Need Help/Advice! Accident in Berkeley
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From: El Cerrito, CA
Car Info: 2004 WRX
Need Help/Advice! Accident in Berkeley
Hi guys, so I left my car parked on Hilegass tonite for a movie, and when I came back, I found a note on my car saying "Sorry, but I scratched your Car", and the note has the contact info of the person that did it.
Basically, my whole left side is scratched. My rear left bumper right next to the tire is way scratched up, same as the front left fender. Both of my doors have slight visible scratch, and my left front Rim got scratched a little too. =(
So I contacted the person and she wants to take care of it w/o the insurance.
But I am scared that she won't be able to pay for it if the estimate is too much, and then I will have to go through insurance later on. But would that be too late to contact the insurance??
Is there a way to report an incident to my insurance company w/o affecting both of our premium?
Also, can I get some suggestions on what body shops to go to around the Bay Area?
I need at least two body shops to get two estimates for the damage.
And how would I know if my car's suspension is affected or not? or if my rims are bent?
When I drive my car now, my steering wheel is WAY off center. She musta hit my car kinda hard cuz my alignment was ok before the incident.
Thanks for your help you guys. Berkeley Streets suck....Watch out for your cars, my fellow i-clubbers.
-Mark C.
Basically, my whole left side is scratched. My rear left bumper right next to the tire is way scratched up, same as the front left fender. Both of my doors have slight visible scratch, and my left front Rim got scratched a little too. =(
So I contacted the person and she wants to take care of it w/o the insurance.
But I am scared that she won't be able to pay for it if the estimate is too much, and then I will have to go through insurance later on. But would that be too late to contact the insurance??
Is there a way to report an incident to my insurance company w/o affecting both of our premium?
Also, can I get some suggestions on what body shops to go to around the Bay Area?
I need at least two body shops to get two estimates for the damage.
And how would I know if my car's suspension is affected or not? or if my rims are bent?
When I drive my car now, my steering wheel is WAY off center. She musta hit my car kinda hard cuz my alignment was ok before the incident.
Thanks for your help you guys. Berkeley Streets suck....Watch out for your cars, my fellow i-clubbers.
-Mark C.
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Let the insurance companies handle it. Get all of her pertinent driver's license and insurance info. Don't wait to report it. She won't have the cash to cover it.
A shop will have to check for frame alignment and suspension damage if she struck your parked vehicle hard enough to throw off the alignment.
--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
A shop will have to check for frame alignment and suspension damage if she struck your parked vehicle hard enough to throw off the alignment.
--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
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Check your policy language for how long you have if you decide to see what she does. My policy didn't have a specific number it just said "reasonable amount of time" and I called them 60 days after an accident and they were cool about it.
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^^^ What Homie said.
The person's cool now, but after they see how much it's gonna cost, they'll change their mind.
I'd turn it over to the insurance companies.
However, if you want to get screwed over, get an estimate ASAP, and give it to the person. Tell them they have XXhrs to respond.
After XXhrs, you call them, because they won't call you, and leave a meesage, because they won't answer your calls.
After a few weeks of this, you'll call their insurance company, and they'll deny the claim.
Don't ask how I know this, it still hurts.
The person's cool now, but after they see how much it's gonna cost, they'll change their mind.
I'd turn it over to the insurance companies.
However, if you want to get screwed over, get an estimate ASAP, and give it to the person. Tell them they have XXhrs to respond.
After XXhrs, you call them, because they won't call you, and leave a meesage, because they won't answer your calls.
After a few weeks of this, you'll call their insurance company, and they'll deny the claim.
Don't ask how I know this, it still hurts.
the artist formerly known as mcdrama
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just report it.
If your alignment is off, find out how much. Take it somewhere that has the digital laser setup.
for all you know, the insurance company may consider it totalled.
If your alignment is off, find out how much. Take it somewhere that has the digital laser setup.
for all you know, the insurance company may consider it totalled.
People lets stop for a moment about reporting all this to the insurance right away.
First, the lady was nice enough to actually leave her contact info, how many people would do that now a days? Thats a lot of honesty. Seriously, would you?
Second, this is probably not gonna be cheap, talk to her, tell her this is probably not going to cheap and it may be a better idea to report to ins and see what she says. Don't just report it and give her a surprise...
If she still wants pay, get a reasonable estimate, tell the shop you're paying cash, usually its gonna be at least a little cheaper than insurance if the bodyshop is cool.
