OUCH!. Got pinched on the 134. Front end gone.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Well I was headed south with the Wife on Friday afternoon. Thinking it was going to be a good weekend. Was headed to Escondido to see the grandparents, drop the wife of to make tamales, and I was headed to the 25 year reunion party at Kawasaki for their 10 years of winning the Baja 1000 of which I was part of one of their main pit teams.

So as I'm headed down the 134 in the car pool lane, a van in front of me slows down and exits the lane. No traffic in front of me so I kick in teh cruse and set it at 74. I'm thinking all is good. Then I see, about 1/8 mile or so up, a car darts over into the car pool lane, trying to avoid a accident.

So I tap the breaks and start slowing down some just in case. Sure enough, I get some young gal in a SUV decides to pull over into my lane. Problem was, I was in the spot she thought she wanted. So I slam on the brakes, hit the horn, and try and get as close to the center divider as I can without hitting it. But it didn't work. She just kept coming over, never looking to see if someone was there or who was honking.

her rear tire hits me right near the junction of the front passenger dor and front fender. That's when she finally looks around. But of course it's too late. And she keeps coming over. I guess I wound up turning my wheel to the right to try and keep my car off the center divider. I was stopping faster than she was as her SUV continued up the front of my car and spun sideways in front of me and hit the center divider. Luckly I stopped before hitting her otherwise I would have flipped her.

Her parents were in the car. Guess they decided it was OK for a young girl to try and drive in rush hour LA traffic. The only big worry I have right now, besides the car, is that they were from Ohio and had a local insurance company from there. I hope that dosen't cause any issues.

I had the car flatbeded back home to a shop my dealer recomended and so there it sits. I did drive it off the freeway and noticed I had to hold the steering wheel to teh right some to go straight. The obvious damage is I need 2 new rims, 1 new tire, passenger front door, passenger front fender and inner fenderwell, passenger lower rocker panel, front fasica, and both mirrors need buffing out. As for suspension damage, I will find out when they get it on the rack. I told the body shop that that was my big concern since I couldn't see it.

The right rim is trashed and the tire got cut by the fender. The left rim is even worse. I guess I was turning to the right and the rim was rubbing/bouncing off of teh lower lip of the center divider. But I think that also kept the car off the centr divider and doing more damage. Now I'm just wondering how long it will take to get the parts.

So here's the pictures.
Front door and initial impact.


Front rim


Front end


I didn't get a pic of the left rim. I'm hopeing to hear from the shop today on what the adjuster says. We'll see what happens.

 

[tompass]

Certainly thankful that there were no personal injuries but I would still be very upset. Hopefully the insurance companies will quickly get things moving and parts will be readily available. Terrible inconvenience for sure.

 

[Ruissimo]

That really sucks. Sorry!

The insurance will probably come through... but that's why you pay ridiculous premiums yourself, ain't it? Your insurance will take care of it if hers doesn't. Your mileage may vary on that statement - the stories I could tell you.

As for the accident itself, besides the obvious reasons, I'm glad it didn't happen to me, because I would've had a video of the whole thing from my dashcam, which I would have watched 138 times by now. Reliving that moment, over and over until I became numb.

Glad no one was hurt, except for Genny. She'll be okay after some cosmetic surgery though.

 

[NSXNEXT]

That sucks. It really doesn't look that bad though. I was expecting far worse.
Make sure you get two front tires not one.
Hopefully no steering/suspension damage.

 

[homeofstone]

It could have been a lot worse, glad no one was hurt. I hope you got a rental car right away and sent that info to the other parties insurance company. Also start negotiations for diminished value. Don't sign any releases for anything until car is repaired correctly and your happy with the diminished value amount above the cost of repairs, rental car, towing etc.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Yea, luckly no one was hurt. I was PISSED and everyone else was just shook up.

I've got AAA for insurance and they are probably one of the best there is. I've never had any issues with them.

As for rental, I just took rental cars off my insurance since I have 3 veichels and a motorcycle. So now I have to wait and hear from her insurance about getting a rental. I'm not too worried about that part yet.

There is a lot of body damage. The shop said the door was bordr line. I explained I wanted a new door and not one full of bondo. He said he will relay that to the adjuster.

As I said, my biggest worry is the suspension. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

I'll have to look into the diminish value aspect. That was another concern, just in case I ever do decided to sell it.

The tires only have about 6k miles on them. But one is cut up.

 

[veed]

spent most of the last 8 mos on the 134. hatred. dunno how you SoCal guys maintain sanity. best of luck - and glad you weren't hurt.

 

[bjohns5]

Good god. As if we didn't already have more than our quota of crappy drivers here in SoCal, we had to go and import another one from Ohio. You are a more level-headed fellow than I. If the idiot had done that to MY new Genny I would have had a very hard time keeping myself from going all Rodney King on her. Glad nobody was hurt, it could have been so much worse. I hope the fool wasn't texting or talking on the phone at the time.

