Honda Car Forum

Well, it would appear that Frankenstein will get a face lift,
compliments of an Excursion with a big hitch on it.

I get the call, "You need to come to the school. A guy just hit me and
it'll need a bumper, headlight, and hood." The story is, someone threw a
tennis ball at the lifted Excursion, and the driver threw the car into
reverse, skidded the tires and rammed the hitch into the bumper. I guess
the itty bitty Civic must've been in that huge blind spot I keep hearing
about.

My neighbor had a good point, there could be some serious frame bending
because of the size of the Excursion and the fact he was smokin' the
tires as he hit the car. Another thing, if the car was in drive and
being pushed back, should we have the tranny checked?

Parts needing replacement:

Impact bumper
bumper stiffeners
Bumper cover
Passenger light (the one I *just* had mounted last week!! Argh!!)
Hood
Fender wells, both sides. (Thankfully they didn't get to the new fender
I *just* had installed. <whew>)
grill and badge ($20. just yesterday... down the drain)The grill mounted
was a '98. Will be replaced with '99.

The silver lining is we will get the right year parts on the car free of
charge as the Excursion owner has accepted full liability. The mother is
an adjuster (homes) for All State. She wants to keep it off the records
and pay for the damages in cash. I'm not real savvy about this stuff, so
anyone with advice on how to protect my rights if I should decide to
keep the insurance companies out of it would be appreciated.

The first estimate I've received is for $3400. I plan to present her
with one more from a AAA approved local body shop. She would like us to
travel to Northridge (those of you in L.A., we live in Santa Clarita) to
a place called Yoshi's. Can anyone tell me if this is a good repair
shop? And, if I *do* respect her wishes by going there, should I be
compensated for the trouble it will be?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

In article <15496-3F4C110A-140@storefull-2334.public.lawson.webtv.net>,
ravelation@webtv.net (ravelation) wrote:

> Well, it would appear that Frankenstein will get a face lift,
> compliments of an Excursion with a big hitch on it.
>
> I get the call, "You need to come to the school. A guy just hit me and
> it'll need a bumper, headlight, and hood." The story is, someone threw a
> tennis ball at the lifted Excursion, and the driver threw the car into
> reverse, skidded the tires and rammed the hitch into the bumper. I guess
> the itty bitty Civic must've been in that huge blind spot I keep hearing
> about.
>
> My neighbor had a good point, there could be some serious frame bending
> because of the size of the Excursion and the fact he was smokin' the
> tires as he hit the car. Another thing, if the car was in drive and
> being pushed back, should we have the tranny checked?
>
> Parts needing replacement:
>
> Impact bumper
> bumper stiffeners
> Bumper cover
> Passenger light (the one I *just* had mounted last week!! Argh!!)
> Hood
> Fender wells, both sides. (Thankfully they didn't get to the new fender
> I *just* had installed. <whew>)
> grill and badge ($20. just yesterday... down the drain)The grill mounted
> was a '98. Will be replaced with '99.
>
> The silver lining is we will get the right year parts on the car free of
> charge as the Excursion owner has accepted full liability. The mother is
> an adjuster (homes) for All State. She wants to keep it off the records
> and pay for the damages in cash. I'm not real savvy about this stuff, so
> anyone with advice on how to protect my rights if I should decide to
> keep the insurance companies out of it would be appreciated.
>
> The first estimate I've received is for $3400. I plan to present her
> with one more from a AAA approved local body shop. She would like us to
> travel to Northridge (those of you in L.A., we live in Santa Clarita) to
> a place called Yoshi's. Can anyone tell me if this is a good repair
> shop? And, if I *do* respect her wishes by going there, should I be
> compensated for the trouble it will be?
>
> Thanks in advance for any feedback.
>

I'd file with the police. That was no accident. It was somebody acting
stupid enough to get somebody killed.

Where the repair money comes from is entirely up to the other person.
It can be insurance or her own money. Have it repaired at the place
that you think will do a proper job.

Keep records, witness contacts, photographs, and logs of everything that
happens. She might try to stall on payment until it becomes very
difficult for you to collect from her insurance. You'd be surprised at
how many people change their stories after they've have some time to
think.

