Got Rear Ended!

[L84THSKY]

DAMN:mad:

I just got on the expressway going home from work Friday. Some kid in his parents car rear ends me. The impact wasn't too hard. We pulled over. Here is the damage. I put on my original tail lights, since the left rear was damaged.

It was entirely his fault, and the police report will say so. That is good cause he will end up paying my $500.00 deductible.

Went to GEICO Saturday morning for a claim. They took pics, did the estimate and cut me a check. The interesting this was this. I told him I added that bumper, and stated what it cost. He told me without a rider, GEICO pays only for OEM parts.

Then he looks up the details on my car, and asks me, "Is this an M-series model?" I was stupid and said no. I began to wonder, does my VIN# give away whether my car is an M-tech or Base model? Since I had almost all the M-tech items retrofitted, he probably couldn't tell by looking.

So in the end, the estimate was $2270.00. He sutracted my deductiblke and cut me a check. I went immediately to my shop that has done my paint work, and explained what happened. He told me I should NEVER , 1. got to GEICO headquarters for the adjustment, and 2. Always come to me first. He said the dye was cast, and it will now be hard for him to make money.

I did ask all the right questions at GEICO, like what if my shop says they need more money to fix it. GEICO says they come out and renegotiates. But my shop says, it's better if I went to GEICO with his estimate first. I would have gone to his shop first, but they weren't open yet.

Oh well. The good news is the bumper can be sanded and repainted, no need to buy new one. Second, the quarter panel is fine, only the rear metal seam needs replacing. They just cut off the strip with the hole, and weld on a new seam, and paint.

http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/damage.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/damage1.jpg

[Kraln]

Rawr. I would have thrown it into reverse and driven up over his car like a madman on cocaine.
I don't know if Geico can see it, but the BMW dealer knows exactly what model car I have, and what options were installed, just based on the VIN.

That sucks, man. What was the lil' idiot driving?

[Juni]

Looks similar to when I got rear ended. I glad to hear that your okay.

[Tyler]

Ouch L8,it doesn't look too bad. Look on the brightside it could've been alot worse.

[L84THSKY]

He was driving a Honda Accord. Like maybe a 2005 or 2006. His front right was really messed up. Cheap plastic bumper.


Rawr. I would have thrown it into reverse and driven up over his car like a madman on cocaine.
I don't know if Geico can see it, but the BMW dealer knows exactly what model car I have, and what options were installed, just based on the VIN.

That sucks, man. What was the lil' idiot driving?

[mohaughn]

L8- Why did you claim it against your insurance? You should have gone to his insurance company and put the claim against his insurance.. Since you did it against yours, even if his insurance company reimburses your company, you still have that accident affecting your premiums..

If you were not at fault, you should have filed with his insurance company. There was no need to get your insurance involved unless you were to blaim, a hit and run, or an issue where the other driver was not insured.

Also filing with his company means you don't have to chase anybody down to get a deductible back..

[L84THSKY]

GEICO said I could claim with his insurance company. I was afraid they would give me a hard time. Hey, I haven't been in an accident in 23 years, what do I know!

L8- Why did you claim it against your insurance? You should have gone to his insurance company and put the claim against his insurance.. Since you did it against yours, even if his insurance company reimburses your company, you still have that accident affecting your premiums..

If you were not at fault, you should have filed with his insurance company. There was no need to get your insurance involved unless you were to blaim, a hit and run, or an issue where the other driver was not insured.

Also filing with his company means you don't have to chase anybody down to get a deductible back..

[mohaughn]

You may just want to doublecheck with Geico on how they classified this claim. I think you want to make sure that it is a "non-chargeable" incident, meaning that you were not at fault, and somebody else is supposed to be reimbursing them for your deductible and the damages that they payed out.

You'll also want to make sure that the accident has been reported to the other parties insurance so that you can get your deductible back.. I think now you have to wait until their insurance company pays Geico back.. Then Geico should reimburse you.

[aparatchik]

Dude, that sucks!! Luckily it looks like a minor issue, and at least you can live with the satisfaction that it hurt the other guy's car (and ego) far more. I busted up my mom's car once, many years ago... That was the worst, having to drive home and confess.

[L84THSKY]

You are absolutely correct. That is exactly what GEICO told me. The accident won't hurt me, since it was his fault, but I will have to wait till they get my deductible from the other guys insurance company.

The only issue now is whether my auto body shop can do the job with what GEICO is offering. There will probably be some haggling on the final amount. All I want is my car fixed with no cost to me.

I think I will get the rear sway bar link support brackets welded in while the car is there.

You may just want to doublecheck with Geico on how they classified this claim. I think you want to make sure that it is a "non-chargeable" incident, meaning that you were not at fault, and somebody else is supposed to be reimbursing them for your deductible and the damages that they payed out.

