Worst day ever.... Never thought i would ever get in to accident with my DreamCar

Last night i was hit by a car....I never thought i would be in this position....

This was my first incident and it is too sad that it has to be in my BMW.

I need some advice from you folks ....i am not sure if it will be a total loss or it will be repairable.


Is there any thing that i should check or make sure wrt to the damage? both the curtain air bags on driver side have been deployed

if those insurance folks say it has to be repaired i am planning to get it fixed from a BMW dealer... any suggestions in NJ and PA?

Thanks in advance.....

Ouch. Glad you're OK.

Originally Posted by mustaine

Ouch. Glad you're OK.

After seeing the damage on the other(Its the other car in my first pic) car i am really glad i am ok... Thanks to BMW

Geez, that sucks for sure, but looks like it did it's job keeping you safe. I really liked your car when we all met up for coding in Maryand, glad you are OK and good luck!

Steve

totaled! glad you are ok.

Sorry to hear about it. I know that can be a very sick feeling. I recently saw a previous generation 5 series get hit just like that and probably as hard. I was very impressed at how the car protected the driver.

Sorry to hear!

I know it may not look like it but the car is not totaled. It looks like the door and fender took most of the hit with probably some door frame damage. The unibody seems to be intact, I don't see the roof bulging. The suspension also looks relatively ok. Were you t-boned or did a car lose control and slide into you?

Thanks for the replies guys!

I was T Boned....i am afraid if there will be any internal damage to the body?

Very nasty - great you escaped uninjured

Beware - even if the insurance company repairs the car - it may not perform quite the same after the repairs. I had a Corvette and a modded 911 Turbo - which was my "forever" car - that my insurance company repaired after my Corvette was stolen and trashed, and my beloved Porsche was rear-ended. After the repairs both cars drove significantly different and the dealers could never sort them out.

The guy in a truck who hit my Porsche said to the police officer " I couldn't see his Ferrari because I was reading a map - I kid you not - Police officer said to the guy " Looks like you are buying him (me) a new "Ferrari". Dude didn't have insurance and my insurance elected to repair - wished they had bought me another "Ferrari" - I was never satisfied and had to liquidate my Porsche.

Wow .... hate that ...... and glad you are OK.

You should hope it is totaled as air bag deployment is quite a taint on the car's resale value. How is "diminished value" handled in your state?

Originally Posted by Capobranco

Beware - even if the insurance company repairs the car - it may not perform quite the same after the repairs.

thats what i am worried not sure what to do or what will be the outcome still waiting on appraiser call.

First off, I hope that everyone involved in ok. Everything else can be fixed or replaced. Ultimately, the car did what it was designed to do...protect you and any passengers you might be carrying.

Having just been in an accident myself, I feel for you. I am not sure if it's repairable or not, but do research on various dealerships/bodyshops your insurance company deals with. Make sure you get new, all OEM replacement body parts. Some companies will try and get you to go with parts from a junkyard or from 3rd party manufacturers. Also, make sure that the bodyshop offers a lifetime guarantee on the repairs. Make sure they are experienced in performing repairs on BMWs, the materials BMW uses in the cars, and that the shop is calling the shots on what needs to be done...not the insurance company. Finally, try and deal with a shop that the insurance company works with (and pays directly). This way you don't have to shell out cash for the repair, then wait for the reimbursement.

As an example, my (then future) Mother in law backed into one of my previous cars. The bodyshop wanted to remove the rear side window (coupe) to do a better job with the paint. Her insurance company wanted them to just mask the window off.

Also, be sure that they have the equipment to inspect and repair the frame (if needed)

Good luck to you,

Originally Posted by laser

Wow .... hate that ...... and glad you are OK.

You should hope it is totaled as air bag deployment is quite a taint on the car's resale value. How is "diminished value" handled in your state?