> The silver lining is we will get the right year parts on the car free of
> charge as the Excursion owner has accepted full liability. The mother is
> an adjuster (homes) for All State. She wants to keep it off the records
> and pay for the damages in cash. I'm not real savvy about this stuff, so
> anyone with advice on how to protect my rights if I should decide to
> keep the insurance companies out of it would be appreciated.

would she do the same for you? i doubt it. she works for an insurance
company, but wants to keep it off the books? hm.

>
> The first estimate I've received is for $3400. I plan to present her
> with one more from a AAA approved local body shop. She would like us to
> travel to Northridge (those of you in L.A., we live in Santa Clarita) to
> a place called Yoshi's. Can anyone tell me if this is a good repair
> shop? And, if I *do* respect her wishes by going there, should I be
> compensated for the trouble it will be?

worth a shot, but remember- shes paying, so shes going to try to keep the
price down. and once yoshis sees the car is a frankencivic, theyll argue
that you dont need "new" parts for a cobbled- together car.
>
> Thanks in advance for any feedback.

too late to claim whiplash?

In article <15496-3F4C110A-140@storefull-2334.public.lawson.webtv.net>,
ravelation@webtv.net (ravelation) wrote:

> The silver lining is we will get the right year parts on the car free of
> charge as the Excursion owner has accepted full liability. The mother is
> an adjuster (homes) for All State. She wants to keep it off the records
> and pay for the damages in cash. I'm not real savvy about this stuff, so
> anyone with advice on how to protect my rights if I should decide to
> keep the insurance companies out of it would be appreciated.

Insurance companies have nothing to do with your rights. You have the
right to be made whole; who writes the check to do so is completely
irrelevant. If she decides not to subrogate this to the insurance
company, it in NO WAY changes your rights.

If she fails to make you whole, you send a demand letter and/or sue in
the appropriate court. IN ADDITION, at that point, states with
insurance requirements usually have a mechanism whereby the BMV gets
involved to the point of requiring proof of insurance. She then has to
show that proof. If you complain that she's not making you whole, the
BMV may (this is the case in my state) pull her driver's license.

You can also subrogate this to your insurance, should you have the
appropriate coverage, and have them fix it. You then drive away in your
fixed car and let your insurance company recover the damages from her.
Believe me, THEY know how to recover damages, no matter what. In fact,
at that point, her insurance company *would* come to know about
it--whether she wanted them to or not.


> The first estimate I've received is for $3400. I plan to present her
> with one more from a AAA approved local body shop. She would like us to
> travel to Northridge (those of you in L.A., we live in Santa Clarita) to
> a place called Yoshi's. Can anyone tell me if this is a good repair
> shop? And, if I *do* respect her wishes by going there, should I be
> compensated for the trouble it will be?

You're under no obligation to do anything *she* wants. Everything's
negotiable; if she wants you there, it's for a reason. So, she should
pay you for that trouble.

My concern is that she's got a reason for wanting you to go there, and
that you may end up screwed. Protect yourself, and go where YOU want to
go. Period.

In article <mcmurtri-7F44F9.20310026082003@corp-radius.supernews.com>,
Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtri@dslextreme.com> wrote:

> Keep records, witness contacts, photographs, and logs of everything that
> happens. She might try to stall on payment until it becomes very
> difficult for you to collect from her insurance. You'd be surprised at
> how many people change their stories after they've have some time to
> think.

Absolutely 100% correct.

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 06:29:47 GMT, "SoCalMike"
<mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote:

>too late to claim whiplash?

You have several years, I believe.

Elmo P. Shagnasty <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote:
> You can also subrogate this to your insurance, should you have the
> appropriate coverage, and have them fix it. You then drive away in your

In this particular case, your insurance company may balk at making
frankenstein whole. But it may be worth it.

I took that tack without thinking anything of it when my car was hit.
The other insurance company didn't contact me until after I got my car
back. They muttered a lot about "you need three estimates... we won't pay
over our estimate..." I told them I really didn't care, that it was
between them and my insurance company. I think I made a wise choice, but
frankenstein might be different.

>> The first estimate I've received is for $3400. I plan to present her
>> with one more from a AAA approved local body shop. She would like us to
>> travel to Northridge (those of you in L.A., we live in Santa Clarita) to
>> a place called Yoshi's. Can anyone tell me if this is a good repair
>> shop? And, if I *do* respect her wishes by going there, should I be
>> compensated for the trouble it will be?