You'll also want to make sure that the accident has been reported to the other parties insurance so that you can get your deductible back.. I think now you have to wait until their insurance company pays Geico back.. Then Geico should reimburse you.

[pdxmotorhead]

You can still haggle with the other guys insurance company.

Last time I had the shop make the claim for me against the other guys insurance....
They had to pick up the cost of the specialty poarts involved...

Dave

[StealthBimmer]

Sorry to hear about your accident. As long as the people involved is okay then it's good. Your insurance will get the money from the other party and then pay you back on the deductible. You can also claim the car rental if you have it on your policy.

You should get all the paint and installation jobs while in the shop. Most shop will give you a break on the paint job and installs since they have to work on your bimmer anyways.

[L84THSKY]

Yeah, the shop is a friend of the family. I'm just concerned the shop will feel like they must fight my insurance company to get the amount they feel is necessary for them to do the job.

I'm still waiting on the group buy for the front M-tech bumper. If that thing was here, I could get that painted too.

Sorry to hear about your accident. As long as the people involved is okay then it's good. Your insurance will get the money from the other party and then pay you back on the deductible. You can also claim the car rental if you have it on your policy.

You should get all the paint and installation jobs while in the shop. Most shop will give you a break on the paint job and installs since they have to work on your bimmer anyways.

[mohaughn]

You can also claim the car rental if you have it on your policy.

If you file against the other person you can get the rental even if you don't have that coverage on your policy. Most insurance companies will pay something like 25$ per day. I have three cars so when I was rear ended in my 328i I didn't use the rental coverage that statefarm offered me. So they actually payed me cash for three days of what it would have cost to rent the car.

And you shouldn't have any problem getting geico to pay any extra costs as long as the costs are inline with what a body shop should charge. Those adjusters usually have worked in auto repair for awhile and do a good job on the estimates. I've ended up getting overpayed for repairs last time I had a problem. I think the estimator was 30$ over what the body shop ended up charging for my bumper repair.

Also, the other insurance company should most certainly repair your custom parts. If you file the claim with the faulty parties company your policy doesn't limit what they will pay for. It is just 10k, or whatever amount, in collision and they will cover up to that amount. Just because you didn't have a comprehensive rider on your policy wouldn't matter.

[L84THSKY]

I do have $30.00 a day rental coverage. As for the specialty part coverage, GEICO paid for a new base model bumper $286.00. I told my shop, and they feel they can fix my M-tech for less than that. But I will still contact his insurance company to see what they have to say. I'm waiting to hear back from my shop with their comments on GEICO's adjustment paperwork. Like you said, maybe my shop will agree with GEICO's estimate, if not it will get worked out.

GEICO told me that I can not make a claim against GEICO AND his insurance company. Since I went through GEICO, I may have no way of getting a dime through the other company.

This is all new to me, like I said, I haven't gotten in an accident in 23 years:tongue:

If you file against the other person you can get the rental even if you don't have that coverage on your policy. Most insurance companies will pay something like 25$ per day. I have three cars so when I was rear ended in my 328i I didn't use the rental coverage that statefarm offered me. So they actually payed me cash for three days of what it would have cost to rent the car.

And you shouldn't have any problem getting geico to pay any extra costs as long as the costs are inline with what a body shop should charge. Those adjusters usually have worked in auto repair for awhile and do a good job on the estimates. I've ended up getting overpayed for repairs last time I had a problem. I think the estimator was 30$ over what the body shop ended up charging for my bumper repair.

Also, the other insurance company should most certainly repair your custom parts. If you file the claim with the faulty parties company your policy doesn't limit what they will pay for. It is just 10k, or whatever amount, in collision and they will cover up to that amount. Just because you didn't have a comprehensive rider on your policy wouldn't matter.

[DustenT]

I have a $5k rider on my insurance policy to cover any non-stock parts, just in case. It costs me next to nothing (less than $4/month) to add this and I know my wheels/supercharger/whatever will be covered in an accident.

[L84THSKY]

Does that 5K rider have it's own deductible, of does it fall under the entire car for a deductible?

I have a $5k rider on my insurance policy to cover any non-stock parts, just in case. It costs me next to nothing (less than $4/month) to add this and I know my wheels/supercharger/whatever will be covered in an accident.

[mohaughn]

This is all new to me, like I said, I haven't gotten in an accident in 23 years:tongue:

I know.. It sounds like you have everything covered ok.. I was responding to stealth about the other company paying for his custom stuff..

BTW, 286 to fix the bumper sounds pretty accurate. I payed 350 to have mine pulled, inspected, and repainted.

[HuGo]

HaHa kool.

Anyway, is your paint job a custom color, other bmw color, non bmw color?

I dont get how you get that hole on ur car, and no bumps and only a scratch on the bumper? Did he have a pole sticking on top of his bumper?

