T-Boned yesterday on our 2019 SL Plus

[GaleHawkins]

We got hit-and-run t-boned by an driver who ran a red light and then took off. A Good Samaritan chased the car down and the police arrested her. She was arrested for leaving the scene of the accident, no insurance, suspended license, and drugs in the car.

My wife took the brunt of the hit on the passenger side. We both were transported by ambulance to the hospital but fortunately no serious injuries. I have a bump on my head but since I’m on blood thinners and they were worried for a brain bleed. Wife has face, neck, shoulder and hip bruising. We were very fortunate and the Nissan air bags did a great job.

Here’s a few pictures. Do you think it’s a total or not?

This is the car that hit us.

While State farm May total your car it does not mean it needs to go to the crusher because of mainly needing two doors and a airbag.

I buy back our cars that get totaled and manage the repairs. To buy back your car should cost you $1000 to $3000. Yesterday I bought back our 2016 Leaf SL in that price range.

From web searching they said I could find an equal Leaf for no more than $13K. The retail repair estimate was $24K.

Cars are totaled mainly because it helps their profit margins. If they force a total they are forced to let you buy it back which also lowers their financial risks at least in the USA as I understand it today.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I've driven several totaled and bought back cars over the years. I've already mentioned replacing the two passenger side doors on my Grandfather's Comet, after pulling the door frame back out with a winch. I drove it until it developed a maddening oil leak in the rear main seal: the seal would slowly rotate, so the car alternately used no oil and dumped a quart or two out in just a few miles. I gave it away to someone who had the seal replaced and drove it for years afterwards. My housemate's sister and her husband, though, hold some kind of record: back in the Eighties they needed a cheap car. I found them an AMC Hornet that had just been taken out of fleet service. A solid little car, properly serviced in the fleet, so they naturally managed to total it not long afterward. They bought it back from the insurance company, drove it another year or so, and...it got totaled again. They got paid again, and IIRC this time they either turned it in or sold it for parts. They ended up making money on that poor little Hornet...

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I buy back our cars that get totaled and manage the repairs. To buy back your car should cost you $1000 to $3000. Yesterday I bought back our 2016 Leaf SL in that price range.

From web searching they said I could find an equal Leaf for no more than $13K. The retail repair estimate was $24K.

The repair estimate for my 2016 S 30 with nearly identical mirror image damage was only $22 K. Must be that "SL" premium at work... :lol:

 

[goldbrick]

It will be interesting to see the estimates for repair. To me, it looks like it will need 2 new doors, new B-pillar and probably associated metal along the bottom of the doors welded in and painted. Then new air-bags and air-bag controllers. I could see that easily come to $10k but maybe in KY it will be cheaper.

For the price you paid, you could probably sell the battery at a profit. I'd certainly pay $3k for that 40kWh battery and I'm sure there are many others who would also.

 

[Baltneu]

What if the frame is bent? Do you want to buy that car?

 

[goldbrick]

Here's a post from another forum of a guy who fixed similar damage in his driveway with junkyard parts. I'm not recommending that and he mentions that the process would be much easier with new parts and in a real body shop but it gives you an idea of what is involved.

https://www.passatworld.com/threads/wrecked-2005-tdi-wagon-and-possible-rehab.573923/

I'd feel safe in that car if I knew it was properly repaired. The properties of steel are well known by now so if the experts tell me it is OK, I'd believe them.

Personally, the memory of the trauma from the crash would be the biggest factor in getting rid of the car. I've never been in a crash like that but it has to be pretty upsetting.

 

[Flyct]

Here's a post from another forum of a guy who fixed similar damage in his driveway with junkyard parts. I'm not recommending that and he mentions that the process would be much easier with new parts and in a real body shop but it gives you an idea of what is involved.

https://www.passatworld.com/threads/wrecked-2005-tdi-wagon-and-possible-rehab.573923/

I'd feel safe in that car if I knew it was properly repaired. The properties of steel are well known by now so if the experts tell me it is OK, I'd believe them.

Personally, the memory of the trauma from the crash would be the biggest factor in getting rid of the car. I've never been in a crash like that but it has to be pretty upsetting.

Yes, the trauma is very upsetting. My wife is especially nervous now riding as a passenger which makes it not pleasant for me either. It’s going to take a while for her to rebuild confidence. Even my dog was shaking when we took her for a ride yesterday.

I am not holding my breath that my car will be totaled. I just talked to the body shop. They are completing a preliminary estimate. They told me that per Florida law damage must exceed 80% of current value. My 2019 SL+ has a value of between $25k-$27k so damage needs to exceed $20,000 to be totaled.

They said it needs 2 doors, “B” pillar is crushed, fender damage, bumper damage side airbags, seat air bags etc. he hasn’t put it on a lift to look for additional damage. He can’t take it apart to look for additional damage until State Farm looks at the estimate and approves it.

I now have the names and addresses of the 2 good samaritans who followed the other driver who tried to run and according to the arrest report boxed her in until a sheriff could stop her. They are getting a nice thank you letter from me.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I am not holding my breath that my car will be totaled. I just talked to the body shop. They are completing a preliminary estimate. They told me that per Florida law damage must exceed 80% of current value. My 2019 SL+ has a value of between $25k-$27k so damage needs to exceed $20,000 to be totaled.