I wouldn't even start to weasel on the "other compensation" part.
Keep it simple. Real damages, something you would be able to recover in
small claims court (as a basis for thought, not an eventuality).
I would not go to a shop of her recommendation. I would stay local,
and look for recommendations locally. I would _definitely_ make sure a
report was filed. You say campus security took a report? In California,
if it's over some fairly small amount, even if you don't get the damage
fixed, you are required to report it to the DMV. Uusually a police
officer taking the report takes care of that.

$3400, especially for frankenstein, might cause some second-guessing
on her original plan of easy payoff. It's also too much money for me
to risk. I'd demand payment before getting any work done. If there was
more than a day or two of delay, I would just have my insurance company
take care of it.


> Protect yourself, and go where YOU want to go. Period.

The thought that the driver really ought to get nailed for such a bonehead
act also comes into play. But most important is that you not get screwed.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

In article <bijd6h$5v2$2@blue.rahul.net>, dold@TheXCivicX.usenet.us.com
wrote:

> >> The first estimate I've received is for $3400. I plan to present her
> >> with one more from a AAA approved local body shop. She would like us to
> >> travel to Northridge (those of you in L.A., we live in Santa Clarita) to
> >> a place called Yoshi's. Can anyone tell me if this is a good repair
> >> shop? And, if I *do* respect her wishes by going there, should I be
> >> compensated for the trouble it will be?
>
> I wouldn't even start to weasel on the "other compensation" part.
> Keep it simple. Real damages, something you would be able to recover in
> small claims court (as a basis for thought, not an eventuality).
> I would not go to a shop of her recommendation. I would stay local,
> and look for recommendations locally.

I agree, because that's a perfectly reasonable stand to take and defend
*should* it come to a court of law.

dold@TheXCivicX.usenet.us.com
wrote:

>I would _definitely_ make sure a report
>was filed. You say campus security took
>a report?

When it happened, I was led to believe there was a report. In the
ensuing hours, I was told no report was made because of it being on
private property. We plan to visit the school today to ask them WHY the
kid wasn't cited for wreckless driving. Wanna hear a classic? When we're
talking about rental car usage while the car is in the shop, she
suggests that perhaps her son will have to help get Jarrett to school
and work. Yeah, right....I'm gonna let my son get in her son's LIFTED TO
THE SKY DEATH MOBILE with Jr. at the wheel. Not gonna happen in my
lifetime!

>In California, if it's over some fairly small
>amount, even if you don't get the
>damage fixed, you are required to report
>it to the DMV. Uusually a police officer
>taking the report takes care of that.

We've been advised legally that if this detail crops up, claim stupidity
and then comply. "You mean the officer at the scene didn't report it??"

>$3400, especially for frankenstein, might
>cause some second-guessing on her
>original plan of easy payoff.

She knows the bumper cover was the wrong year, but I informed her the
price was not a huge difference, if any at all.

>It's also too much money for me to risk.
>I'd demand payment before getting any
>work done. If there was more than a day
>or two of delay, I would just have my
>insurance company take care of it.

That's what we're doing. We got three estimates, one was for $4700.,
from a AAA body shop. $3400. is sounding pretty good. Another estimate
came in at $2600., but there were too many things missing from this one
that the other two had on them. Amazing how the prices for the parts are
all exact. The more expensive place wanted to replace the fenders, which
seemed to ride out the accident ok. The midrange place wanted to repair
them.

We're telling her that the $3400. place is the one we want to use, she
needs to make arrangements with them to be the party "liable" for the
repair (she didn't like the word "responsible" when I used it.)
and that needs to be taken care of on Friday. Otherwise, we're
contacting insurance and hers will be contacted too. I can only imagine
what a boneheaded move like her son pulled will do to rates, even in
light of her working for the company!

>Protect yourself, and go where YOU
>want to go. Period.

Thanks for the advice. It's all helped me tremendously throughout this
ordeal.

>The thought that the driver really ought
>to get nailed for such a bonehead act
>also comes into play.

Yeah, Mr. Campus Cop is going to hear about it, too.

>But most important is that you not get
>screwed.

Ain't that the truth!

You are being very unreasonable. If I were her, I'd refuse to pay for it and
fight you in court.



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Mexico "El Norte Hombre..."