One thing first, I want to thank all the members of this forum for their support. Being in an accident is no fun, and the aftermath of it is almost as bad.

Well, the collision people called me with a $7200 estimate for repairs. I'm working on getting it to another body shop for a second opinion. I'm only going to accept either a totaled verdict and a complete replacement, or a large check for the lost value due to it now having an accident on its record.

 

good idea... 7200 sounds a bit cheap for the kind of damage your talking about.... i dont see why you couldnt get a very large settlement out of his drunk ass... dont forgett he COULD have killed you.... very easily any jurry will be very sumpethetic to u...

 

To have my front bumper, radiator, and radiator supports repaired was 4200 or so. Find the most expensive shop in the area and take it there for estimates.

 

Keep us updated. I also have the similar situation going on right now. The lady that hit me wasn't drunk, but she blatantly ran a red light and admitted to it. The one that hit me was driving a Nissan Titan (stupid lady hadn't even made one payment on that car yet...).

Mines the same too. Light is gone, bumper is gone, right fron quarter panel is shifted up, front right wheel is crooked, hood is crumpled and shifted up, and we saw a dent on what looked to be the frame.

We should be getting the insurance people to look at it today. Its just that, they haven't even completed the police report so I could pick it up yet and I have to go the insurance info for the lady off of that. The police officer wouldnt let us exchange anything except for names and numbers.

But goodluck with getting everything thats owed to you, and I'm glad you're safe.

 

My car was fortunate enough to have no damage to the wheel. If the wheel is crooked, hope the axle isn't damaged, my dad told me that if an axle gets bent even slightly, that it is really hard to fix.

I thought I saw frame damage on my car too, but the collision people showed me that it's just the front rails. The rails are the two large horizontal pillars that point forward. Apparently they are pretty easy to fix if they are just bent as my right rail was. They tell me that rear collisions often require much more extensive repair because there are more structural elements in the rear.

 

I'm bettin its the rails that were damaged the way you just described it sounds exactly like what I saw.

Did you have any engine damage? I didnt even bother to look under the hood right after the accident. I plan on going to look at her today and I'll check. I know the thing that holds the washer fluid flew out with the bumper on mine.

And yeah, that wheel was crooked, hard to tell from the pictures I posted in my thread, but the police asked me to move it, and I could have sworn I was going off road the way that wheel was making everything turn.

Did the guy that hit you have insurance?

 

No engine damage, my washer fluid reservoir is getting replaced, the pipe on it was severed completely!

I don't think so. I need to go request the police report at some point. My insurance company is handling everything, so it's probably coming out of my uninsured motorist coverage.

 

Same thing happened to my resevoir.

The lady that hit me, her insurance is already starting to give me the run-a-around. On top of that, the policeman didnt file any of the witnesses' statements. And now he claims that there were none. Stupid country cops.

 

Finally got my Fit back!

It took just over 1 month, and over 8 thousand dollars, but it's fixed. Fortunately, my insurance waived the deductible and covered the entire thing!

It looks just as it did before. I was worried that it would be visible, but I can't tell the difference. They even clayed the car so the paint is nice and shiny again. Props to Caliber Collision in Anaheim.

 

Glad you got your Fit back! They ended up totalling mine (they estimated $12,000 in damage) and paid it all off. I got a 2008 fit, same color (NHB).

 

Good - since you were not at fault, you should not pay a cent. The other guy's insurance owes you for every penny of damages incurred.

You should consider looking into "Diminished Value" Your resale value on the car has been severely impacted (at least $1000) since your car has an accident history ($8000 is a large sum sure to scare of buyers). In most states you are entitled to this loss of inherent value. Several companies specialize in diminished value estimates. Ultimately it's your money.

 

As far as I know, the guy had no insurance, which is why my insurance covered everything (uninsured motorist insurance FTW!).
I asked my insurance company (AAA) about that, and they said they don't do that, apparently California isn't one of those states.

Anyway, guess I'll just have to drive it until the wheels falls off.

 

Or get knocked off. :-)

 

Good to hear that everything is back to normal. Does your insurance go up since they fixed it??

 

That's rough man, glad to hear that the car is fixed and your insurance company took care of you!

Hopefully you have much better luck in the future

 

Uninsured! Unbelieveable - what total scum, driving drunk with no-insurance. He deserves to go to rape you in the ass jail for a couple years.

 

Since I was found 0% liable, it shouldn't.

 

wlfit: i agree... drunk driving is the dumbest thing you could ever do! i say make the laws tighter! **** those assholes who ruin lives being idiots... i say lock them up and throw away the key!

 

well said!