How do I get new symptoms of other damage included in collision repair?
January 3, 2018 6:52 PM Subscribe
I got rear-ended exactly 4 weeks ago by a full size silverado while stopped at a red light. I was in a mid-size 4-door sedan, 2.5L automatic, w/about 55k miles. The other driver says he was doing 10mph, though my (and my passenger's) guess was more like 20 or 25.
No airbags deployed, and I only see small damage to his small front eyelets (I don't know what those actually were, for towing?) My bumper and trunk were caved in, but I've been driving daily since the crash. No one was injured. Per the other driver's insurance, I sent in pictures and a description to a national collision shop (on their suggested list) and got an estimate for $2600.
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed my gear shifter is starting to stick just a little bit when taking it out of park, or from drive back in to park. I swear its been getting slowly worse over the last 2 weeks, though I could be imagining this part. It definitely was not sticking at all before 2 weeks ago, so I can only assume this is related to the crash, and as such, will get worse. Of course this was not mentioned on the police report nor in my description to the body shop or insurance company.
What do I need to do and/or say to get this covered, when I drop off my car for repair this coming Monday?
No airbags deployed, and I only see small damage to his small front eyelets (I don't know what those actually were, for towing?) My bumper and trunk were caved in, but I've been driving daily since the crash. No one was injured. Per the other driver's insurance, I sent in pictures and a description to a national collision shop (on their suggested list) and got an estimate for $2600.
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed my gear shifter is starting to stick just a little bit when taking it out of park, or from drive back in to park. I swear its been getting slowly worse over the last 2 weeks, though I could be imagining this part. It definitely was not sticking at all before 2 weeks ago, so I can only assume this is related to the crash, and as such, will get worse. Of course this was not mentioned on the police report nor in my description to the body shop or insurance company.
What do I need to do and/or say to get this covered, when I drop off my car for repair this coming Monday?
Best answer: I just went through something similar with an accident where the other driver was 100% at fault, and really had no trouble at all. The body shop said up front that they wouldn't know what the actual total damage was until they got it up on the lift and looked at everything that way. Definitely report the shifting trouble when you turn it in, too.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:51 PM on January 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:51 PM on January 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
Based on how you described the situation thus far, you are being taken advantage of.
Take your car to get an accurate estimate from an independent collision repair shop. I'm surprised your car is not totaled because the damage you describe usually comes with a bent frame. Don't sign anything until you get an independent estimate. If you did sign anything or agree to this settlement, let us know via update.
Are they providing a rental while your car is being fixed.
posted by jbenben at 8:14 PM on January 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Take your car to get an accurate estimate from an independent collision repair shop. I'm surprised your car is not totaled because the damage you describe usually comes with a bent frame. Don't sign anything until you get an independent estimate. If you did sign anything or agree to this settlement, let us know via update.
Are they providing a rental while your car is being fixed.
posted by jbenben at 8:14 PM on January 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Without knowing what car it is (weird to provide so many specs but not an actual make and model), I am very sceptical that car damage at sub$3k is doing a damn thing to the shifter. Especially being as most shifters in the car are joined by cables to the transmission itself, so you'd either have to have distorted the shifter mount itself (so the lever itself was sticking) - which I find wildly unlikely - or you'd have to damage the transmission internally. Which is also really unlikely.
It is possible that the cables were pinched or knocked out of alignment with a decent sized hit, but agains, I'd expect to see much more damage than $2,600, especially with no visible damage to the Silverado. That's almost cosmetic only, at that price. Personally, I think the gearshift issue is completely unrelated.
posted by Brockles at 8:46 PM on January 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
It is possible that the cables were pinched or knocked out of alignment with a decent sized hit, but agains, I'd expect to see much more damage than $2,600, especially with no visible damage to the Silverado. That's almost cosmetic only, at that price. Personally, I think the gearshift issue is completely unrelated.
posted by Brockles at 8:46 PM on January 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
Get an preferred list of collision shops from your own insurance company, and cross check them with Yelp ratings.
posted by Elsie at 8:58 PM on January 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Elsie at 8:58 PM on January 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: pictures et al get the estimate, but when I was rear-ended (just like you - stopped at red light, by a big GMC pickup), the other driver's insurance co sent an independent adjuster out to look at our car. The adjuster wrote up an estimate, I went with local body shop that was on the insurer's approved list.
