my poor g =(

[240SXG35LOVER]

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fellow infiniti owners,

shed a tear for i am without him for a month. almost 10,000 worth of damage.Whole Rear of car needs to be replaced.

[Kenrik]

Looks like it should be totaled... I would not want that car back after a crash like that.

[SVTCOBRA]

[Q45tech]

Be sure to hire an INDEPENDENT Paint and body Mechanical engineer to oversee the often shoddy workmanship of repair facilities since insurance companies often Insist on short cuts and the body shops comply because the insurance is actually paying.Never sign an repair acceptance until the expert gives the OK even if the car is out of service for 6 months and you have to sue your own and other insurance companies for malfeasence.

[goneracin]

I'm pourin out some of my forty for ya.Tough break! You should have a choice who fixes your car.

[Omegamerc]

10k damage?! WTF hit you? A friggen garbage truck?! That sucks!

[rn79870]

Wow. Were you in it?

The good news is liability looks pretty clear. Also, don't settle unless they add a value for the reduced value due to the collision. After CarFax started reporting collisions like that, the owners found that the resale value of their car was affected adversely. So, your car, even though repaired, is worth $1500 less because of the accident, get the $1500 from the other guys insurance company.(I don't know the actual reduction, but you can get that from the used car manager, or the guy who appraises trade-ins at the Infiniti dealer near you).

Good luck.

[Jacko3]

240SXg35LOVER:

As long as you were not physically affected by the accident, I think you will be fine. yes, there is reason to shed a tear for your G. Take heart! Don't forget to get an auto expert to evaluate the car, before and after fixes, before you sign on any dotted line.

Insurance companies, one of the most profitable and non-federally regulated businesses in this nation, are in the business of shafting their customers, after they have panied up their monthly premiums.

[joe603]

Yikes...well at least your posting (which means your alive and well). Sorry to see this happen to any car, especially a G

[Jacko3]

As a side note, pay particular attention to the suspension and handling of this car, after it has been fixed. I really think this car should be considered totalled. Press for it to be declared totalled, even if you have to get an insurance lawyer. Insist that the car handle and perform as new, before signing any dotted line. Preferably, get at least two other independent evaluation of the handling of the car before you sign any paperwork.

I say this because, I once had a friend with the same issues, and after the car was fixed, the suspension and handling of the car was never the same again.

[zozoka1212]

Sorry man. That sucks.

zozo

[infinitgkid]

another brother wounded...

I wonder how you reacted to the person when you saw the damage...

If it were me, i would have so went beast mode...

but thats just me, but on the serious note... I'm sorry that this tragedy had to happen to ya bud

[telcoman]

Ugh

Welcome to NICO

Well $h*i*t does happen and as long as you are ok, just start looking for a new one. Perhaps you can get a deal from the dealer? INMHO December is the best month for purchase so you can start planning now. I would let the dealer repair it & use their loaner in the meantime.

Good luck

Telcoman

[rn79870]

another brother wounded...

to happen to ya bud

(pssst.....she is a sister!)

[telcoman]

I wonder how you reacted to the person when you saw the damage...

If it were me, i would have so went beast mode...

but thats just me,.......

infinitigkid

Welcome to NICO

The first reaction is to make sure no one is hurt!

As much as many hate to admit it, we are all driving depreciating pieces of metal that can either be repaired or recycled into Ford Mustangs. Losing ones temper after an accident only ecacerbates a bad situation into something worse and could result in criminal and legal issues.

Just stay calm and wait for the police to sort it all out.

Just my $.02

Telcoman

[G_whizz]

OUCH!!

Sorry to see what happened... hope your (physically) ok..

[gwoods]

That car is totaled!!

[rn79870]

As much as many hate to admit it, we are all driving depreciating pieces of metal that can either be repaired or recycled into Ford Mustangs. Telcoman

::Note to self - Telcoman really needs to be added to his local Ford dealer's Xmas card list::

[G35bear]

from one G to another.....I AM SORRY

[99QX4]

I hate to see threads like this....but what is the outcome??

[MoonRiver]

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fellow infiniti owners,

shed a tear for i am without him for a month. almost 10,000 worth of damage.Whole Rear of car needs to be replaced.

Sorry for what happened. Hope things work out.

[TeflonG35]

I feel your pain, my car has no teeth.



The cowl and grill are at maaco now getting painted. should be done soon.

*edited had the wrong pix up*

[Sentientbydesign]

These pictures bring a whole new meaning to "Butt-munch".

I'm very sorry for your loss.

I'm with the others. Be very stern with the insurance company. They rely on the publics nescience to their rights.

[BrandAidDesignG35]

[C-Kwik]

Be sure to hire an INDEPENDENT Paint and body Mechanical engineer to oversee the often shoddy workmanship of repair facilities since insurance companies often Insist on short cuts and the body shops comply because the insurance is actually paying.Never sign an repair acceptance until the expert gives the OK even if the car is out of service for 6 months and you have to sue your own and other insurance companies for malfeasence.

