Help with repair estimate after a car accident?

[Brisketexan 105139]

So, while I'm a lawyer, I'm not a car-wreck lawyer, so don't know the ins and outs of this.  A few weeks ago, my wife was in a pretty significant wreck -- dude blew through a red light in front of her.  Her front end t-boned his driver-side.  Her front airbag deployed, some pretty healthy front-end damage.  Frankly, from the amount of damage, we presumed the car (granted, only 1.5 years old, with low miles) would be totaled.  We've never had a wreck with this level of damage, so we're not that familiar with the process.

Here’s a photo of the damage (my big concern is frame, and whether the impact hit the engine or any other material internal parts)




We just got an estimate from his insurer - Geico - for repair, for only $9500.  Seems like bullshit to me, but what do I know?
So...what's the process on getting a second opinion/analysis, calling Geico on their bullshit, etc.?  I think we HAVE to get a second opinion, but I'm not sure how that process works.
We were told that Geico would absolutely try to fuck us, I'm presuming this is the part where they are attempting entry, no lube.  But I look to the collective experience etc. around here to guide us.

[MeerkatBong 115]

17 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

So, while I'm a lawyer, I'm not a car-wreck lawyer, so don't know the ins and outs of this.  A few weeks ago, my wife was in a pretty significant wreck -- dude blew through a red light in front of her.  Her front end t-boned his driver-side.  Her front airbag deployed, some pretty healthy front-end damage.  Frankly, from the amount of damage, we presumed the car (granted, only 1.5 years old, with low miles) would be totaled.  We've never had a wreck with this level of damage, so we're not that familiar with the process.

Here’s a photo of the damage (my big concern is frame, and whether the impact hit the engine or any other material internal parts)




We just got an estimate from his insurer - Geico - for repair, for only $9500.  Seems like bullshit to me, but what do I know?
So...what's the process on getting a second opinion/analysis, calling Geico on their bullshit, etc.?  I think we HAVE to get a second opinion, but I'm not sure how that process works.
We were told that Geico would absolutely try to fuck us, I'm presuming this is the part where they are attempting entry, no lube.  But I look to the collective experience etc. around here to guide us.

Geico was not one of Buffet’s best investments ever because they give away money, so your spidey-sense is probably right here. I’ll add further that I had a similar wreck (t-bone, airbags deployed, etc.) and my insurance totaled me out.

The underrated part of a wreck like this for those who haven’t been in one or haven’t in a while is how shaken you are for the next 24 hours. It’s like being shot up with adrenaline and then trying to come down but still having that low-grade anxiety and buzzy feeling until you get a good sleep or two in. I digress…

Edit to add, just saw the pic, looks way better than mine did just from the eyeball test. I could see how this would be salvageable, but I also can see how if you escalate and make enough noise you can probably get it totaled out too if it’s a jump ball. Get a second opinion.

Edited September 19, 2022 by MeerkatBong

[CooterBrown 18012]

Take it to AMM on Research. They’ll
Give you a solid estimate and if they discover more damage once they take it apart, they’ll take a crow bar to Geico and get more money. I’ve never not been pleased with their work.

[Brisketexan 105139]

Fuckers took it to their facility all the way down in New Braunfels.  Fuckers.

Yeah, we want to get it looked at by someone who is NOT their shitty facility.  I think we're going to tell them to bring it back to Austin, and go to AMM (we used them before -- yeah, this car was in a previous wreck.  Snakebit).  I'll probably have to fight them just to get it here.  Fuckers.

[conVINCEd 21469]

8 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Fuckers took it to their facility all the way down in New Braunfels.  Fuckers.

Yeah, we want to get it looked at by someone who is NOT their shitty facility.  I think we're going to tell them to bring it back to Austin, and go to AMM (we used them before -- yeah, this car was in a previous wreck.  Snakebit).  I'll probably have to fight them just to get it here.  Fuckers.

I hope Mrs. Brisket is ok.  Why did you let them determine where to take the car?  It’s your car.  Take it wherever the fuck you want to take it.  If the other guy is clearly at fault, just have it towed to the nearest dealership.  This kind of seems like a fight you would enjoy, but if that’s not the case, you can always file under your coverage, get the car repaired correctly (or totaled if that’s what needs to happen),  and let your insurance company’s lawyers fight with theirs for the next 2 years.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10235]

Doesn't help you any, but I dealt with Geico about 2 years ago on an accident with my kid (similar model, a little older as yours actually) and I couldn't have been happier with how they handled it. It was in Lubbock, took it to one of their approved/affiliated repair places whatever they call it (highly rated everywhere), and they handled everything until fully repaired and I was very pleased with results.  Side note - rates haven't changed either.

