[Gee Spoolin]

Hey, fellow Vortex brothers and sisters. Here is my dilemma. You see, my 00 Jetta recently got bumped into from the behind by some kid rolling a SUV. Actually it was the rear bumper stripe in the area between the license plate and right taillight that came in contact with the truck's front left corner. (I was making a left turn at the light and he just bumped into me). So now the lower edge of the trunk is slightly bended and of course my bumper is deformed (just a little bit). It was a really low speed bump so I wasn't worry too much. But today, I went to 3 body shops and the estimates came out to be $1360, 1400, and 1800. I was shocked as 2 of the shops told me that the reinforcement beam MIGHT got bended from the incident, and the trunk needs to be repainted after the lower edge is straighten out. My questions to you guys is:
1. Doesn't our car has a long piece of foam between the bumper skin and the reinforcement to serve as a protective layer?
2. The adjuster from the kid's insurance company called me and he's gonna come to take a look at my car. He sounded kinda tough and mean. So what would I say/ask/do if i don't get the $ amount I deserved?
3. What do I need to know before sending the car to a body shop?
4. What do I need to check/look for when picking up my car from the shop?
I know this is long, but I really need some advise. Please help...


[Modified by Gee Spoolin, 7:55 AM 4-10-2002]

 

[Dubzburg]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Gee Spoolin)

Some Dumbass lady rear-ended me, but the only "visible damage" was a small gouge out of the bumper. I took it into a shop that gave me an estimate, then took the estimate to her insurance. They did their own estimate, which came out a little less (of course), and cut me a check for that amount. ~$850 They did say, if new damage was found when the bumper was removed, the shop should contact them with the info, and they (insurance co.) would cover it. Unfourtunately, I decided to live with the scratch (and any other "invisible damage"), and spend the $ on mods and alcohol.

Hope this helps. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

 

[Gee Spoolin]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Dubzburg)

Thanks for your input, Dubzburg. Can somebody shed some light on this ???

 

[Mike VR6]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Gee Spoolin)

dont call your insurance first....try to do it all through his. This way you avoid rate changes or anything. Get as much as you can.....and go aftermarket baby!

 

[02glx]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Gee Spoolin)

I was rearended and only had a bent quarter panel. It ended up being $8,468.67 US. It turned out I had a bent frame from it. I was compinsated with no trouble but it goes to say that you never know what could be happening underneath it all.
The other insurance company will have absolutely no reason to deny you the money to cover damages. Dont even let them mention less than the cost.

 

[GreenVW1.8T]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Mike VR6)

When I got rear ended, i took off the bumper cover to see what the damage was. On the rear there is no foam, just a large steal beam that is attached to two shocks. In my case there was no other damage done other than a few scrapes on the bumper cover so i just took the money.

 

[mcbgti]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Mike VR6)

quote:[HR][/HR]dont call your insurance first....try to do it all through his. This way you avoid rate changes or anything. Get as much as you can.....and go aftermarket baby![HR][/HR]​

if you go through your own insurance company the process will be faster, you will not get an increase in rates (surcharge) since you were not at fault...Your insurance company will pay for your damages and then subrogate for the money from the other insurance company- at least that's how we do it in MA

 

[2kjettaguy]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (mcbgti)

Go through your insurance. Unless you have a ridiculous plan, they won't raise your rates if you get hit. Give them the kids insurance information and they will settle the claim amongst insurance companies.
If you decide not to, I just gave away a jetta rear bumper support, but i do have both of the impact shocks. I'll give them to you for free, so email me if you want them before I throw them out this weekend.

 

[hbstriker]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (Gee Spoolin)

I got hit today too

, by a friggen semi truck, I called my insurance company, and they will not be charging me more. Thats two casualties today now, a sad day in the VW world

 

[nianmuzik]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (hbstriker)

I've heard (I can't verify it though) that a few companies now raise your rates even if you're not at fault... Especially since 9-11... But don't take my word for it... make a casual call to your company's local agent and ask him directly.
I can't believe your reinforcement bar got damaged... I lost control of my car in the snow on the highway last november, spun into a 180, hit the guardrail at nearly 65mph, damaged the entire rear bumper and "managed" to avoid further damage. EDIT: I actually hit the guardrail on the corner of the bumper... and then the car "rolled" across the entire bumper.
I got my car from the bodyshop last week and the reinforcement bar was not damaged (as far as I know otherwise I would have been contacted)
Make sure you check all damages because it would not be fair to get money for stuff that didn't actually happen (I know it's tempting though...)
Along the same lines...

quote:[HR][/HR]Some Dumbass lady rear-ended me, but the only "visible damage" was a small gouge out of the bumper. I took it into a shop that gave me an estimate, then took the estimate to her insurance. They did their own estimate, which came out a little less (of course), and cut me a check for that amount. ~$850 They did say, if new damage was found when the bumper was removed, the shop should contact them with the info, and they (insurance co.) would cover it. Unfourtunately, I decided to live with the scratch (and any other "invisible damage"), and spend the $ on mods and alcohol. Hope this helps. [HR][/HR]​

... isn't that considered insurance fraud? Just out of curiosity...


[Modified by nianmuzik, 7:23 PM 4-10-2002]

 

[Gee Spoolin]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (2kjettaguy)

hey 2kjettaguy. I appreciate your generousity

I've decided to take the car in for repair, but I don't think I need the impact shocks from you since the kid's insurance is gonna pay for the repair anyway. Thanks for the looking out, again, I really appreciate it.
Hey, can you guys help me out with my Questions 2, 3, and 4???
Thanks in advance.

 

[mcbgti]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (nianmuzik)

quote:[HR][/HR]
... isn't that considered insurance fraud? Just out of curiosity...[HR][/HR]​

no, it's an option that you have- you can choose to keep the money for the repairs but your car's value will be depreciated by how much the check was for.

 

[Gee Spoolin]

Re: My car got hit !!!! need help ... (mcbgti)

quote:[HR][/HR]
... isn't that considered insurance fraud? Just out of curiosity...
no, it's an option that you have- you can choose to keep the money for the repairs but your car's value will be depreciated by how much the check was for.[HR][/HR]​

Yea, i understand that once the insurance hand you the check, it means they've done their part and fullfilled their obligation. Case closed. You can do whatever you want with the $$$. But for my case, i don't think I can keep any cuz I plan on keeping the car for some time so I want to send the car to a reputable shop that do quality work.
I still need answers with questions 2,3, and 4. Can anyone help?