totalled or not? folks wrecked their 04 Buick
12-01-09, 02:07 PM
#1
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
totalled or not? folks wrecked their 04 Buick
My Dad is 82 and just didn't see the FORD EXCURSION (!!!) coming and pulled right in front of it....I took him to the ER because he had a knot behind his left ear and some cuts and scrapes along with a sore shoulder but he was ok.
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12-01-09, 03:13 PM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
Yep....glad your father is OK. If he, and the car, got hit by a 7000-lb. Ford Excursion, both, IMO, came out pretty fortunate, compared to what it could have been. A Ford Excursion (trust me) can be a SERIOUS impact.
As to the question of its being "totalled" or not, that will probably be up to your dad's insurance comany and the claims adjuster who examines the car. I say your dad's insurance company, and not the Excursion's, because, if your dad pulled out in front of the Excursion when the Excursion had the legal right-of-way (at a stop sign or traffic light, for example) he will probably be held at fault, and his insurance company will likely have to foot the bill.
For a vehicle to be "totalled" by an insurance company means, in most cases, that the cost of repairing it, at a reputable shop approved by the insurance company, exceeds the going Kelly Blue Book (or NADA) value for that vehicle in an average condition and specific mileage. In that case, the insurance company pays out less if it just hands you a check for the car's actual value than for the estimated cost of repairs. This, of course, sometimes leads to quarrels/disagreements between car owners, adjusters, and insurance companies over the car's actual value, the amount of money actually put into the car in extra-cost parts boosting its value, how accurate KBB figures are for that model, whether the required repair parts are still available, etc..... requiring lawyers and insurance arbitrators to get involved. It can also leads, in some cases, to insurance fraud, where vehicle owners sometimes deliberately destroy a vehicle just to get the insurance payoff for it.....and quick cash.
I agree with 1SICKLEX that some underbody pictures would be helpful, but, right off-hand, your dad's Buick is going to need (at the minimum) a hood, left-front fender, front bumper, headlight assembly and associated wiring, new alloy wheel (even if there are no visible cracks, the wheel could be internally weakened), a new tire that is similiar to the other three, a front-wheel alignment (I think that type of Buick has a solid-beam rear axle that doesn't need rear-alignment), and, judging from the way the wheel assembly is warped/distored, a new CV (constant-velocity joint), half-front-drive-shaft, maybe some steering/front-suspension pieces, and at least an inspection of the front final-drive unit (differential) to see if there is no damage. In addition to the major parts themselves, is the added cost of painting, priming, application of anti-corrosion materials, tire-mount, wheel-balance, inspection/replacement of the front rotor/brake caliper/wheel bearing if damaged, and replacement of the air-bag and sensors if a bag went off (it probably didn't, with that type of left-front impact). So, the insurance company, and the adjuster, will have to take all this (and maybe more) into account before deciding if the car will be repaired or totalled.
And DON'T let them cut corners or screw you or your dad......make sure the claims adjuster inspects the car thoroughly before he or she writes up the report. If necessary, print out what I posted here and take a copy to the claims-office with you.
As to the question of its being "totalled" or not, that will probably be up to your dad's insurance comany and the claims adjuster who examines the car. I say your dad's insurance company, and not the Excursion's, because, if your dad pulled out in front of the Excursion when the Excursion had the legal right-of-way (at a stop sign or traffic light, for example) he will probably be held at fault, and his insurance company will likely have to foot the bill.
For a vehicle to be "totalled" by an insurance company means, in most cases, that the cost of repairing it, at a reputable shop approved by the insurance company, exceeds the going Kelly Blue Book (or NADA) value for that vehicle in an average condition and specific mileage. In that case, the insurance company pays out less if it just hands you a check for the car's actual value than for the estimated cost of repairs. This, of course, sometimes leads to quarrels/disagreements between car owners, adjusters, and insurance companies over the car's actual value, the amount of money actually put into the car in extra-cost parts boosting its value, how accurate KBB figures are for that model, whether the required repair parts are still available, etc..... requiring lawyers and insurance arbitrators to get involved. It can also leads, in some cases, to insurance fraud, where vehicle owners sometimes deliberately destroy a vehicle just to get the insurance payoff for it.....and quick cash.