I would definitely take it somewhere you trust for 2nd opinion. I'll say from the picture though the car doesn't seem very damaged. Those front are designed to crumple and the front lights don't not even appear broken. I'd be shocked if there was any frame damage or anything to that level.

[Updawg 2266]

Take it to some where you want. I wouldn’t let their approved place do it. Try and get OEM parts which may be hard. If not get a warranty. If there is a dealership I’d think about going there which might help warranty wise

[Updawg 2266]

Since that car has a long factory warranty I’d think about the dealership fixing it. And hopefully with oem parts.

It will piss you off more in two years when the radiator or whatever craps out and it’s not covered under warranty because they used non oem

It’s bullshit that they can get away with that

My wife likes to wreck cars so that is one lesson I have learned

[Brisketexan 105139]

Since that car has a long factory warranty I’d think about the dealership fixing it. And hopefully with oem parts.

It will piss you off more in two years when the radiator or whatever craps out and it’s not covered under warranty because they used non oem

It’s bullshit that they can get away with that

My wife likes to wreck cars so that is one lesson I have learned

Yeah, pretty sure that’s our call tomorrow: “fuck this shit, take it to our dealership, and let them sort it out.”

That’s what we did last wreck we had (rear ended like a motherfucker), so might as well run the same script. Although to be fair to us, this time we were a bit thrown and off balance because she was injured, and that was sure my primary focus.

[elfenix 34240]

make sure the dealership does autobody and paint before getting it flatbedded over, not all of them do. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

@Brisketexan glad to hear the Mrs is fine. While I understand the concern, and it isn’t ideal, a “good” frame guy can do some serious straightening (repair damage you wouldn’t believe, tbh)  

Wife used to have geico, and our only experience with them was painless (fwiw) 

 

[Gil Bang 25957]

2 hours ago, elfenix said:

make sure the dealership does autobody and paint before getting it flatbedded over, not all of them do. 

out here, very few of them do.

And Brisket, you said no frame damage.  Does that car even have a frame?  

[Brisketexan 105139]

out here, very few of them do.

And Brisket, you said no frame damage.  Does that car even have a frame?  

Beats the fuck outta me. I can change a battery, air filter, tires and such….but my car expertise maxed out when we restored a 48 Willys jeep when I was 16.

[Updawg 2266]

It doesn’t.

[RPM 26321]

Looking from the picture, most of the damage is hidden crush zones. All that shit is plastic. $9500 sounds ballpark. I had similar front end damage on my MKS after sliding through an intersection during icemageddon. It was $6500, but no hood damage.

[CooterBrown 18012]

Looking from the picture, most of the damage is hidden crush zones. All that shit is plastic. $9500 sounds ballpark. I had similar front end damage on my MKS after sliding through an intersection during icemageddon. It was $6500, but no hood damage.

There’s also probably some traffic sensors, cameras, and other shit that’ll need to be replaced. Passenger quarter panel appears pushed back. That happened to my old vehicle and that door also had to be replaced even though there was no visible damage. Shit adds up pretty quickly. My relatively minor front quarter panel damage quickly went up to $12K in repairs about 5 years ago when you could actually get parts.

[High Plains Drifter 11049]

14 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

So, while I'm a lawyer, I'm not a car-wreck lawyer, so don't know the ins and outs of this.  A few weeks ago, my wife was in a pretty significant wreck -- dude blew through a red light in front of her.  Her front end t-boned his driver-side.  Her front airbag deployed, some pretty healthy front-end damage.  Frankly, from the amount of damage, we presumed the car (granted, only 1.5 years old, with low miles) would be totaled.  We've never had a wreck with this level of damage, so we're not that familiar with the process.

Here’s a photo of the damage (my big concern is frame, and whether the impact hit the engine or any other material internal parts)




We just got an estimate from his insurer - Geico - for repair, for only $9500.  Seems like bullshit to me, but what do I know?
So...what's the process on getting a second opinion/analysis, calling Geico on their bullshit, etc.?  I think we HAVE to get a second opinion, but I'm not sure how that process works.
We were told that Geico would absolutely try to fuck us, I'm presuming this is the part where they are attempting entry, no lube.  But I look to the collective experience etc. around here to guide us.

 

why is there an invisible penis sticking out of the front?

 

[Brisketexan 105139]

43 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

why is there an invisible penis sticking out of the front?

 

Wait, did I accidentally upload a private selfie?