[GDB]

Good luck with Geico. I've heard they are less than understanding when it comes to modified cars.

[DustenT]

Does that 5K rider have it's own deductible, of does it fall under the entire car for a deductible?

The $5k rider does NOT have it's own deductible.

[L84THSKY]

The adjuster just stated that they only replace OEM parts, unless I have a rider.
I can't say if that is being difficult or just common business practice.

Good luck with Geico. I've heard they are less than understanding when it comes to modified cars.

[HuGo]

Dusten, who's your insurance company?

[L84THSKY]

I can't say it cost $286.00 to fix the bumper. What I said was that GEICO paid me the cost of a new stock bumper (non m-tech) to be replaced. My shop is going to fix the M-tech bumper, hopefully for what they gave me for a new non m-tech bumper ($286.00).



BTW, 286 to fix the bumper sounds pretty accurate. I payed 350 to have mine pulled, inspected, and repainted.

[Etienne]

Nothing really constructive to add, just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about your car getting hit... hope you get the cash from the insurance company to cover it all.

Reading over this thread I actually learned a lot of stuff I didn't know... I'll have to look into the rider thing a bit more.

[DustenT]

Dusten, who's your insurance company?

American Family, I've been with them since I was 17 when my parents kicked me off their policy. (I used to pay $130/month for liability only!!).

[L84THSKY]

The shop fixed the car for the amount the insurance company gave me. When I get the $500.00 deductible back, that is going in my pocket. I am gonna put my clear rear lights on right now. Shop also put on my rear spoiler.:biggrin:

http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/finished.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/finished1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/finished2.jpg

[Couverman98682]

Hey LATE looks VERY nice..... cool spoiler. Insurance is a bitch but seems like you came out OK in this situation.

[Panzer_M]

Good luck with Geico. I've heard they are less than understanding when it comes to modified cars.

Progressive too.

[Panzer_M]

Btw,

Cut and weld or did they hammer it out?

[L84THSKY]

Cut and weld. There was no way to hammer out a hole.

Btw,

Cut and weld or did they hammer it out?

[1996 328ti]

I don't think the VIN would say if it's a Sport.
And insurance companies don't have to use OE parts anymore unless you pay an extra preminum which isn't very much. Perhaps it's a state by state case.

[pdxmotorhead]

Its state by state. In oregon its the owners choice.

Also we can pick the shop.

I'd pick a Dealer , then you get the BMW warrantee on the work and
the parts.

Dave

[Panzer_M]

Cut and weld. There was no way to hammer out a hole.

Didn't notice the hole til now, thought it black paint swapped from the other car.

[Panzer_M]

Hey L8 off topic, but I was reading your mod list...

Don't you have ZKWs on the Hatch?

[L84THSKY]

If you are referring to the tail lights with white turn signals yes. The left one was damaged in the accident, so I put back on the stock tail lights. Just after I took those pics, I put back on the clear tail lights. Had to buy a left one from Bavauto for $95.00.

Hey L8 off topic, but I was reading your mod list...

Don't you have ZKWs on the Hatch?

[L84THSKY]

He told me he was gonna pay me for an after market tail light, but the cost was the same anyway. As far as the car being M-tech, he asked me if it was, since the rear bumper was, I said no. Stupid me, I could have gotten him to pay for an m-tech bumper.

Like I said, he paid me $286.00 for a new base model bumper, not sure what the amount would have been for the m-tech.

I don't think the VIN would say if it's a Sport.
And insurance companies don't have to use OE parts anymore unless you pay an extra preminum which isn't very much. Perhaps it's a state by state case.

[Panzer_M]

If you are referring to the tail lights with white turn signals yes. The left one was damaged in the accident, so I put back on the stock tail lights. Just after I took those pics, I put back on the clear tail lights. Had to buy a left one from Bavauto for $95.00.

headlights, Euro Ellips? I thought you got a set awhile back

[madfronter]

headlights, Euro Ellips? I thought you got a set awhile back

I'm pretty sure he bought his DEPOs on ebay.

[madfronter]

The shop fixed the car for the amount the insurance company gave me. When I get the $500.00 deductible back, that is going in my pocket. I am gonna put my clear rear lights on right now. Shop also put on my rear spoiler.:biggrin:

http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/finished.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/finished1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/triumph1518/finished2.jpg

Your car looks good with the spoiler and it looks like the body shop did a nice job on the repairs. Now you can remove the Rieger Hatch Spoiler from your coming soon list.

[L84THSKY]

Actually, I was trying to move the spoiler from the "Coming Soon" to the "Mods" list, but the program kept saying I exceeded the 5 line limit.


Your car looks good with the spoiler and it looks like the body shop did a nice job on the repairs. Now you can remove the Rieger Hatch Spoiler from your coming soon list.

[L84THSKY]

Correct.....:cool:

I'm pretty sure he bought his DEPOs on ebay.