My revised guess: $10-12k.

 

[Flyct]

I am not holding my breath that my car will be totaled. I just talked to the body shop. They are completing a preliminary estimate. They told me that per Florida law damage must exceed 80% of current value. My 2019 SL+ has a value of between $25k-$27k so damage needs to exceed $20,000 to be totaled.

My revised guess: $10-12k.

I think you may be right. I should have a preliminary estimate number tomorrow morning. I’ll post it when I get it.

 

[SageBrush]

I am not holding my breath that my car will be totaled. I just talked to the body shop. They are completing a preliminary estimate. They told me that per Florida law damage must exceed 80% of current value. My 2019 SL+ has a value of between $25k-$27k so damage needs to exceed $20,000 to be totaled.

My revised guess: $10-12k.

I think you may be right. I should have a preliminary estimate number tomorrow morning. I’ll post it when I get it.

I've read that it is very common for additional damage to be found as the car is dis-assembled. So insurance companies do not approve prelim estimates that in their view are likely to balloon up to their final 'total it' threshold. Did you look into diminished value (DV) and other costs you can tack on to the insurance company to make repair less attractive ? Perhaps e.g., a couple months of rental car fees ?

https://www.coverage.com/insurance/auto/diminished-value-claim/#:~:text=Diminished%20value%20and%20uninsured%20motorists,guarantee%2C%20but%20it%20is%20possible.

 

[Learjet]

What if the frame is bent? Do you want to buy that car?

I bet they will....it's called a salvage title...and good luck with that in many ways....may work out ...may not... that is... owning a car with a salvage title.

 

[Flyct]

My revised guess: $10-12k.

I think you may be right. I should have a preliminary estimate number tomorrow morning. I’ll post it when I get it.

I've read that it is very common for additional damage to be found as the car is dis-assembled. So insurance companies do not approve prelim estimates that in their view are likely to balloon up to their final 'total it' threshold. Did you look into diminished value (DV) and other costs you can tack on to the insurance company to make repair less attractive ? Perhaps e.g., a couple months of rental car fees ?

https://www.coverage.com/insurance/auto/diminished-value-claim/#:~:text=Diminished%20value%20and%20uninsured%20motorists,guarantee%2C%20but%20it%20is%20possible.

Florida is one of the states where you can go after diminished value to the at fault driver but my problem is the other driver was uninsured. Going after my company is not an option for diminished value. I’ll be collecting on my collision policy for the car damage with a $1,000 deductible. If State farm is able to collect from the at fault party then I’ll get my deductible back.

The other driver has no assets and we believe is unemployed. A quick search shows several prior arrests. She couldn’t make a $2,000 bail for this arrest and stayed in jail for almost a week. It’s not likely that I would be able to get anything from her.

I got a call from the hospital today. Our hospital bill was about $5,000 which they are filing with my State Farm PIP and uninsured motorist policies.

The good news is that we both aren’t seriously hurt.

 

[Flyct]

I am not holding my breath that my car will be totaled. I just talked to the body shop. They are completing a preliminary estimate. They told me that per Florida law damage must exceed 80% of current value. My 2019 SL+ has a value of between $25k-$27k so damage needs to exceed $20,000 to be totaled.

My revised guess: $10-12k.

I think you may be right. I should have a preliminary estimate number tomorrow morning. I’ll post it when I get it.

Shop said preliminary estimate is $13,600. They are going to request State Farm approve a disassembly to further assess damage. So far it doesn’t look like it’s totaled.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I should have added that everything is more expensive these days than I think. ;-(

 

[Flyct]

I should have added that everything is more expensive these days than I think. ;-(

You were VERY VERY close. I was impressed!

 

[LeftieBiker]

I just based it on the similar but lesser damage to my car.

 

[Baltneu]

By the way, don’t hold your breath for the body shop to help you get it totaled, they want to make a job out of it. You are worthless to the body shop if the car is totaled and towed way, they want to fix it and make money.

 

[Flyct]

By the way, don’t hold your breath for the body shop to help you get it totaled, they want to make a job out of it. You are worthless to the body shop if the car is totaled and towed way, they want to fix it and make money.

I'm afraid of that. I plan on going to the shop either tomorrow or Tuesday. We were 120 miles from home when this happened. The shop that it was towed to is 70 miles from home or about 1 hr and 15 minutes away.

From pictures I also see that the A-Pillar is bent causing front fender to not line up with upper pillar. I will inform the shop that I am a perfectionist and if it isn't perfect they would be in for a long haul making it perfect. That includes all body work, paint match and paint blending into adjacent panels. Pearl white is one of the most difficult paints to make it look perfect.

10 years ago I almost became partners in a string of body shops that a friend owned so I gathered some experience while working with him. He died of Kidney and Liver cancer, probably from paint exposure.

 

[Flyct]

I stopped by the body shop today. I talked to them and took some pictures. The roof may have a small crease above the B-Pillar . They he’d to take some measurements and if so it may be totaled.

 

[Flyct]

Here are some more pictures