[elfenix 34240]

9 hours ago, Updawg said:

It doesn’t.

a unibody is still a frame. 

[blacklab 11929]

Had a similar situation a few years ago. Was sitting at stoplight and guy in front of me decided he was too far into the intersection and backed up into me. Thankfully he was honest and reported as his fault. The car was a E63 amg which is pretty rare. Went to a auto body shop on south lamar, they estimated $2000 in damage, argued with me that junkyard salvaged parts would be fine, I laughed and said good luck finding one of these in a junkyard. 

Dropped off at Jeff's on north lamar the next day, ended up being $9000 in repairs, several parts needed to be flown over from Germany, they handled everything with gieco and I picked it up a few weeks later. Haven't used AMM but they or Jeff's or the dealer should repair it and send the bill to Gieco, you shouldn't have to do much.

[RPM 26321]

Coulda been worse

 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

The estimate is just from what they can see.  There will be more after Teardown.  

[Brisketexan 105139]

6 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

The estimate is just from what they can see.  There will be more after Teardown.  

Yeah...and bottom line, ain't now way I'm letting Geico's "chosen shop of cheap and shoddy bullshit" lay a fucking hand on that repair job.

[txhorns 2409]

GEICO trains their adjusters to only write estimates on what the can see.  Then they do additional adjustments once the body shop takes the car apart and says that xyz is also damaged.  You’re not getting screwed over, it’s just their way.  Where they go cheap is with non OEM parts.

[txhorns 2409]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Yeah...and bottom line, ain't now way I'm letting Geico's "chosen shop of cheap and shoddy bullshit" lay a fucking hand on that repair job.

Their affiliated shops are typically pretty good.  GEICO cares about their reputation and customer ratings above everything else.  Having shitty shops repair the vehicles is a great detriment to that image.

[TwiceHorn 31471]

6 minutes ago, txhorns said:

GEICO trains their adjusters to only write estimates on what the can see.  Then they do additional adjustments once the body shop takes the car apart and says that xyz is also damaged.  You’re not getting screwed over, it’s just their way.  Where they go cheap is with non OEM parts.

Probably accurate.  The insurers have deals with their body shops for lower rates in return for volume of business.  The main disadvantage doesn't seem to be shoddy work, but non-OEM parts.  But that happens everywhere, and I'm not sure it matters very much.  If it's a "working" part, who cares whether it's AC-Delco branded or someone else's.  I have been lurking car forums for decades and don't remember when a switch or relay or part like that failed because it wasn't OEM.  And sheet metal is pretty much sheet metal, no matter what the OEM might claim.

Many times, the work is guaranteed for life of the vehicle.

Edited September 20, 2022 by TwiceHorn

[txhorns 2409]

3 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

 

Many times, the work is guaranteed for life of the vehicle.

GEICO guarantees the work from their affiliated shops for life but not if you take it elsewhere.  Another reason why they monitor these shops closely.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10235]

7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Probably accurate.  The insurers have deals with their body shops for lower rates in return for volume of business.  The main disadvantage doesn't seem to be shoddy work, but non-OEM parts.  But that happens everywhere, and I'm not sure it matters very much.  If it's a "working" part, who cares whether it's AC-Delco branded or someone else's.  And sheet metal is pretty much sheet metal, no matter what the OEM might claim.

Many times, the work is guaranteed for life of the vehicle.

Reminds me of the studies that found building for example a $25k car using OEM parts would cost well over $100k.  Not all parts are equal, but I'm ok with them saving everyone some money by not overpaying for most OEM parts.

[Clintonaldo 2574]

Brisket, pm me if you want. Your car is a unibody so it doesn’t have a frame in the sense of what you are thinking. That is their initial estimate and it will go up once the car is torn down. Geico does use some of the shittiest parts out there and body shops hate them. 

[Clintonaldo 2574]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Probably accurate.  The insurers have deals with their body shops for lower rates in return for volume of business.  The main disadvantage doesn't seem to be shoddy work, but non-OEM parts.  But that happens everywhere, and I'm not sure it matters very much.  If it's a "working" part, who cares whether it's AC-Delco branded or someone else's.  I have been lurking car forums for decades and don't remember when a switch or relay or part like that failed because it wasn't OEM.  And sheet metal is pretty much sheet metal, no matter what the OEM might claim.

Many times, the work is guaranteed for life of the vehicle.

