other Rear ended

[reluctantly]

Got rear ended this afternoon in Glendale...#$!%?!!%$##!!

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2016 by reluctantly

[John_in_VA]

So sorry to see this.  There are many members in your area - hopefully they can point you to a shop experienced with the 2002 & this type of damage.

[LimeySteve]

That sucks, so sorry to see , good luck on the repair , find a good shop & don't let the Ins co give you a salvage title if you can help it

[M3M3M3]

More detail on what happened please.   Did you have a CHMSL or led brake/tail lights? 

[reluctantly]

Thanks all, for the reassurance.  Also for the tip on avoiding a salvage title, though I'm not sure what recourse I have?

 

The car doesn't have a CHMSL or leds.  Fingers crossed this won't be an issue with comparative fault.  Circumstances: Around 3:30PM, sunny, stopped at light, see car barreling at me in the rear view, but not much I could do.  Don't think she even had time to apply brakes...

[DerekZ4]

That sucks. Looks like a substantial hit.

[gregpark]

That sucks, sorry this happened.

 In her defence, it was probably a very important call or text she was making

[ray_]

 

@#$%^&!

[TobyB]

If you get hit from behind,  it's always their fault. 

 

Get good comparative values- that looks like a total to me.  You'll probably want to

find a nicer car than yours, and try to get her insurance company to buy it for you (give you that sum in compensation)

Your neck hurts, I'm sure- you'd better see a doctor, soon.

 

That's a pretty hard hit.

 

Bummer.

 

t

 

[M3M3M3]

14 hours ago, reluctantly said:

Thanks all, for the reassurance.  Also for the tip on avoiding a salvage title, though I'm not sure what recourse I have?

 

The car doesn't have a CHMSL or leds.  Fingers crossed this won't be an issue with comparative fault.  Circumstances: Around 3:30PM, sunny, stopped at light, see car barreling at me in the rear view, but not much I could do.  Don't think she even had time to apply brakes...

always the car behind's fault.   

 

but bright chmsl's and bright brake lights can catch the attention of the idiot far better than the basically invisible old stock taillights on our cars......hopefully avoiding the accident altogether.   

[reluctantly]

24 minutes ago, mlytle said:

always the car behind's fault.   

 

but bright chmsl's and bright brake lights can catch the attention of the idiot far better than the basically invisible old stock taillights on our cars......hopefully avoiding the accident altogether.   

Third brake light has been on the list for three years but never got around to it.  You bet I'll be getting one in the future!

 

Found some comps though it's been difficult to find another kinda restored, very recently rebuilt, numbers matching automatic with frigid air conditioning.  I'm coming across mostly unloved autos that are being marketed as swap candidates.  Anyone know if insurance companies will question having some 4 speed comps in the mix if they are a similar year/condition?

 

Much appreciated if anyone can shoot me a PM if you come across either a comp or a nice looking replacement (game for anything but a '76), preferably an auto that isn't too much of a project.  I can drive stick in a pinch but it's been about 20 years and I'm not feelin' too confident in my abilities.  Didn't sleep a wink last night worrying about how I'm going to repair/replace her.  Can't decide if it's the years/cash it took to get her running optimally, the insurance battle ahead, the pain of seeing my reliable little daily driver in this state, or the thought of being '02 (and car)less for at least a few months.  Oh yeah, and I hurt too, but way more devastated for my fräulein.

 

Grateful for many sympathetic ears--y'all are the best!  

[Essem.w]

Just went through an insurance issue on one of my classics. Gather some good comps from multiple sources, multiple valuation sources (NADA classic, Hagerty) and be prepared to be on the phone for a while. If they really give you grief get the car appraised by a classic car expert, not much they can refute about that and totally worth the investment. Honestly a good appraisal is the first thing all of us should do when we buy or acquire a new classic...knowing you can go into battle fully armed when needed is a huge piece of mind. 

[JerryB2002]

Good luck. Sorry to hear about it. 

[avoirdupois]

37 minutes ago, mlytle said:

always the car behind's fault.   

 

but bright chmsl's and bright brake lights can catch the attention of the idiot far better than the basically invisible old stock taillights on our cars......hopefully avoiding the accident altogether.   

 

There is no question that making every car visible is a good idea from the standpoint of accident avoidance.  Sadly, some drivers do not pay attention to what is in front of them - despite the most obtrusive and obnoxious of brake/tail lights.  

 

Of course I agree with Toby as it applies to the accident in question.   The rear most car may be presumptively at fault, but not always.  I witnessed a very tall SUV back into a light colored '02 that had been standing still for several minutes - waiting for parking space.  Despite being broad daylight, the SUV driver literally blamed the '02 for being too small and low to the ground.  (The damage was fairly minimal as a tow ball struck part of the '02 grille.)  If I recall correctly another bystander suggested the problem was less height advantage and more texting disadvantage.

 

As others have said for insurance purposes, more information is always better.  Book valuations are merely estimates that are easily dismissed as not being fully representative of true value - especially on vintage cars.  Different geographic locations can make for a big difference in valuation.  A professional appraiser - with a good reputation - may be something to keep in mind.

 

Buckled rear quarter panels are never good, except for maybe body shops.  I had a similar experience many years ago with a small bumpered model.  The body shop had no problem straightening the frame and repairing the exterior.  So I tend to be more optimistic than most.  But that was then and not all damage is comparable.  As an alternative, since your car is still presumably driveable and you are in So Cal, you might consider going south as an option.  tijuana-paint

 

This could happen to anyone of us - even when we are parked!

 

Best of luck.

[dlhoovler]

So sorry to see this, but from one who's been there and come back from it, just hang in there and see it through. It's not a short road and it's not fun, but you're still able to post about it afterward; '02s can be fixed much more easily than '02ers!

 

-Dave