NO insurance company is going to suggest improper repairs unless they want to be fined by their respective departments of insurance. What they negotiate with shops are labor rates, judgement times for repairs and sometimes, the cost of parts. They may also negotiate repair vs replacement, but for the insurance company, the decision to repair vs replace is a matter of cost. As an example, if a panel will cost more to repair than to replace, they aren't going to pay to replace it. Replacement part labor times are dictated by their choice of collision repair estimate manuals (Mitchell or ADP are the most common).

All repair estimates provided by insurance companies are itemized. So there is really no question as to how a repair should be done and what is being paid for. Replacement of damaged parts tend to be pretty straight forward, but repairs can vary slightly. But they should be done according to the standards in the market.

That said, there is no way insurance companies can affect the quality of the work being performed. Regardless of the labor rates a shop is paid or how much labor time is allowed, the bodymen will typically perform the job the same way. Ideally, it would be done as quick as possible without compromising quality as anytime a shop can cut down on the actual vs paid time they stand to make more profit.

This is why it is more important to pick a shop with a good reputation for quality. Insurance companies will work with any shop so long as they aren't asking for unreasonable things or trying to commit fraud.

As for hiring an engineer....it might be an ideal situation, but how many engineers experienced in this area are available to actually inspect cars in this manner. Let alone be affordable. I've hired civil engineers when I handled property claims for a small period of time and they weren't cheap; charging as much as $400 to simply tell me a detached garage wasn't repairable (it was pretty obvious but my boss required it). I can't imagine the bill you'ld get if they had to sort through the damaged car. With body techs, they sift through th same stuff. They look for as much damage as they can find as more damage means more repairs and more money from the insurance company.

[C-Kwik]

Insurance companies, one of the most profitable and non-federally regulated businesses in this nation, are in the business of shafting their customers, after they have panied up their monthly premiums.

Insurance companies make 2 cents on a premium dollar If they are doing well. Most actually spend more than they take in. The only way they profit is to invest unused premiums. To be clear, unused premiums are the portions of your pre-paid premiums that haven't been applied to the company's operating expenses and the claims expenses. The insurance industry is very competetive as price is one of the biggest factors for consumers when it comes to choosing an insurer. The irony in this is that customers demand low premiums and and high payouts. Can't get much out if you don't put much in. Bear inmind that the biggest source of insurance fraud (from a monetary standpoint) is not the blatent fraud that might occur from ambulence chasers and fraud rings. It's the padding and inflating of claims that occurs after a legitimate loss (IE. the John Smiths and Jane Does who get into accidents and make their claims sound worse then it is or property is stolen from them and they claim it was something better then they actually had). Ultimately, it is we, the policyholders, that pay for everone else's claims. So we are screwing ourselves more than any insurance company would likely be screwing the claimants.

Also, a well managed insurance company may actually make large profits. But consider that insurance companies, probably more than any other type of company needs large cash (or at least quickly liquifiable) reserves. A big natural disaster can quickly put a good standing insurance company into bankruptcy.

one of the most profitable and non-federally regulated businesses in this nation

They are regulated by state departments of insurance. And typically very strictly. Even small violations (letters not being sent out on time) can result in relatively heavy fines. Hell, the notion of a 1st party bad faith suit (which can result in awards of millions over nothing more than a poorly handled auto theft claim) is enough to keep most insurance companies on their toes.

[goneracin]

Sometimes insurance companies will push cheap aftermarket body panels in stead of oem panels. Not that I am an expert, but in VA, I think you can insist on oem parts.

[C-Kwik]

Sometimes insurance companies will push cheap aftermarket body panels in stead of oem panels. Not that I am an expert, but in VA, I think you can insist on oem parts.

Cheap doesn't necessarily mean poor quality. While there are certainly many cheap aftermarket parts that have poor fitment and quality, most insurance companies will stick to CAPA certified aftermarket parts. And to be honest, they should. Both to try and keep rates lower overall and to push the OE to be more price competetive. It benefits consumers more than you might realize...

Insurance companies may also use used parts. Undamaged OE parts off of wrecked vehicles are cheaper, have OE quality and are more environmentally friendly.

[Jacko3]

C-Kwik:

Nice write up! However, so long as the economic incentive to pay out is naturally less than the economic incentive to take in more cash, as you have stated, the propensity of insurance companies to legitimately shaft consumers, will remain a reality. Some state insurance commissioners are elected rather than appointed, and so, insurance lobbies can influence the outcome of state insurance elections. In addition, non-federally regulated organizations tend to be more profitable as a result of non-uniform policies across several states. So, for example, it is possible for insurance companies to rob Pter in Washington State to pay Paul in Kansas.

I am also aware of their re-insurance policies, but then, why do they not return unused portions of your funds at the end of the year, if you have had no fatalities or collisions or any claim? They do this in some parts of europe. Why not here in the US? For example, I have had no fatalities with any of my cars, and yet i pay premiums that would suggest that I am subsidizing someone else's claims. Isn't this some type of socialized insurance system (auto and home insurance).

What do you think?

[goneracin]

Good points. Never thought of it from those angles.