Local body shop handled all the paperwork w/ insurer, including things the original adjuster couldn't tell were wrong (until panels were taken out etc). So unless someone has been out to physically look at your car, all bets are off, and yes you should raise the issue when you drop it off to be fixed.
side note: NTSB says airbags go off hitting a parked car at 16-28 mph https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/air-bags .. Size of the car is probably what jolted you. Truck that hit us also had no airbag deployment, but totally smashed the rear, couldn't open the trunk etc.)
posted by k5.user at 8:34 AM on January 4, 2018
Local body shop handled all the paperwork w/ insurer, including things the original adjuster couldn't tell were wrong (until panels were taken out etc). So unless someone has been out to physically look at your car, all bets are off, and yes you should raise the issue when you drop it off to be fixed.
side note: NTSB says airbags go off hitting a parked car at 16-28 mph https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/air-bags .. Size of the car is probably what jolted you. Truck that hit us also had no airbag deployment, but totally smashed the rear, couldn't open the trunk etc.)
posted by k5.user at 8:34 AM on January 4, 2018
If you're in the U.S., your own car insurance company is probably available to be an intermediary for you. Call your agent and discuss the entire matter with him or her, and see what is recommended. This is an easy step, and can save you a major hassle and a lot of money. And this is one reason you pay for insurance — to have someone backing you up.
posted by Capri at 10:38 AM on January 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Capri at 10:38 AM on January 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: NTSB says airbags go off hitting a parked car at 16-28 mph
To clarify - your airbags should not have gone off at all anyway in your car (not in a rear impact), but are you saying no air bags went off in the Silverado? Because that does mean it was a lower speed impact and even less likely to damage a trans.
posted by Brockles at 5:15 AM on January 5, 2018
To clarify - your airbags should not have gone off at all anyway in your car (not in a rear impact), but are you saying no air bags went off in the Silverado? Because that does mean it was a lower speed impact and even less likely to damage a trans.
posted by Brockles at 5:15 AM on January 5, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it. I was/am specifically wondering if the shifter could be affected and what do I need to do/say to get it covered. One answer I got was for it to be looked at by the dealer and they could/would make that determination.
Just for the record, I picked the collision shop, not their insurance. Their insurance told me I could pick any one I wanted. I also did get a separate unaffiliated estimate (in person, not pics) and with one exception, the work orders are identical. (The first estimate is missing a $300 "impact bar".) In person estimate guy guessed the impact was 15-20mph. And yes, they have a rental for me.
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 1:17 PM on January 5, 2018
Just for the record, I picked the collision shop, not their insurance. Their insurance told me I could pick any one I wanted. I also did get a separate unaffiliated estimate (in person, not pics) and with one exception, the work orders are identical. (The first estimate is missing a $300 "impact bar".) In person estimate guy guessed the impact was 15-20mph. And yes, they have a rental for me.
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 1:17 PM on January 5, 2018
You still haven't told us what car it is. If you have had in person quotes that are within the sub$3000 quote you initially mentioned, then it simply wasn't a big enough hit to affect the transmission. Not at all. In the majority of cars, the transmission and all related components are 5-6 feet away from the impact zone, and you'd need a MUCH bigger impact to get to them.
Even in the unlikely event of a rear mounted transmission (I don't know if there even is one in the vehicle description you give us) it is really unlikely the trans is affected. If the car is still driveable and you are only seeing issues two weeks later, I'd be completely confident they are unrelated. Any transmission damage from so small a rear (or even front) impact would have been complete lightning-strike level fluke and would have been immediate.
posted by Brockles at 8:11 AM on January 8, 2018
Even in the unlikely event of a rear mounted transmission (I don't know if there even is one in the vehicle description you give us) it is really unlikely the trans is affected. If the car is still driveable and you are only seeing issues two weeks later, I'd be completely confident they are unrelated. Any transmission damage from so small a rear (or even front) impact would have been complete lightning-strike level fluke and would have been immediate.
posted by Brockles at 8:11 AM on January 8, 2018
Response by poster: Car got repaired, all is well. The gear shifter seems back to normal, without intervention. Thanks!
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 8:25 AM on May 12, 2018
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 8:25 AM on May 12, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
No one can tell you how much repair is required in a collision without an in person inspection. Pics won't tell much. The frame could be bent, I know bumpers are usually a lot more involved than just the cosmetics to be fixed and safe because there's crash related stuff under the bumper shell that needs replacing, etc..
posted by jbenben at 7:35 PM on January 3, 2018 [2 favorites]