 

[1FstYota]

Glad everyone is ok, but a good body shop will fix that no problems.

 

[veed]

Good god. As if we didn't already have more than our quota of crappy drivers here in SoCal, we had to go and import another one from Ohio.

speak for yerself, me bucko.

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[Epiphany]

Definitely could have been way worse. Depending on your insurance company this might be a good time to try and have them pay you out for the rim and tires that need replacing and go with a set of aftermarket wheels if you have had your eyes on any as I'm sure an OEM replacement rim will be quite pricey.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Talked to the adjuster yestrday and the shop along with looking at the car after the front end and fender were removed.

First off, I was very impresed when I saw the front end. The car has a 4" square tube steel bumper bolted directly to the frame hidden under all that body work. So any head on impact, your protected. Sorry but I didn't get a pic.

They are replacing both front tires as the left one had a chunk out of it where the rim had been riding on the center divider.
They are going to try and fix the door rather than replace it. I voiced my concerns about bondo and they said their work was garruntied for life.
The also found a small crack in the plastic radiator support and will be replacing it rather than trying to fix it. The inner fenderwell was Ok which supprised me as well as the shop. He said they are usually made of plastic and just break up.

They are hoping to have the work done in 2 weeks, depending on parts availability and as long as nothing is wrong with the suspension. That's still where my biggest concern lies.

I've been looking at a few rims but nothing I really like yet. Not sure if they would just pay me out or not. I also asked about the diminished value and the adjuster said that it was pretty much a hard thing to do or figure out alongw ith it rarley stands up ina court of law. You have to prove that you lost value because of teh wreck. So unless someone can point me in a definitive direction on that one, I'll probably just let it slide.

Now comes the wait.

 

[Fast55]

Figures an "adjuster" says there's no diminished value. Nothing against AAA, but that is utter and complete BS. Your car is worth less having been wrecked VS one that has not, period. Nothing is the same after being wrecked. Ever. There simply is no way for a body shop to put the time and effort into making it "as new".

Not to be a Richard Cranium, but talk to a lawyer now. Insurance companies are not in business to make you happy, they are in business to make money.

 

[homeofstone]

Get the car appraised as if no accident and then with accident. Two Hyundai dealers can do this and you. On my Mercedes I got 1500.00 dim value check. The adjuster is blowing smoke.

 

[EXBMWGUY]

^ Posts 13 and 14. The likelihood of a Carfax report alone will have a negative impact on value, even if the repair is "perfect", which it won't be. Glad nobody was hurt.

 

[GenesisCaptain]

She keeps coming over. I guess I wound up turning my wheel to the right to try and keep my car off the center divider. I was stopping faster than she was as her SUV continued up the front of my car and spun sideways in front of me and hit the center divider.

Looks like you executed a textbook PIT maneuver. Glad you and the other people are all OK.

I thought that most insurance companies have a standard x% adjustment for lost value. You might try giving your own insurance company a call to ask what their practice is. The, you could call the state's insurance commissioner to ask. There may also be a state-level standard. Finally, if you do get resistance from the insurer, just mentioning a call or letter to the state insurance commissioner usually straightens things out right away.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Yea, it basically was a unintended PIT maneuver.

It was my insurance company that said no loss value. I haven't talked to her insurance company yet. Everything is being done thru mine.

For some odd reason, the CHP wouldn't give me any of the other drivers info or insurance. Said my insurance company could get a copy of the report that would have the info in it. Seemed a bit strange to me.

 

[GenesisCaptain]

It was my insurance company that said no loss value. I haven't talked to her insurance company yet. Everything is being done thru mine.

For some odd reason, the CHP wouldn't give me any of the other drivers info or insurance. Said my insurance company could get a copy of the report that would have the info in it. Seemed a bit strange to me.

I forgot you are in CA. All bets are off for normalcy.

 

[jmo51]

Yea, it basically was a unintended PIT maneuver.

It was my insurance company that said no loss value. I haven't talked to her insurance company yet. Everything is being done thru mine.

For some odd reason, the CHP wouldn't give me any of the other drivers info or insurance. Said my insurance company could get a copy of the report that would have the info in it. Seemed a bit strange to me.

In CA most, if not all, comp collision carriers exclude diminution of value. The only way you will be able to collect this from the adverse party will be is he/she has higher than basic property damage limits. I'm guessing the damage to your car that's visible is the photo's you posted is in the 4K neighborhood. I'm glad that no one was hurt and that the damage isn't major. I would suggest that you keep photos of the damage.

BTW, it is very strange that CHP would not provide you with the OP's insurance info. CHP should have also provided your insurance info to the OP. Very odd

 

[homeofstone]

I have always gone to the other driver's insurance company first on the same day as accident and demanded a rental car delivered that day and put them on notice then of diminished value claim coming. I also get the other driver's insurance info before police arrive.