have it in me to be that person. I really do not have the time to be that person.
As for me, I'm okay though in a lot of neck and back pain. Can't run my half marathons anytime soon probably, but I'm hopeful the long term effects will be minimal. Except my readings and research tell me it may not be. That's a whole other issue. But just know for now I'm okay.
So yeah... What would you do? About the car? What can I do?
Help...
ETA: In addition to the buckling, the guy today showed me how the back of the car no longer aligns correctly with the back doors. So yeah. I am guessing it will never be factory perfect again. At 1 year or 2 years I could accept that. At one month of ownership? Not so much...
UPDATE 11/20: Thank you all for sharing your experiences and providing advice.
I have been to my doctor and had XRays, MRI, and am scheduled for a CT scan as I'm still in a fair amount of pain that I'm managing with prescriptions. I'm taking care of me and my medical care and have been tracking all costs for that as well as opened a medical claim with the other driver's insurance company.
The dilemma is my car. Considering how communicative my insurance claims adjuster has been up until today when she danced around some of my questions, I'm suspicious of what the auto body shop found during the tear down. She said she'll have paperwork for me tomorrow with all the details. So we will see. Part of me wants them to total it so I don't have to haggle about it.
The problem is that "total" is so variable if there isn't damage to the actual frame. I don't know yet if there was damage to the frame though I know there was buckling in the body shell. I personally have a problem with that. And quite frankly, don't think it should be on the market, but that's just me.
I liked the suggestion of selling the car (if it's not totaled), purchasing another brand new one, and then pursuing the difference. As you can imagine however, I prefer to get that difference before purchasing the vehicle. Based on my mad googling research skills, I believe in addition to the medical claim settlement, I should be able to pursue some of the depreciation of value to the car from the other insurance company because I was not at fault. Based on the limited knowledge I have so far, I doubt my insurance company will help me with the depreciation of value just as they don't get involved with the medical claim. They are only involved with the car repairs portion being a smooth process for me.
Even if the car is totaled, my loan will be paid off in full but I will be out money because I put more than $10k/50% of total price down on the vehicle. While I know it's generally frowned upon to put a lot of money into a car like that, I have my reasons. If this accident were my fault, I would accept whatever outcome were to be. This was not my fault though.
Thank you so much for validating some of my concerns. I needed that.
One last thing, anybody in the know understand what it means when your insurance claims adjuster uses the term, 'qualified damage?' She used that term in communication with me and when I asked her what that meant she said it just meant there was damage and not just a bump. No kidding.
So anyway... I'll keep y'all posted. Thank you again.
On day 37 of owning the car (still don't have license plates!!!), I was rear-ended when I stopped for a pedestrian at a protected crosswalk. The other driver was going approximately 30-35mph and did not brake when he hit me. I didn't see him coming at all so the impact of him hitting me was quite the blow.
I was able to drive my car away. He was not. His insurance company accepted 100% fault immediately so that's not really the issue.
Last week, I obtained a quote on my car repairs from a AAA affiliated auto body shop (or whatever they call it) and made arrangements to drop my car off this week and get a rental car. Great, right?
Well, when I dropped my car off this morning, the guy who checked my car in at the auto body shop noticed more damage than was noticed last week (admittedly by me as well but I've been in lala land)... particularly 'buckling' in the body of my car.
I purchased a 5 door Mazda3 Grand Touring Hatchback so these huge dents were in the upper right and left corners of the body where the window to my back hatchback door is but kind of on the sides (maybe corners of the body on either side of the window to the hatchback door?) To quote the guy, "these indicate you were hit at a high rate of speed." No kidding. I have the body pain to prove it. Side Note: go read about how the never-ending quest to make cars less damaged in accidents is transferring the force of the accident impact on the human beings inside. UGH. Pain.
Anyway...
How concerned about these 'buckles' of the outer body should I be worried about? I haven't heard yet whether they completed the tear down of the damaged area and what it looks like so far. I don't care. It's one thing to have the bumper and muffler repairs needed, but this type of body work? A month after purchase?
At 750 miles. The car was manufactured in June 2014. I want to cry. I haven't heard yet if the frame was impacted as well. I don't care. Quite frankly, I want a brand new car. Maybe this sounds like a temper tantrum but I'm really upset by this and really don't want to get legal with an attorney. I'm not that person. I don't have it in me to be that person. I really do not have the time to be that person.
As for me, I'm okay though in a lot of neck and back pain. Can't run my half marathons anytime soon probably, but I'm hopeful the long term effects will be minimal. Except my readings and research tell me it may not be. That's a whole other issue. But just know for now I'm okay.
So yeah... What would you do? About the car? What can I do?
Help...
ETA: In addition to the buckling, the guy today showed me how the back of the car no longer aligns correctly with the back doors. So yeah. I am guessing it will never be factory perfect again. At 1 year or 2 years I could accept that. At one month of ownership? Not so much...
UPDATE 11/20: Thank you all for sharing your experiences and providing advice.
I have been to my doctor and had XRays, MRI, and am scheduled for a CT scan as I'm still in a fair amount of pain that I'm managing with prescriptions. I'm taking care of me and my medical care and have been tracking all costs for that as well as opened a medical claim with the other driver's insurance company.
The dilemma is my car. Considering how communicative my insurance claims adjuster has been up until today when she danced around some of my questions, I'm suspicious of what the auto body shop found during the tear down. She said she'll have paperwork for me tomorrow with all the details. So we will see. Part of me wants them to total it so I don't have to haggle about it.
The problem is that "total" is so variable if there isn't damage to the actual frame. I don't know yet if there was damage to the frame though I know there was buckling in the body shell. I personally have a problem with that. And quite frankly, don't think it should be on the market, but that's just me.
I liked the suggestion of selling the car (if it's not totaled), purchasing another brand new one, and then pursuing the difference. As you can imagine however, I prefer to get that difference before purchasing the vehicle. Based on my mad googling research skills, I believe in addition to the medical claim settlement, I should be able to pursue some of the depreciation of value to the car from the other insurance company because I was not at fault. Based on the limited knowledge I have so far, I doubt my insurance company will help me with the depreciation of value just as they don't get involved with the medical claim. They are only involved with the car repairs portion being a smooth process for me.
Even if the car is totaled, my loan will be paid off in full but I will be out money because I put more than $10k/50% of total price down on the vehicle. While I know it's generally frowned upon to put a lot of money into a car like that, I have my reasons. If this accident were my fault, I would accept whatever outcome were to be. This was not my fault though.
Thank you so much for validating some of my concerns. I needed that.
One last thing, anybody in the know understand what it means when your insurance claims adjuster uses the term, 'qualified damage?' She used that term in communication with me and when I asked her what that meant she said it just meant there was damage and not just a bump. No kidding.
So anyway... I'll keep y'all posted. Thank you again.
This is all ruminating in my head. I haven't heard final cost, but still assume it's less than current car value based on what I've read, regardless of the severity. We'll see...
I'm sorry!
