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Got into an accident...

3K views 22 replies 10 participants last post by  islandboy57 
#1 ·
On my way to work this morning, I rear ended a van. Thankfully, the other driver nor I were injured in this accident. There was barely any visible damage on the vans rear bumper but my camry on the other hand...:facepalm: I was going no more than 10mph when I rear ended the van. Now the cop said it might go through as a non-reportable accident since there was no visible damage to the van. hopefully it goes through as non-reportable since I've had a clean record for 3 years until this :headbang:

I got an estimate done at a body shop near by. and the total came out to $2128.76..my car isn't in the best shape as there are a few scratches on the rear bumper, a sizable dent on the right quarter panel and small scratches here and there. i have about 109700 ish miles on it right now.

I'm waiting for the police report to come up but was wondering what I should be doing in the mean time. I can still drive it (both the cop and body shop guy said it was ok) but of course no driving at night since lights aren't aimed properly anymore.

I should report it to insurance right? and any idea if this will be totaled? NADA and KBB both say about $3200 USD

here's a picture of the damage..



thanks for any help with this.
 
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#2 ·
Seems a tad steep unless it crushed the core support or damaged the inner unibody structure.

With used OEM parts and some paint, I'd think the cost would be half that but the picture doesn't show much. Did it change the RS door gap between the fender/door? Door still open and sound the same?
 
#5 ·
Do you have full coverage? If not - insurance will not help you. In most cases it is the 100% fault of one who rear ended. Thus, you can claim only to your insurance and only in the case if you have collision coverage (otherwise - "full coverage").

It doesn't look that bad to me. The hood looks almost intact. Bumper, grill, right headlight will cost you about 500 (if you find painted bumper from junkyard then even . And you can fix it yourself. Is radiator ok?
 
#6 ·
first off, thanks for your comments/inputs

i haven't opened the hood yet since i dont know if it'll close completely.. the hood seems bent at the front tip, the RS door gap seems to be the same, both front doors open and close fine. the estimate includes after market parts. the thing that costs the most is the labor. parts dont seem too bad.

any idea if it'll get totaled? I kinda want it to get totaled but at the same time dont.. its weird.
 
#9 ·
Well, in this case you have a choice: use the insurance and get higher premium (since this is your fault from insurance point of view) or fix it on your own. I'd investigate how bad the damage is and then I'd shop around (if I'd not fix it by myself).
 
#10 ·
I would definitely fix it myself. Hood looks fine. Just a new bumper cover and probably radiator support. Maybe some wiring problems...but I doubt it. Horn and lights work?
 
#11 ·
Thats not bad at all visually. Headlight and corner light are pennies on fleabay, bumper is cheap online too. Look around for body shop supplier around your area. I found one in Chicago that supplies a lot of the body shops and they sell stuff dirt cheap. A headlight like that is like 35$ at one of those places and its like 40$ for the bumper cover.

Shops make bank on the parts too, thats why its costing 2200. I was recently quoted 500 to just replace my bumper, aftermarket parts too.

This doesnt look bad at all to DIY, if your deductible is over 500 I would just not tell the insurance. If the hood closes and open fine I would probally just leave it and search for a painted OEM one and just fix the bumper and light. A crowbar is your best friend in bending stuff back after something like this, thats how the shops do it.
 
#18 · (Edited)
sorry to hear and see that bro, but oh well ... recently I see LOTS of colissions everywhere ... almost crushed myself (my front to someone's side ... bad visibility when taking a left turn from around the corner, my Hawk brakes saved me!) ... weather bad making people sleepy or what the hell ?

anyways, I would open the hood first to take a look what INSIDE the engine bay suffered, it might be much more than just a bumper cover and a headlight (not counting hood for now as damage seems minimal) ... it might be bent/broken radiator supports, bumper reinforcement extension on passenger side ... but what's worse (and trust me i know first hand) CHECK the wiring for any cracks or cuts! there is an engine bay wire harness going around the engine bay and through the passenger fender. that harness alone is like $1,400 MSRP at dealer over the counter.

if it is all about minor parts only then I would fix it myself over the weekend ... get cheap parts from ebay or find a body shop supplier in your area. ...

if you let it go through the insurance it will cost you much more ... try negotiating with a shop, state that will be covered out of your pocket, ask them to fix what they can easily and replace only what's necessary, etc. this way it won't be pretty perfect, but more or less good and much cheaper if you don't want to do the job yourself.
most body shops in NJ will rip you off terribly (i know it first hand too haha)...

and oh yeah, your insurance premium WILL grow since accident was already reported to Police. it may grow more if other side makes a claim against your insurance policy to cover their loss (it might get high if they choose expensive shop and OEM parts).
 
#21 ·
been there and thought about fixing it myself without going to insurance so my premiums won't go up? WRONG!

think about it this way, when your rate go up, will it go pass the total you need to fit your car? say it will be $2K to fix your car, as long as your rate in the next few years didn't go pass that amount, you still better off have the insurance pay for the fix.

Remember, you can shop around in 3-5 years again for a lower rate.
In my case, my insurance didn't go up that much. So my suggestion is just have the insurance take care of the car.
 
#22 ·
so i had a co-worker of mine who used to own/work at a body shop for some 40 odd years or so check it out and he said it definitely isn't totaled as Camrys hold their value very well but repairs could be expensive.

grandpapa: I was thinking that too and I'm pretty sure i'll just go though insurance and pay my deductible. Is there a way to find out how much my insurance will go up by?

fenixus: I would do it myself but I don't have the time since I go to school and work full-time. But yes, i am aware that more damage could be under the hood. I'm going to another body shop my co-worker recommended to see what they say.


I really hope my premium doesn't go up too much. Would you guys keep collision coverage on a car thats this old?? I'm thinking of getting rid of it so I can keep my premium as low as possible after it goes up.
 
#23 ·
I rear ended the corner of someone's bumper earlier this year. I wasn't going very fast at all either, but his bumper had to be replaced + painted and I had to have my fender replaced + repainted and my bumper fixed and repainted. Total was something like $900 for the other guy's car and $1700 for mine.

I paid out of pocket for both. I definitely wasn't going to put a claim through for just $900 (that is, if the other party is okay with it), though my car I had to think about. After talking with a family friend who works as an insurance agent, I decided that my age, gender (gotta love being a guy!), and ability to repay the total damage -- that I'd bite the bullet and pay it myself. Let me tell you.. Being out all that money sure made a bigger impact on me being way more careful!

As far as keeping collision coverage, how much is it adding to your policy? I'd still keep it assuming the price is reasonable. My mom still keeps it on her gen 3.5 and her car is OLD!

BTW ironically, the guy I rear ended.. He owns his own company and I did an IT/networking job for him. Made $1K in 5 days. It covered my cost of repairing his SUV! My friends/family couldn't believe I scored a job over spring break from a guy I rear ended :lol:
 
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