I don't know, I'm sure you have full coverage insurance? Actually I don't know this, anyone else know? If it is a hit and run, is that collision or comprehension? Because you can also report it as comprehension, if you tell them it was vandalism. Well anyway, you can ask her to pay the deductible. And then if you do go the right shop, they can probably take care of the deductible for you, that depend on how high your deductible is and how much damage was incurred on your car. But something like $250-$500 on a $2000-$2500 job should be much of a problem, thats if they're willing to do it.
This is all up to you, I'm basing my opinion on that fact that she was honest and nice enought to leave her contact info. If she's honest, she deserves a little break/help. Otherwise you wouldn't even find out who did it and you would be just be pissed and frustrated at not knowing who. If I saw some in the act of hit and run on my car, that person is going down, way down...
First, the lady was nice enough to actually leave her contact info, how many people would do that now a days? Thats a lot of honesty. Seriously, would you?
Second, this is probably not gonna be cheap, talk to her, tell her this is probably not going to cheap and it may be a better idea to report to ins and see what she says. Don't just report it and give her a surprise...
If she still wants pay, get a reasonable estimate, tell the shop you're paying cash, usually its gonna be at least a little cheaper than insurance if the bodyshop is cool.
I don't know, I'm sure you have full coverage insurance? Actually I don't know this, anyone else know? If it is a hit and run, is that collision or comprehension? Because you can also report it as comprehension, if you tell them it was vandalism. Well anyway, you can ask her to pay the deductible. And then if you do go the right shop, they can probably take care of the deductible for you, that depend on how high your deductible is and how much damage was incurred on your car. But something like $250-$500 on a $2000-$2500 job should be much of a problem, thats if they're willing to do it.
This is all up to you, I'm basing my opinion on that fact that she was honest and nice enought to leave her contact info. If she's honest, she deserves a little break/help. Otherwise you wouldn't even find out who did it and you would be just be pissed and frustrated at not knowing who. If I saw some in the act of hit and run on my car, that person is going down, way down...
Originally Posted by chakming888
Hi guys, so I left my car parked on Hilegass tonite for a movie, and when I came back, I found a note on my car saying "Sorry, but I scratched your Car", and the note has the contact info of the person that did it.
Basically, my whole left side is scratched. My rear left bumper right next to the tire is way scratched up, same as the front left fender. Both of my doors have slight visible scratch, and my left front Rim got scratched a little too. =(
So I contacted the person and she wants to take care of it w/o the insurance.
But I am scared that she won't be able to pay for it if the estimate is too much, and then I will have to go through insurance later on. But would that be too late to contact the insurance??
Is there a way to report an incident to my insurance company w/o affecting both of our premium?
Also, can I get some suggestions on what body shops to go to around the Bay Area?
I need at least two body shops to get two estimates for the damage.
And how would I know if my car's suspension is affected or not? or if my rims are bent?
When I drive my car now, my steering wheel is WAY off center. She musta hit my car kinda hard cuz my alignment was ok before the incident.
Thanks for your help you guys. Berkeley Streets suck....Watch out for your cars, my fellow i-clubbers.
-Mark C.
Basically, my whole left side is scratched. My rear left bumper right next to the tire is way scratched up, same as the front left fender. Both of my doors have slight visible scratch, and my left front Rim got scratched a little too. =(
So I contacted the person and she wants to take care of it w/o the insurance.
But I am scared that she won't be able to pay for it if the estimate is too much, and then I will have to go through insurance later on. But would that be too late to contact the insurance??
Is there a way to report an incident to my insurance company w/o affecting both of our premium?
Also, can I get some suggestions on what body shops to go to around the Bay Area?
I need at least two body shops to get two estimates for the damage.
And how would I know if my car's suspension is affected or not? or if my rims are bent?
When I drive my car now, my steering wheel is WAY off center. She musta hit my car kinda hard cuz my alignment was ok before the incident.
Thanks for your help you guys. Berkeley Streets suck....Watch out for your cars, my fellow i-clubbers.
-Mark C.
Last edited by lazybummm; Dec 11, 2005 at 09:42 AM.
Thread Starter
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Posts: 694
From: El Cerrito, CA
Car Info: 2004 WRX
Thx everyone for the quick response.
So I talked to her yesterday and told her that it might cost over 2k and told her that I am worried she can't pay for it. So she called her parents right away and she got back to me saying that her parents will help pay for it too.
So for now, I think I am going to try to solve this w/o insurance. Giving that she was honest enough to leave a note with a REAL phone #.
And I have alrdy talked to the police about it and have the name of the officer that I talked to, so I think even if she backed out, I have enough proof to sue her or to get my money from her insurance. I also collected evidence from the scene, there were A LOT of paint chips from her car on the ground, so I collected most of them.
