Really bad intersection for wrecks (two interstates merge together, all the people on the left are trying to get over to the right, while everyone on the right tries to get over to the left, 6 lanes merging into 3)...

Anyway... a young girl in a new Honda Civic switched lanes in front of me and then slammed on her brakes. I hit her. I tried to swerve to the right to get out of the way, so my driver side corner hit her rear passenger corner. My air bags did not deploy, but it was a nice hit... hood bent in half, quarter panel mangled, wheel well pinching tire. I put on my emergency lights right away and was able to pull myself onto the shoulder. The dumbass girl sat in the lane, where I hit her, opened her door and started apologizing. I yelled at her to get in her car, put on her emergency lights and get in the shoulder and she did.

I called 911, then my insurance. The cop showed up and she told him the same thing she told me (she slammed on her brakes, there was no way I could have not hit her, etc.) The cop took her insurance info and then mine. He explained that Kentucky is a no fault state so my insurance would pay for my car and hers would pay for hers (her rear bumper was torn/busted, her right rear quarter panel was a little bent, and her exhaust was all fuxored). The officer let me know that he has noted it in his report that me hitting her had nothing to do with me not paying attention, but he legally has to put that I was following too closely simply because I hit her.

Anyway, I got my rental car afterwards and everything is ok. I've been driving for 6 years and I've only had to lock up my tires maybe once or twice in the past, I really feel that this accident was unavoidable. I was alert, driving with the flow of traffic, and then BAM, the girl slams her brakes on.

How much $$$ do you think is involved with my car? I know I'll need a new hood and grill, quarter panel and wheel well, bumper and bumper cover, headlight, foglight, corner light, radiator and assembly, air intake, some electrical stuff (I saw that a couple boxes with relays in them were all fubared), not sure of what else, that's all I could see. My brother said the car has risk of a bent frame since I hit the corner of my vehicle??? My car blue books for $5500 or so....

I did a hit on everythingnissan.com and the parts alone cost about $3000.... so when labor + painting as added to this amount, it may approach $3500 or $4000, and that doesn't include any damage that's not visible. A friend of mine in the auto insurance industry said that vehicles are "totalled" when the repair cost approaches 50-60%. I think mine will easily reach this amount, but I can't be certain. I'll try to go to the body shop and take pictures if I can.

Your thoughts? (It's a 1997 pearl white Infiniti I30 with 124k miles, BTW)

 

First off, its a Fender, not a quarter panel. Your quarter panel is located to the rear of the car.

My guess is it will reach the "totalled mark". Thats without any frame work. Now, depending on how hard you hit her, Id say you are at the $4000 mark with just the exterior stuff that was hit. Anything inside the engine bay may have gotten damaged, so you're looking at more $$ if thats the case.

 

BlueC, thanks for the terminology update, I get confused. If my car does indeed get "totalled" how do I part it out?

 

Post in the for sale forums that your car is for sale and you'll be parting it out.

as people request for parts and as long as the price is good, take that part offbox it and ship it.

 

wether your car is totalled will depend on your ins company.... in Fl ins will repair cars up to about 90% of the value of the car..... so if it books for $5500 and they can fix it for $4000 they will fix it.... as far as parting out your car.... once the ins co totals it .. you would have to buy it back for them to part it out.... once they pay you for the car it is theirs

 

I think that for anyone to say anything based on the facts you mention may steer you wrongly. It's like asking for medical or legal advice over the web sight unseen. Also, I am aware that many "hope" for their vehicles to be totalled--that's what we get in a "lease me" society. Because of "gap" insurance, a person can walk away from lease payments when the said vehicle is totalled. They think it's fun to get another new car.

However, if you own your vehicle, you want it to be repaired. That's the only way you'll come close to being whole. In such a case you're out maybe $500 or $200 but you have your car back repaired. I don't think a 97 is $5500, but lets say it is. You get a check for $5300--just imagine what kind of car you can buy retail for that amt. Also, you will be paying higher rates over the next 39 months too. My .02.