[placement]

I met with accident and the other party is at fault and accepted to this. He ran a read light and hit me. No injuries luckily. It is 2005 LE with 45K miles only.
I am not sure if this will be totalled or fixed .. Please advise which option to go for. Posted pics below

http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg583/placementc/?action=view&current=photo6.jpg

http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg583/placementc/?action=view&current=photo.jpg

http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg583/placementc/?action=view&current=photo1.jpg

http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg583/placementc/?action=view&current=photo3.jpg

http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg583/placementc/?action=view&current=photo5.jpg

 

[nitrous3]

I would probably just get it totaled, because it looks like a decent amount of damage to the front, and also if its the first accident on your car there goes your car fax. But it also depends on how much the damage would cost to fix if possible, or how much they would give you a check for

 

[Chris311]

You can't just "get it totaled". The insurance companies are the ones to decide if the vehicle should be written off as being totaled or not.

You need file a claim with your insurance company, explaining all the details (And that the other driver has admitted fault and show proof), and they will then tell you want you need to do from then. Most likely they will either tell you a body shop to have your car towed too, or provide a list of recommended shops. Then the shop will inspect the damage and will write up how much it would cost to repair.

Basically, if the damage cost 50% or more of the total value of the car or there is damage that can not be repaired (Like a bent frame), then the insurance company will write it off as being total as it would no longer be worth it for them to have it repaired.

 

[placement]

Thanks for replies. Any idea on what parts got damaged from the pics

 

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

Looks like it will be totalled, that is a lot of damage .... Glad no one was hurt though.

Because of the year, though it is low miles. The cost of repair will probably be more than the car is worth, so they will probably write you a check for whatever the black book value is.

 

[leakyseals]

Its gone, frame is kinked. Down the bottom front. The engine and tranny are worth 3k

 

[gdanaher]

It would help us get a better idea of the damage if you took pictures during the day, but it could cost anywhere between 4 and 10 thousand. Perhaps more if the thranny was damaged. Look at kbb.com and price it. If the damage exceeds about 70% the insurance folks will pay off the book value and crush it after parts are removed and sold. Sorry, it's getting to be an old car.

 

[placement]

Sorry .. I do not have the car at my place .. It was towed away by police and then my insurance company has taken it for evaulation today... Please let me know if the process is correct ..

Also i noticed The front air bag sensor is gone but surprisingly airbag did not deploy

 

[placement]

Can somebody help in identifying parts which could be damaged from the pics please

 

[BlackCamSe]

Yeah man they're gonna write that off. Lots of damage. Other then the obvious body damage it looks like the frame bent like a pretzel where the bumper support bolts to. Pluss frame rails behind both fenders are bent. Looks like the subframe and engine cradel shifted. Radiator. Condenser. Radiator support is mangled beyond recignition. Passenger side strut tower which is part of the unibody looks to be pushed back. As well as a strut and lower control arm on that side inner and outer tierods. maybe even knuckle and spindle. Bodywork. Paint. And a hell of alot of labor. It's a write off. Better off that way. I personally wouldn't feel safe driving a car that has been Frankensteined back together after a hit like that.

 

[Chris311]

Sorry .. I do not have the car at my place .. It was towed away by police and then my insurance company has taken it for evaulation today... Please let me know if the process is correct ..

Also i noticed The front air bag sensor is gone but surprisingly airbag did not deploy

Depends on how the other car hit your car. It looks like you clipped him and he sheered your front, which wouldn't necessarily cause the airbags to deploy. Your car has to hit it in a way that the front part of the frame gets crushed and enough pressure is apply to the airbag sensor to make it go off. That is why if you are hit from the side the front air bags do not deploy, only the side airbags (If your car has them).

 

[Zembonez]

Looks like a total. No way to determine what parts are needed from those photos. Insurance company will determine if it;s a total or not. You don't have much say there.

 

[BlackCamSe]

Depends on how the other car hit your car. It looks like you clipped him and he sheered your front, which wouldn't necessarily cause the airbags to deploy. Your car has to hit it in a way that the front part of the frame gets crushed and enough pressure is apply to the airbag sensor to make it go off. That is why if you are hit from the side the front air bags do not deploy, only the side airbags (If your car has them).

The airbag sensors are accelerometers. Then need to reach a certain deceleration G-force threshold before the airbags will deploy

 

[Chris311]

The airbag sensors are accelerometers. Then need to reach a certain deceleration G-force threshold before the airbags will deploy

They use a lot more than just accelerometers.

The design is conceptually simple; a central "Airbag control unit"[33] (ACU) (a specific type of ECU) monitors a number of related sensors within the vehicle, including accelerometers, impact sensors, side (door) pressure sensors,[34][35] wheel speed sensors, gyroscopes, brake pressure sensors, and seat occupancy sensors.

Accelerometers are used to determine the amount of deceleration and a formula is used, along with readings from the impact sensor, to determine if the airbags need to be deploy. Modern cars have impact sensors located behind the front bumper attached to the part of the frame that is the front crumple zone.

 

[Zembonez]

Calling them accelerometers is being kind. If you ever take one apart, it consists of a ball held in place by magnets, connecting the circuit. They are incredible basic looking. Hit something hard enough to dislodge the ball and the bag deploys. I've taken dozens of them apart. It's a pretty simply and failsafe system.

 

[placement]

Thanks guys for the comment and suggestion.. I will update once i hear it from my insurance

 

[Donald E. George]

You will have a hard time finding a replacement vehicle with like mileage with the insurance settlement. I don't think your car is repairable. Looks like you have unibody damage that is not easy to repair. Sorry about your accident. Glad you were not injured.Regards

 

[placement]

Today i called my insurance.. Seems they have not got the police report still.
Any idea on how long police report will take to get published... incident happened 2 days before..

I am with struggling with no vehicle to drive and i did not opted for rental vehicle coverage in my insurance

 

[robtpren]

I do not beleive that there is a "standard" amount of time to get the police report back. Nowadays with higher priority tasks coming at them, it might
take upwards of a week to get a response.

Just hang in there and call every day or two to help things along. Maybe if you make some noise you will get it sooner than later.

Good Luck.

 

[gdanaher]

I am with struggling with no vehicle to drive and i did not opted for rental vehicle coverage in my insurance

You will next time the premiums are due.