I agree with 1SICKLEX that some underbody pictures would be helpful, but, right off-hand, your dad's Buick is going to need (at the minimum) a hood, left-front fender, front bumper, headlight assembly and associated wiring, new alloy wheel (even if there are no visible cracks, the wheel could be internally weakened), a new tire that is similiar to the other three, a front-wheel alignment (I think that type of Buick has a solid-beam rear axle that doesn't need rear-alignment), and, judging from the way the wheel assembly is warped/distored, a new CV (constant-velocity joint), half-front-drive-shaft, maybe some steering/front-suspension pieces, and at least an inspection of the front final-drive unit (differential) to see if there is no damage. In addition to the major parts themselves, is the added cost of painting, priming, application of anti-corrosion materials, tire-mount, wheel-balance, inspection/replacement of the front rotor/brake caliper/wheel bearing if damaged, and replacement of the air-bag and sensors if a bag went off (it probably didn't, with that type of left-front impact). So, the insurance company, and the adjuster, will have to take all this (and maybe more) into account before deciding if the car will be repaired or totalled.
And DON'T let them cut corners or screw you or your dad......make sure the claims adjuster inspects the car thoroughly before he or she writes up the report. If necessary, print out what I posted here and take a copy to the claims-office with you.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-01-09 at 04:00 PM.
12-01-09, 03:47 PM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
also, make sure your dad gets the full medication attention that he needs, even if it seems "light"
got into an accident involving a total loss in July, my sister and I are still going to rehab every week--and we had no visible injuries.
got into an accident involving a total loss in July, my sister and I are still going to rehab every week--and we had no visible injuries.
12-01-09, 05:26 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
well they were quoted about $9000 to fix it...unfortunately I found out today he only had liability on the car....so I told him its not worth it to fix it....maybe he can sell it to a salvage yard to get something for it??? how is that done?? just start calling salvage yards? Comparable cars with clean carfax are about $9900.
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12-01-09, 06:10 PM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
I am sorry to hear about the accident , but thank god your dad is ok. I would have thought that the value of the car would have thrown the car into the totaled category
12-01-09, 06:18 PM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Let's hope the liability limits on the driver's insurance policy are high enough to cover the other parties damages and injuries. From a financial perspective that's important.
12-01-09, 06:29 PM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
well they were quoted about $9000 to fix it...unfortunately I found out today he only had liability on the car....so I told him its not worth it to fix it....maybe he can sell it to a salvage yard to get something for it??? how is that done?? just start calling salvage yards? Comparable cars with clean carfax are about $9900.
If it is tax deductible (and you donate it before Dec. 31st of this year, itemizing your deductions on Schedule A when you do your taxes next spring), you will get "paid" next year when your tax refunds come through (or with a lower tax bill).
But, don't forget, there's another potential problem, too.....damage to the Ford Excursion. Hopefully your dad's insurance will take care of that, under the liability clause.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-01-09 at 06:32 PM.
12-01-09, 07:25 PM
#11
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
OK then, if insurance doesn't give you any payoff, and you choose not to sell it to a scrap yard, you may also have the option of donating it to an auto-training academy. They often accept old or wrecked cars for their students to practice working on and making repairs. Donations like this are often tax-deductible, as they would be if you donated the car to a charity. Some charities will take wrecked cars; others won't.
If it is tax deductible (and you donate it before Dec. 31st of this year, itemizing your deductions on Schedule A when you do your taxes next spring), you will get "paid" next year when your tax refunds come through (or with a lower tax bill).
But, don't forget, there's another potential problem, too.....damage to the Ford Excursion. Hopefully your dad's insurance will take care of that, under the liability clause.
If it is tax deductible (and you donate it before Dec. 31st of this year, itemizing your deductions on Schedule A when you do your taxes next spring), you will get "paid" next year when your tax refunds come through (or with a lower tax bill).
But, don't forget, there's another potential problem, too.....damage to the Ford Excursion. Hopefully your dad's insurance will take care of that, under the liability clause.
12-01-09, 07:30 PM
#12
Glad that your dad is fine. As others have said, make sure that he gets full medical attention tomake sure nothing pops up. As far as selling to salvage yards, often times you just call them up, or a tow company who buys scrap cars. Unfortunately, you will get VERY LITTLE to NOTHING for the car (under $500). Best bet may be donating it as Marshall suggested and taking a tax write off.
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