QuestionQUESTION: Hello I dont know if you can help me I was in a car accident And i rearended someone There was alot of damage to my car the from bumper hanging almost off , hood pop up and the front grill is smashed There was no leakage It looks like all the damage is in the front My car is 1994 toy corolla So has alot of miles and is old but toyota are good car I need my car Insurance has not inspected it yet but i wonder do you think they will totaled it could it be fixed or should sell it for parts I have never had anything happen like this before So i don't know what to do Thank you Carolyn
ANSWER: Hi Carolyn!....The first step, is to contact your insurance company if you have not already talked to them. From there, they will be able to read through your insurance policy to see exactly what types of coverage you have. What is referred to as "PL/PD" coverage, is Public Liability and Property Damage. This covers damage costs for the "at fault" driver in the event of a collision, to repair damage for the "non at fault" party. It does not cover the "at fault" drivers expenses. A "Collision" policy, will pay for damages to both the "at fault" and "non at fault" claimants. A "Loss of Use" policy, will pay for a rental vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired. That being said, your insurance company will send out an adjuster to write you a damage estimate, as well as be able to tell you the book value of your vehicle. In doing so, by comparing the estimate and book value, they will then be able to determine whether your vehicle is to be repaired or written off. Generally, a vehicle is written off, when the repair cost is 80% or above the book value of said vehicle. In the event of it being a borderline write off, most insurance companies are willing to work with a client and the repair shop, to get the costs down so the vehicle can be saved. So please check into this option if you would like to keep your car.....Hope this helps you out Carolyn....If you have any other questions, please drop me another line....Thanks....Dave.
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QUESTION: Hello Dave I found out i do not have collison So i have to pay damages out of pocket That hard because my finances are tight So i was wanted to know If i should try to find Bumper, Hood and the front grill At a junkyard Or try to take it to someone That work on my car before That could repair the damages Thank you Carolyn
ANSWER: Hi Again Carolyn!....Sorry to hear that you don't happen to have collision insurance. If you are able to do the work yourself, and on a budget, then yes, your best bet would be to check out your local Auto wreckers for the parts. Just as a guideline, most Auto wreckers charge 50% of the price of a new part. For example: Retail price for a brand new hood costing $400, should roughly cost $200 at the wreckers. You also might be able to get a better deal, since you will be looking for multiple parts. If you would like to have someone else do the repairs on your vehicle, you might also like to check out your local job search website, and see if there are any Autobody Technicians advertising to do sideline work after hours, as I have seen this more than a few times, even in my area.....Best of luck Carolyn.....Write me back anytime, if there is anything else I can try and help you out with....Thanks....Dave.
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QUESTION: Hello Dave just wanted to tell you I got my car fixed went to a body shop I been to before It cost around about 600.00 I had to get a new radiator And they aligned the hood fixed the bumper and grill But i was wonder the mechanic said It would of cost more to fixed the whole in the grill And he patch it up I was wondering if there is anything that i could maybe wrap around it from getting rusty Will i check with several Junkyards and could find the parts for me car
glad i could it get it done I think they did a good job Thank you for your help and information Carolyn
AnswerHi Carolyn!....Thanks very much for letting me know you were able to get your car fixed. Glad to hear it didn't have to be written off also, and that you are satisfied with the repairs. In regards to your grill, you shouldn't have to worry about it rusting, due to the fact that although it may have a chrome finish, I am 99% certain, it is made of plastic. If it does appear to be chrome, it would only be a coating. One way to check if it is plastic or metal, is to see if a magnet will stick to it....Thanks again for letting me know, and you are very welcome for the information....Take care....Dave.
