1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I experienced almost exactly the same thing with my '99 9-3SE in May. A few points worth mentioning that may be of some help (though of little consolation):
1) The person who hit you was texting, or Facebooking, or Twittering, or sleeping. I'm not sure you can prove it easily, but it's not too important, as they hit you at high speed and totaled your car while it was stopped at a traffic light. Liability is already 100% theirs. I don't know if they were texting or not makes any difference.
2) See a doctor IMMEDIATELY. Contact a personal injury attorney IMMEDIATELY.
3) Hopefully police showed up and filed a report. Get a copy of the report as soon as it becomes available.
4) Your car is totaled. The crumpling of the rear area is not easily fixed, and will certainly cost more than the car is worth. And you won't be able to bring it back to its original state. The chassis panels and frame, once deformed, is now more brittle and prone to cracking. Your frame is probably bent. Little things will always be off, like your wheel alignment, door seals, etc. Air bag functionality might be compromised. The crash worthiness has been reduced, permanently. Once fixed, even if done conscientiously, it will still not be worth what it once was, and insuring it will become a complicated mess, as they may deem it a salvage. It's just not worth it.
5) Keep track of all time spent dealing with the collision, and all receipts you rack up dealing with the various expenses - rental car, chiropractic therapy, mailings, etc. Your time lost is part of your injuries. Notify the person who hit you that you hold them liable for all your injuries, and regardless of what offer the insurance company may give, that person is ultimately liable and must see you made whole again. Send via certified mail return receipt. This is in case it proceeds to a suit.
6) The insurance company of the person who hit you will low-ball you. Your insurance company might give you a better offer. Neither offer will give you adequate compensation for what you lost. Most importantly, they will regard any aftermarket parts and mods, and "conscientiously maintained," as having no value-add whatsoever. So if you leave it to the insurance companies to determine the value of your car, they will screw you. Hiring your own adjuster is expensive, and they typically parrot the insurance company party line anyway. You are best off using comps in your region to determine its "market" value - which is not necessarily the same as "fair" value - and adding to that the value of aftermarket parts you recently purchased.
Good luck to you.
posted by 98.189.14...
, Sun, 1 Dec 2013 12:46:11
, Wed, 27 Nov 2013 07:18:11, Wed, 27 Nov 2013 04:44:50, Tue, 26 Nov 2013 13:16:37
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
