Re: I wrecked my 850 yesterday, Help! (archive)

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Like anyone else that reads this, I too feel your pain. At least in a figurative sense. You will no doubt wake up sometime in the next few days after the adrenaline has worn off and probably want to see a doctor. However, to reiterate what Kurt said, it could have been worse. Your incident seems timely as there is a post a day or so ago where the person was asking about the crashworthiness of the 850. I had a similar situation a year and a half ago in Northern California. Similar conditions as yours where it was raining and the curve was off-camber like your situation. The only difference was I was going about 70mph in a 300ZX Twin-Turbo and hit the center divider. I walked away and looked at the car and as much as I wanted to cry, I was smart enough in the moment to realize ho fortunate I was. I never reported it to the insurance company as the car had about 200k miles on it. �Book� value on it at the time would have been about $8000. I sold it a few months later for $3000 to a guy whose brother owned a body shop and was going to do the work himself.

I hope maybe I can shed some light on your situation. I started my own company a few months ago, but before that I spent 10 years as an Insurance agent/broker. As was mentioned in the other post, it will depend on what state you live in as well as what insurance company you have. Contrary to what you see on the commercials, it is not as easy as having the adjuster show up, look at the car and write a check on the spot for a fat number. Unfortunately, not many clients are as happy as they show on TV.

Will it get "Totaled" by my insurance co.?
It depends on the amount of the damage. Jud�s guess of $15k may or may not be correct, but if it were I would say no based on the value of the vehicle as you describe it.

If it is "Totaled", how do I keep from getting screwed on the retail value?
Contrary to popular belief, most (may I emphasize, MOST) insracne companies do not operate off blue book value to determine value. It isn�t like a trade in at a car lot. They typically use an independent service that determines values of vehicles specifically for the insurance industry. They maintain a database that is updated daily with market data. The easiest way to explain how they determine value is they take 10 cars of the same year, make and model. They get the information from sources such as newspapers, Internet, Auto Trader and so on. They throw out the high and the low prices of the ten and average the remaining eight to determine average replacement cost. They then find how your vehicle fits against the average to determine your value. They will then make you an offer based on those criteria. Hint: Just as the dealer will offer you a low number, so will an adjuster. Most insurance companies pay their adjusters a commission based on the amount of money they save the insurance company on the claim. Example: Car valued at $20k and client accepts offer at $18k. Adjuster gets paid on the $2k. Play hardball and don�t accept the first offer.

Range of repair cost (ball-park guess), if not totaled?
No clue. Jud�s �guesstimate� is as good as any. Lez has the parts catalog and would have a better idea of the cost than anyone. If you accept the advice of others and insist on new Genuine BMW parts, you stand a better chance of crossing the �totaled� threshold. You may get lucky and find a good E31 that has been totaled in a head-on collision and find some good doors, glass and a rear clip. You can save a lot of money as well as keep from crossing that threshold.

If I want to keep it (YES), what is my best play with my insurance co.?
Again, it is a game of negotiation. That last thing you want to do is have them tattoo your title with a Salvage Title. Salvage Titled cars are automatically worth 50% of low Blue-Book value, regardless of the reason for the title being salvaged.

How should I play the adjuster?
You play much poker? It is a game, period. Play tough.

Where should the car be when he looks at it? BMW Dealer, High-end body shop, or does it matter?
Doesn�t matter. It has no effect on his decision. He looks at a book to determine parts and labor costs based on what he sees. The dealer or bodyman has no influence on his estimate. Then you negotiate as to what you want the outcome to be.

If it is "Totaled", do I want to buy back the wreck?
That�s a decision you will have to make. Hopefully it will be easier based on the information above.

A million other questions that I don't know enough to ask.
No doubt. Feel free to contact me with my e-mail address. If you do, I will also give you my phone number as well and you can feel free to call me. You agent may not be of too much help. Whose side do you think he is on, the people on the logo on the sign on the front of his office or yours? When push comes to shove, he will always be playing for the insurance company�s team

I realize this is a bit long winded, but it may offer future advice to others as well. Hope it helps.

- Saturday 12:00 Noon in the rain ,
- Left hand curve on very slick section at 35 MPH,
- Tires fine, road banked wrong way, road is like driving on wet marbles,
- My rear-end swings out right, begining a spin into the on-coming lane,
- The on-coming car and I collide, hard on my passenger side rear quarter,
- The force of the oncoming car knocks me back the other way,
- I go off the opposite side of the road (the on-coming side) through a wooden fence,
- The fence damages the drivers-side rear quarter panel,
- My damage is: both rear quarters, rear axles are out of whack, broken wheel, trunk damage, CD player in pieces, pass-side door, rear pass-side window broken, rear bumber skin ripped off, rear lenses broken, etc. You get the picture.

Questions:
Will it get "Totalled" by my insurance co.?
If it is "Totalled", how do I keep from getting screwed on the retail value?
Range of repair cost (ball-park guess), if not totalled?
If I want to keep it (YES), what is my best play with my insurance co.?
How should I play the adjuster?
Where should the car be when he looks at it? BMW Dealer, High-end body shop, or does it matter?
If it is "Totalled", do I want to buy back the wreck?
A million other questions that I don't know enough to ask.

The car:
Black 91 CiA, 52K Miles,
All books, tools and records,
A "9" on a scale of 1-10.
US Spec/Euro Import

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