My next question, where are some good/reliable shops around Bay Area for me to take my car to get an estimate and to fix? I need at least two because I need to get two estimates
Also, Can the body shop check for suspension damage and frame damage?
-Mark C.
So I talked to her yesterday and told her that it might cost over 2k and told her that I am worried she can't pay for it. So she called her parents right away and she got back to me saying that her parents will help pay for it too.
So for now, I think I am going to try to solve this w/o insurance. Giving that she was honest enough to leave a note with a REAL phone #.
And I have alrdy talked to the police about it and have the name of the officer that I talked to, so I think even if she backed out, I have enough proof to sue her or to get my money from her insurance. I also collected evidence from the scene, there were A LOT of paint chips from her car on the ground, so I collected most of them.
My next question, where are some good/reliable shops around Bay Area for me to take my car to get an estimate and to fix? I need at least two because I need to get two estimates
Also, Can the body shop check for suspension damage and frame damage?
-Mark C.
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Posts: 679
From: Berkeley
Car Info: 2003 Silver STi Wagon
OMG THEY SCRATCH YOUR VOLKS!!!!! i think the only way to deal with this is a 12 gauge lolol j/k hopefully you get a new wheel out of this because those CE28's need to be pristine condition.
-jon
-jon
Originally Posted by chakming888
Hi guys, so I left my car parked on Hilegass tonite for a movie, and when I came back, I found a note on my car saying "Sorry, but I scratched your Car", and the note has the contact info of the person that did it.
Basically, my whole left side is scratched. My rear left bumper right next to the tire is way scratched up, same as the front left fender. Both of my doors have slight visible scratch, and my left front Rim got scratched a little too. =(
So I contacted the person and she wants to take care of it w/o the insurance.
But I am scared that she won't be able to pay for it if the estimate is too much, and then I will have to go through insurance later on. But would that be too late to contact the insurance??
Is there a way to report an incident to my insurance company w/o affecting both of our premium?
Also, can I get some suggestions on what body shops to go to around the Bay Area?
I need at least two body shops to get two estimates for the damage.
And how would I know if my car's suspension is affected or not? or if my rims are bent?
When I drive my car now, my steering wheel is WAY off center. She musta hit my car kinda hard cuz my alignment was ok before the incident.
Thanks for your help you guys. Berkeley Streets suck....Watch out for your cars, my fellow i-clubbers.
-Mark C.
Basically, my whole left side is scratched. My rear left bumper right next to the tire is way scratched up, same as the front left fender. Both of my doors have slight visible scratch, and my left front Rim got scratched a little too. =(
So I contacted the person and she wants to take care of it w/o the insurance.
But I am scared that she won't be able to pay for it if the estimate is too much, and then I will have to go through insurance later on. But would that be too late to contact the insurance??
Is there a way to report an incident to my insurance company w/o affecting both of our premium?
Also, can I get some suggestions on what body shops to go to around the Bay Area?
I need at least two body shops to get two estimates for the damage.
And how would I know if my car's suspension is affected or not? or if my rims are bent?
When I drive my car now, my steering wheel is WAY off center. She musta hit my car kinda hard cuz my alignment was ok before the incident.
Thanks for your help you guys. Berkeley Streets suck....Watch out for your cars, my fellow i-clubbers.
-Mark C.
Thread Starter
Registered User
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Posts: 694
From: El Cerrito, CA
Car Info: 2004 WRX
Yeah JON, I was hella upset man. =( at least it is only like a small scratch, hopefully I can get some touch-up on it. no one I can get a new volk wheel out of this. cuz it ain't bent (at least from the look of it, gotta get it professional checked out).
-Mark C.
-Mark C.
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Originally Posted by chakming888
My next question, where are some good/reliable shops around Bay Area for me to take my car to get an estimate and to fix? I need at least two because I need to get two estimates
Also, Can the body shop check for suspension damage and frame damage?
-Mark C.
Also, Can the body shop check for suspension damage and frame damage?
-Mark C.
sucks but atleast she posted her info..
someone backed into my wrx and crushed the rear door and driver side rear fender... sucked but he left his info thank god.. its was 5g's to have it done.. they had to order the door from japan is what the guy said but who knows..
i would report it.. dont let her get you screwed..
someone backed into my wrx and crushed the rear door and driver side rear fender... sucked but he left his info thank god.. its was 5g's to have it done.. they had to order the door from japan is what the guy said but who knows..
i would report it.. dont let her get you screwed..
well more like 4700 but still.. its bank.. they had to replace the whole door cause subaru doesnt make door "stamps" and they had tp get all the lining and some other stuff.... body work aint cheap!