That’s not entirely true. Some insurance companies can get a slightly lower rate on labor but it is minimal and most body shops now are saying no to that as insurance companies need body shops more than body shops need insurance companies. If the car is older than 2 years you are going to get used or aftermarket unless you want to pay the difference and that’s pretty standard. At the moment, be happy if you can find a part due to supply chain issues. 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

GEICO trains their adjusters to only write estimates on what the can see.  Then they do additional adjustments once the body shop takes the car apart and says that xyz is also damaged.  You’re not getting screwed over, it’s just their way.  Where they go cheap is with non OEM parts.

That’s not Geico specific.
All carriers do it that way.

[Brisketexan 105139]

22 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

That’s not Geico specific.
All carriers do it that way.

Shit, I can't even connect with the Geico adjuster.  Phone calls aren't answered, go to a phone tree that hangs up on me.  This is promising to be a goat rodeo.  I texted him, no response.

Tomorrow, I'll call the Geico main claims number and see if I can get an adjuster, any adjuster.

[conVINCEd 21469]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Shit, I can't even connect with the Geico adjuster.  Phone calls aren't answered, go to a phone tree that hangs up on me.  This is promising to be a goat rodeo.  I texted him, no response.

Tomorrow, I'll call the Geico main claims number and see if I can get an adjuster, any adjuster.

I’ll have to admit I am looking forward to Brisket v. GEICO.

[CooterBrown 18012]

You had 48 hours to call the adjuster to continue the repair process. Your car has already been sold for scrap.

[Updawg 2266]

What car?

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Shit, I can't even connect with the Geico adjuster.  Phone calls aren't answered, go to a phone tree that hangs up on me.  This is promising to be a goat rodeo.  I texted him, no response.
Tomorrow, I'll call the Geico main claims number and see if I can get an adjuster, any adjuster.

File a TDI complaint. I hated responding to those but corporate wanted them handled immediately.

[Chewbacca 7777]

53 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

I’ll have to admit I am looking forward to Brisket v. GEICO.

He's gonna have lunch at EyM and then go sit in their office until someone straightens this shit out.  He should be all set by 1:30 or so.

[conVINCEd 21469]

36 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

He's gonna have lunch at EyM and then go sit in their office until someone straightens this shit out.  He should be all set by 1:30 or so.

Have we cleared him from killing the Queen yet?

[woohorn 1131]

How much are airbags? I've always heard that cars are usually totalled when airbags deploy, but IDK.

[conVINCEd 21469]

1 minute ago, woohorn said:

How much are airbags? I've always heard that cars are usually totalled when airbags deploy, but IDK.

Fixing airbags correctly is not cheap.

[Brisketexan 105139]

How much are airbags? I've always heard that cars are usually totalled when airbags deploy, but IDK.

This is part of our concern, and consistent with what friends have experienced.

[txhorns 2409]

On 9/21/2022 at 8:30 PM, Brisketexan said:

This is part of our concern, and consistent with what friends have experienced.

Airbags are expensive but they won’t total a newer low mileage vehicle.

[Dahobbs 17534]

On 9/21/2022 at 8:30 PM, Brisketexan said:

This is part of our concern, and consistent with what friends have experienced.

I'm sure you know this, but keep in mind that you have zero relationship with Geico and no obligation to them. Given that you have the funds (I mean, I assume), I personally would take the shop to someone I trust, make sure they document the damage with photos, and have them repair it. Send Geico the bill and photos afterwards. If Geico doesn't want to pay, just file suit. You will want to make sure that any crash data is preserved as well. 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Dahobbs

[ROFL BOX 6649]

I am quite surprised that you haven't discussed Mrs. Brisket's personal injury case (or had your fellow Barristers calmly inquiring about that portion of the issue).

[1978horn 892]

I can’t give you much help, but I had a similar accident a year ago on a 3 yr old car and they said it would cost 23k to fix it and totaled it out. Mine looked a lot like that, and the airbags didn’t deploy.

[Brisketexan 105139]

On 9/28/2022 at 11:53 PM, ROFL BOX said:

I am quite surprised that you haven't discussed Mrs. Brisket's personal injury case (or had your fellow Barristers calmly inquiring about that portion of the issue).

It's really not bad.  She went back into the doc yesterday, all is progressing well.  Her wrist still hurts, but it's a common soft-tissue injury, and it just takes time.

On 10/3/2022 at 7:45 PM, 1978horn said:

I can’t give you much help, but I had a similar accident a year ago on a 3 yr old car and they said it would cost 23k to fix it and totaled it out. Mine looked a lot like that, and the airbags didn’t deploy.

Well, we finally got it to our preferred shop, so we'll see what THEY have to say.

