Stop worrying. Have a competent shop take a look at it and write up an estimate (keep in mind that this is only an estimate for repairs). You can then decide where to take it to get it fixed if they do not total it. It doesn't take much damage to total an 18 year old car.

 

Good advice; there is always much more damage than you'd expect, given that modern vehicles are designed to crumple during impact so the forces on the occupants is lessened. Let the estimator do his job.

 

It's shaking badly, don't drive it. Any damage you cause by driving it may give the insurance room to wriggle out of paying what should be paid. Get a rental and tell the insurance you need it towed because it feels unsafe, make them pick up your rental and the tow.

 

I work at a body shop and we deal with Progressive a lot (plus I have them for my own personal insurance). They will write for alternative parts (used/aftermarket), which is a no-brainer on an older vehicle, but be aware that even if they miss something the shop that repairs it will get in contact with them to cover anything additional.

Based on what you said it's possible the quarter panels may have sustained a little damage as well. I'm curious as to what they will find on your vehicle!

 

Thank you for the responses.

I called the adjuster Thursday and he gave me nonsense, but then put me on hold & went to talk to his boss. When he came back he was more cooperative. I dropped the car off at a local shop and they shop called Progressive and told them the car was not drivable.

 

Insurance adjustors really aren't car people, and most of them don't even know too much about body work. They usually walk around and eye-ball everything and then write the estimate up based on damage they can plainly see and the parts/labor estimates that pop up in their computer. This is the INITIAL estimate. If the accident was pretty severe, it will probably NOT include everything that is wrong with the car because the adjuster wouldn't be able to find it all.

Then the car goes into the bodyshop for tear-down to begin. When the bodyshop rips into it and they find further damage they call the adjuster in. Or else maybe they find out certain parts that the adjuster thought could be repaired are damaged worse than previously thought, and have to be replaced.They call him in and show him whatever else they see and how they plan to repair it and he writes a SUPPLEMENTAL estimate to fix the additional damage. That is how they handle the less obvious stuff that doesn't get found until repairs start. It is in the body-shop's best interest to make sure it all gets found and documented and nothing is ignored, because that gets them a fatter check when the car is done.

 

What body shops have you patronized? Not all body shops do this, Many "hook up" with insurance to get the best deal for the insurance company and screwing the owner of the car. Why should the body shop care? It is not their own personal vehicle. What probably happens in most cases, the body shop throws out a number that is beneficial for both them and the insurance company. They, then, fix the car for under that number. (ie $5000 fix it for $4000) keeping the difference as profit. This is a good deal for the body shop who makes a profit and the insurance company who saves money. Heck many body shops can get and probably do get parts for the car they're fixing from the junk yard, esp those parts that can't be readily seen.

Again, why should the shop care, it is not their vehicle and they're not going to take a hit (no pun intended) in the value of the car. This is why body shops along with auto repair get are so low rated in trust. Besides, many shops that aren't "good" with the insurance company could see them not be suggested by the insurance company for body repair.

By the way many body shops (and insurance companies), don't want to be held liable if something goes wrong with a repair, which is why they try to "wiggle out" of being responsible if say a week later, a bumper falls off or something of that nature. If the OPs car can be repaired, here's hoping he/she does not get "screwed" over.

 

Obligatory woman driver comment.

 

^^ & ^^^ - I dunno where you guys got your information or if you just pulled it out of you bum, or maybe thats what your local backyard rock-and-clawhammer bodyman does, but many estimators are experienced bodymen. They don't merely walk around guessing what's damaged, they take into account what could be affected beyond the outward appearance. That's why they're called estimators and not guessers.

 

I've gotten my experience from numerous accidents I have had in the past several years, and interactions with most major insurance carriers and most body shops in my area. I watch the adjuster walk around and eye-ball everything. "Yup, bumper smashed, you need a new bumper. Door smashed, they need to straighten the door. Fender crunched, need a new fender." Then they go in and they punch in the parts costs and man-hour estimates for the repair work that they could tell needed to be done based on visual inspection.

Then it goes to a body shop, where they pull it apart and say "This doo-hickey behind the bumper is smashed too so you need to add that to the list." "The door damage is to extensive and it cannot be fixed, you need a door skin. Throw that in." "The frame has also been tweaked and will need to be straightened. That will be x-amount extra." "Oh and the bumper cover does not come painted, we will need to do that. You forgot to put that in the estimate. We need x-amount extra to prime and paint it."

Then the adjuster goes to the shop, and lets the tech walk him around and point the stuff out. Then he writes a check, then the work gets done.

Maybe some of you guys have dealt with unscrupulous bodyshops or insurance companies who are out to get you. My experience has been they always do their best to give me back a fully repaired vehicle. If they don't, I sue the insurance company. If I sue the insurance company, they come after the body-shop. The body shop loses money on the deal and loses that insurance company's recommendation in the future.

 

Insurance adjusters (or estimators) simply write up what they can see and let the shop do a supplement once the vehicle is in the shop and torn down. They do not speculate on what might be damaged behind the bumper or have some magic crystal ball to gaze into...

I'm not sure where some of you get your information.

 

I do have some insight after growing up in and around the body-shop world for 34 years. It's entirely possible that things have changed and estimators wing it and let the adjustors do the rest, since companies more than likely hire someone for as low a wage as they can get away with.

 

Sadly, it has become the norm. Most of the insurance estimators I have dealt with know little about the collision repair process... but they did get a college degree! :lol: It's in the shop's best interest to tear the car down and point out the "hidden" damage before the estimator arrives. Many do just that here. I know our shop did (for the companies that we were not on a DRP program with anyway).

My comment wasn't knocking you personally... just an overall comment. My apologies if it was taken that way.

 

Wreck pics please!

 

Wow. this has turned into an interesting discussion of the accident repair (or not) business. I don't feel so useless now.

It's in the shop's best interest to tear the car down and point out the "hidden" damage before the estimator arrives.

When I left my car, the shop called the insurance co. and stated to the person that they would start tearing down right away so the adjuster could see the damage right away.

I want to thank you all for the responses and advise. The frame on the car was messed up and was fixed, so it isn't doing that wobbly thing in the back anymore. I was surprised that when I got my car today it was thoroughly cleaned inside and out... smells like a new car (which is looked and ran like one!). It took longer than they thought it would, because they couldn't find parts.

FYI, the rental I had all week was a Ford Focus and it sucked. I would much rather drive my old Camry than that crappy new Ford Focus.