I really hope so but the repair cost has to be more than the cost of my car...

from what i know diminished value is not a straight play i have to check the insurance guys

Originally Posted by Stonehauler

First off, I hope that everyone involved in ok. Everything else can be fixed or replaced. Ultimately, the car did what it was designed to do...protect you and any passengers you might be carrying.

Having just been in an accident myself, I feel for you. I am not sure if it's repairable or not, but do research on various dealerships/bodyshops your insurance company deals with. Make sure you get new, all OEM replacement body parts. Some companies will try and get you to go with parts from a junkyard or from 3rd party manufacturers. Also, make sure that the bodyshop offers a lifetime guarantee on the repairs. Make sure they are experienced in performing repairs on BMWs, the materials BMW uses in the cars, and that the shop is calling the shots on what needs to be done...not the insurance company. Finally, try and deal with a shop that the insurance company works with (and pays directly). This way you don't have to shell out cash for the repair, then wait for the reimbursement.

As an example, my (then future) Mother in law backed into one of my previous cars. The bodyshop wanted to remove the rear side window (coupe) to do a better job with the paint. Her insurance company wanted them to just mask the window off.

Also, be sure that they have the equipment to inspect and repair the frame (if needed)

Good luck to you,

Thanks for the inputs i really appreciate it ... Insurance are ok to get it fixed in the location i prefer (if they decide to get it fixed). i want to get it done at a bmw dealer but none of the dealers near by has a body shop....

It looks like your car sustained a terrific hit! The fact that you're safe and sound (very good news!) is certainly a testament to the quality and safety of BMW cars. The damage to your car looks considerable to me.

Originally Posted by DreamCar

Thanks for the inputs i really appreciate it ... Insurance are ok to get it fixed in the location i prefer (if they decide to get it fixed). i want to get it done at a bmw dealer but none of the dealers near by has a body shop....

The best body shops aren't necessarily those belonging to dealers. Ask and look around...and since it's the other person's insurance company that's paying, go for the best.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Leslierc

The best body shops aren't necessarily those belonging to dealers. Ask and look around...and since it's the other person's insurance company that's paying, go for the best.

Good luck!

+ 100. Some of the WORST body shops are at dealerships. Your best bet is to do your own market research. I assume you are a member of BMWCCA, and members of your local chapter can give you invaluable advice.

You can also reach out to friends who belong to PCA and see who local Porsche owners use.

You don't mention whether you lease or own the car. If you own it, you may hope that it is totalled, so you don't have to fight the diminished value battle.

Finally, I know in the heat of the moment you forgot to take your leather jacket, iPad, and Nikon with you before the tow truck arrived. Remember to include any missing items in your claim.

Sent from my HTC Inspire using BimmerApp

sad thing is i own it... i mean i financed it

Bring your car to Martino Auto Concepts. The are a board sponsor and they do a lot of forum members cars along with exotics. I have yet to hear one complaint about them on the forum.

http://www.martinoautoconcepts.com

Alan

Sucks man. That's very close to being totaled, but may not be. Took some whallop though. Glad you are ok.

DreamCar, echoing everyone else on this thread, I'm glad you're okay, and I hope no one else was injured. You've already received great advice, so I wish you the best with your repairs, wherever they are performed, or in obtaining a replacement vehicle, if yours is totaled.

Thanks to BMW, too, for designing and offering such safe cars.

OH man... it looks horrible but even more horrible to know it. really sad for u.

I hate seeing this happen.

I'm no car repair expert, but I have a feeling it's just not quite totaled. I had a 2005 S4 that suffered $32K of damage at 5,000 miles. Of course, the insurance company would rather pay that than $50K for a new one.

You're ok and that's the only thing that matters in the long run. Unfortunately my guess is that they will repair your car. You could contemplate trading it in the process and have the insurance company cover any damage to the trade-in value. It should be similar to if they write the car off and cut you a check for "fair value".

thanks for all the kind words guys...

It seems damage is to the entire left side of the body .. right now the appraiser is estimating the damage as 49K ... If they decide to fix it then i will be royally screwed