Not valued as high as I thought it would be, so I'd say the chances of it being a Total are about 40%.

The original estimate may well be within repairable range but if they find hidden damage when they do the teardown, it could push it over the top.

Best of luck. Keep us updated.

And your sore back... it's going to get more sore 24-72 hrs after the accident. Of the pains don't start improving significantly after that, see your doctor. And be sure you advise the other guy's claim rep that you are injured. Don't wait weeks to tell them or to see a doctor.

 

The car will only need a drivers side quarter panel from the pictures i'm seeing.

The car will need a new hatch, glass, boot handle, tail light, inner and outer rear frame boxes, rear bumper support, foam and inner support, rear bumper cover, all three rear trim pieces, drivers side quarter panel, maybe a rear floor section, and some other odds and ends. I calculated it all with list prices.

The new hood and front bumper will add around $800 in parts and $350 in supplies and labor.


We also have no idea if it will need to be on a frame machine for any amount of time. That will probably total the car if it is so badly twisted it needs to go on a frame machine.

 

Thanks for the "self appointed" experts to remind the rest of us IDIOTS that these cars do not have frames. We have been humbled by your superior knowledge....

 

Relax, S.... nobody was singling you out. It just gets agravating to read about the "frame" being damaged every time a thread gets posted about an accident.

I swear, I should put it in my signature so it's seen over and over and over and over and... well, you get the idea... i post a LOT.

 

Frame or unibody........ either way a frame machine is used to repair them.

 

+1 about the soreness. The whiplash doesn't kick in until about a couple weeks later. My left arm is still sore at the joints from my accident...even after physical therapy... and I'm only 21! Who knows how it will feel like when I'm 40 or 60...

 

Im just curious, you said that you think the car that hit you was doing 25 mph but you never mentioned what kind of car/truck/mini van it was

 

Sorry, it was a 199X Ford Explorer (<96). There was my glass halfway up his windshield.

 

Even with frame damage cars can be fixed. My Trailblazer was hit in the rearend as well. I was on the freeway and a Ford F250 hit me doing about 45 MPH.

The rear was smashed big time and the right frame rail was bent and literally ripped apart by about 4 inches. I had to beg the insurance company to total the car. They were going to replace the frame rail. Both front seats were toast. They were completely bent to the right. My wife was with me and luckily we weren't hurt. My car hit the car in front of me and forced that car into the left lane where traffic was flying along at 60 mph. Ended up being 4 cars damaged. The trailblazer still drove, (made some funny noises though.) Neither of the seat belts worked any longer. They were tweaked and locked in position. The cops said, eh, drive it home anyway. Even with seatbelts that were unusable.

It was a real hassle. They finally did pay off the loan and I put a few thou in my pocket. But I sure didn't want that rig anylonger. And I liked that car. It was great for snow, haulng the bikes and going hiking.

I'm going to have to rig the MINI up to carry bikes.

Sorry for the wreck. If there is no serious hidden damage it should be repairable. However you would be surprised what they can find once they start tearing into the car.

Good luck friend.

Pat

 

its hard to say whether it will be totalled or not. depends on how they value the car and the extent of the damage. i know what you mean about it "never being the same".. even if it looks good as new you still know how it looked.. if they dont total it though, i hope the work turns out great! when i totaled my integra i did the work myself. it looked good until the paint started fading. as long as you find a good body shop im sure it will look good. let us know how this turns out. i hope everything works out for you!!

 

About 3 years ago I was hit in a similar manner while I was in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. The damage was similar and came out at about 5K, but the Jeep was a much heavier and sturdy vehicle.

My company did not get involved and the other guy had Nationwide insurance and they treated me well.

Will both doors open freely or have the door frames been bent? That was a major problem with mine after initial repairs--I ended up selling it anyhow because they never got it right and the rear driver's side door would bind a bit when the weather got cold.

I would guess that with the front end damage the MINI will total over 6K and may be 6.5K. It looks like a total to me. After my experience, it may be the best thing for you, rear end damage can hide a whole lot of other problems as I found out.