[Brisketexan 105139]

Is this fuckery still ongoing?  It's the 2020s....of course it is.

Geico came back with shit.  We sent it to our preferred shop.  They countered and said bullshit, it's $21k.  Geico approved, but only partially -- up to $18k.  The delta is over choice of certain parts.  Per Geico:

Quote

The customer can elect to have whatever parts they want on their vehicle, that right is protected by law. We are only legally required to pay for a quality replacement part which can include LKQ and A/M parts.

So, my concern is whether they are trying to buttfuck us on alternate parts.  That said, even if we turned it over to OUR insurer to handle (State Farm), I'm expecting they too will try to buttfuck us on parts.

We have also decided to make Geico feel pain, because fuck them in the goatass.  We have a spare care (my son's SUV, he's away at college), so she's been driving that.  Fuck that.  Give me a rental car, just to cost you money, you fucks.  You owe it to me, so we're going to take it.

Still navigating the injury claim.  My wife has been released from medical care, but her wrist is still weak, and regularly hurts at the end of the day.  My thinking is that we'll negotiate out that injury claim when she's done feeling pain.  And not a moment before that.  If she hurts, Geico hurts.

Was really toying with handing this whole thing over to our insurer to handle and then subrogate -- paying a $500 deductible that we'll get back doesn't bother me.  But, thinking that we won't get much better repair from our insurer, and they don't provide decent rental coverage ($25 a day -- can't rent a bike for that), thinking it's not worth it.

Bottom line -- fucking asshole runs a red light, wrecks our car, and hurts my wife, and who gets fucked?  We do.  I should have gotten to the wreck earlier and beaten the shit out of the other driver.  At least that way, we'd get SOME satisfaction out of this deal.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Brisketexan

[conVINCEd 21469]

16 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Is this fuckery still ongoing?  It's the 2020s....of course it is.

Geico came back with shit.  We sent it to our preferred shop.  They countered and said bullshit, it's $21k.  Geico approved, but only partially -- up to $18k.  The delta is over choice of certain parts.  Per Geico:

So, my concern is whether they are trying to buttfuck us on alternate parts.  That said, even if we turned it over to OUR insurer to handle (State Farm), I'm expecting they too will try to buttfuck us on parts.

We have also decided to make Geico feel pain, because fuck them in the goatass.  We have a spare care (my son's SUV, he's away at college), so she's been driving that.  Fuck that.  Give me a rental car, just to cost you money, you fucks.  You owe it to me, so we're going to take it.

Still navigating the injury claim.  My wife has been released from medical care, but her wrist is still weak, and regularly hurts at the end of the day.  My thinking is that we'll negotiate out that injury claim when she's done feeling pain.  And not a moment before that.  If she hurts, Geico hurts.

Was really toying with handing this whole thing over to our insurer to handle and then subrogate -- paying a $500 deductible that we'll get back doesn't bother me.  But, thinking that we won't get much better repair from our insurer, and they don't provide decent rental coverage ($25 a day -- can't rent a bike for that), thinking it's not worth it.

Bottom line -- fucking asshole runs a red light, wrecks our car, and hurts my wife, and who gets fucked?  We do.  I should have gotten to the wreck earlier and beaten the shit out of the other driver.  At least that way, we'd get SOME satisfaction out of this deal.

Not to get in the way of a good Brisket rant, but on your SF auto policy you have a choice as to how much rental coverage you have.  You can probably increase it to an acceptable level for the change in your couch cushions.

[Brisketexan 105139]

Just now, conVINCEd said:

Not to get in the way of a good Brisket rant, but on your SF auto policy you have a choice as to how much rental coverage you have.  You can probably increase it to an acceptable level for the change in your couch cushions.

But I need that change to fund poor late night fast food decisions.

Plus, practically speaking, we really don't need a rental car -- between us and my dad, we have 2-3 extra cars, depending on whether you count my POS truck.  At this point, I'd rather just have my wife driving something 1) newer and more reliable than our old backup SUV that was the boy's, and 2) to fuck Geico out of some money, because fuck 'em.

[conVINCEd 21469]

29 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

But I need that change to fund poor late night fast food decisions.

Plus, practically speaking, we really don't need a rental car -- between us and my dad, we have 2-3 extra cars, depending on whether you count my POS truck.  At this point, I'd rather just have my wife driving something 1) newer and more reliable than our old backup SUV that was the boy's, and 2) to fuck Geico out of some money, because fuck 'em.

Life is about choices, and I acknowledge that those fish sandwiches don’t buy themselves.