You have my empathy here--it is really a shame that it happened and I hope that you heal up with no ill effects. It does show how well made the MINI is though--in many comparable size cars you may have been very badly injured.

 

And I really hope they do total it. I can't afford to wonder "what if?" in this thing. It is (was) my only reliable vehicle right now.

If they do total it, I will definitely be buying another MINI. Great car, most comfortable thing I've ever driven, and safe to boot.

 

So I got the verdict. I got a call on Wednesday - they estimated damage at $9000 and wanted to fix it. I asked whether that was an accurate estimate or a lowball, and how diminished value would apply to it. He called back this morning after research and said it'd total it. I said go ahead and total it.

 

Well now you know what you have to deal with, What is your next step? Anotter MINI? Keep the NAM gang posted on what happens next. Good Luck!

 

Sorry to hear about the accident.

On a less serious note, I'd love to see some pics of the Demon. We had a '71 (slant 6) while I was growing up.

 

Good thing they totaled it. Once they start working on it it would have been I am sure. My minor front end bumper damage ended up costing over $5000. You had that plus the back panel roof ect. So I am sure once they started at it, it would be over the price of what you payed for the car. How does diminished value work? I was in that little accident was I supposed to talk to my company about that?

 

Definitely getting another MINI.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=536849

Mine is losing it's slant very soon though.

I don't know exactly where to draw the line, but I am sure that with my damage, it would have adversely affected its CARFAX report, which would affect the resale of the vehicle, were I to have to sell it.

 

Keep in mind that not all States mandate Insurers honor Diminished Value claims. And in States that do, most of them allow the Insurance Companies to determine the criteria and documentation needed to submit a DV claim.

Check with the Insurance Company to find out their position on DV claims.

Also, just as an FYI... Diminished Value claims never applies if you are at-fault for your own vehicle damages.

 

Wow... I can't believe they totaled it, but I suppose it is an older vehicle than mine was when I had a guy rear end it while it was parked in front of my house.

My corolla was six months old, his insurance company opted to fix it and let me choose the body shop, so I made several phone calls off their list and found the best guys in town. That's when I learned what a unibody was, and that almost no car has a frame anymore.

They did an absolutely amazing job... but when you do repairs to cars that have been damaged in this state that are less than a year old, you must fully restore them to new condition. They even called to tell me they were done, but had to wait for the dealership to send them one of their plastic plates so they could glue it back on to the trunk because the original one had gotten cracked and I just smiled and said, "So... if you don't do that, can I pick it up now?"

I drove the car for a further 9 years after the accident and never felt unsafe. I had a lot of confidence in the shop and their work and they warrantied their work for the life of the car. Now, my son's driving it and I haven't had to have this car in the shop again since the accident for anything other than scheduled maintenance.

 

I wish you better luck with your next MINI and hope that you don't have any long term consequences from this accident. Do you know what caused the other driver to be distracted? Be sure to let us know what your next MINI is going to be.

 

I forgot to update this thread! Here's my new MINI:



06 MCS SB/SB

 

Congrats on the new MINI... and I'm finally looking at your Demon build-up thread...

SCHAWEET! I love it!!

 

Let me preface this with: I don't cry often if at all.

Then let me say, if this happened to my car, I would.

Then I'd kick whoever did it. In the face.

Multiple times.

Hard

 

it honestly depends on the top of your car. How is the roof? I can tell the hatch is destroyed but did it damage/crease your roof? your sunroof functioning okay, glass break?

I'm going to have to go with totaled from the pictures, especially with the front bumper and hood damage on top of it all. Remember, totalling does not have to mean the damages exceed the cars value. that is not all the insurance company considers. There are actually 3 items.
1. How much your car was worth just before accident
2. repair costs + a percentage alloted for "Hidden Damage"
3. How much a salvage yard is likely to pay for your car in its current state.

 

Wishing you many accident-free years of MINI motoring. Enjoy your new ride.