Venison steaks tonight? Maybe with a nice full bodied chardonnay and garlic mashed potatoes.....

 

I'm sitting here reading and looking at this, the same thing happen to me last year, when I saw the pic I couldn't believe it. Damn I must have hit a deer from the same family, looking at the pics, its exactly what mine looked like, even down to the marks on the door, although I didn't have a hole at emblem, just deer fur stuck to it, I mean exact same damage, same scrapes across hood and all, in the end it cost me around 3500 bucks but car was saved, ever since then I really hate driving at night, sorry for your trouble, but I actually laughed when I saw pic, and that was a first, about the whole incedent, good luck I found a guy here that works only on vettes, and after it was fixed you can never tell.

 

Winged a deer once in the F150...fortunately not damage to either of us. Damn near clipped a black bear once in the old 84....saundering across the road in Cloudcroft and in no hurry to get anywhere.

Hope the insurance company treats you right.

 

My first estimate is twice that. Monday i will get another.

 

I guess thats the trick....Figuring out if Im getting treated right or taking it up the....

 

OK,one estimate says $862.50 for economy glass roof panel. The other estimate is $1216 gm part #. I dont like the word economy? The higher estimate "$2000" higher has mostly GM parts whereas cheaper estimate has some used parts. What are my rights before i turn these in?

 

Well, theoretically anyway, the insurance company is obligated to put your car back into "pre-crash" condition. This is where it gets subjective. What WAS pre-crash condition? You and them may have differing opionions, mostly due to the age of the car.

I wouldn't necessarily let the word "economy" parts scare me, but you don't want junk on your car either. I would ask for exact details about all parts being used, and about the warranty on the repair. Question everything. Go line by line on the estimate with the adjuster....remember their job is to save claims money for their company. Your job is to make sure your car is repaired correctly. The idea is to meet in the middle where both of you are happy. Ensure that they know you will pursue that from the get go.

Good luck.....keep us posted.

 

OH...almost forgot. I've seen used parts that fit better than aftermarket new. If the shop is skilled, they can take used parts and make your car looks and function just like it rolled off the assembly line. For those of us that rehab classic cars, sometimes used is the ONLY option on oddball parts.

Remember the addage that salvage yards used to use...."All cars run on used parts". Quite true. The second it rolls off the dealers lot, it's a used car.

The right shop can make that happen. I've seen body shops here take a hodgepodge of used panels, install them on a straightened frame, and make it into a show quality car that drives like new. Concentrate on picking out the best shop, and all should be well.

 

Thanks Frizlefrac, This is my first ins claim, in 39 years of driving. Freaking me out a little.

 

Do they always go by whos the cheapest or do i have a say in it?

 

The first time CAN be a little intimidating, and they want it to be that way. Don't let them rattle you. Be polite but firm. Insurance companies want to settle claims two ways.....cheap and fast. Take your time and be picky....they can become more compliant the longer it takes.

Depends on your insurance company. Generally, the lower priced policies with less noteworthy companies go for cheap. The opposite can hold true too.

In 1995, I had a very nice 1990 Mustang GT that got hit in a parking lot. Wrinkled the passenger door badly. The person that hit it had insurance, but they wanted to cheap out and bondo my door. I wanted a new door shell. We evenutally told each other to get bent.

I have had State Farm since 1978. I filed the claim with them instead on my uninsured motorist coverage and paid the $250 deductible. The State Farm adjuster agreed that my car was pristeen despite the age, and agreed to a new door shell. State Farm paid it, and I forgot about it.

What I didn't know was that State Farm subrogated the other company and won. A year later, I got a check back for $250 from State Farm.

There is always room for negotiation, especially if you're a long term customer of theirs.

 

When I hit a deer in my C4 all it did was shear off the front headlight. I was freaking out until I saw the damage. Replace the whole assembly and all was good. Got lucky.

Here is from my wife's accident this past fall





One of thse babies missed her neck by an inch

 

Thanks again. It will give me something to think about tonight at my boring a$$ Job.

 

wow!!!!!!

 

The insurance company was going to fix it at first but the body shop showed us a couple glass holes in the dash, and that put it over the limit they were willing to spend to repair it. We could have went ahead and fixed it and lived with the holes because they really were a non issue really. But she was **** about it. The insurance company then did their little trick of using recent selling prices as a gage instead of true value for the settlement, but again my wife got **** with them and said no. it was an 04 but only had like 60K on it and was in prestine condition, so they finally agreed to come up in value to a price she agreed with.

The thing when dealing with an insurance company, don't always agree to what they at first try on you. It's like buying a car and you have to negotiate with them.

Stupid thing is, they ended up paying more for the totaling of the car than if they would of if they went ahead and repaired it. Insurance companies do business in a strange way.

 

I use a lot of pictures to document my cars. They came in handy when I needed to prove that the car was in better condition than what they wanted to give me.

It helped me increase what they paid on a totaled 64 GTO and a stolen 95 Impala SS. It also helped to prove pre-accident conditions when I hit a deer with my 94 Corvette.

 

Glad you are ok. I hate deer, I live on top of a mountain in a really rural area,worked the late shift for years. Can think of a half dozen really bad deer collisions Ive had off the top of my head. Not so bad now that Im on days but just wrecked another car a few months back driving my kids home from music lessons.Thing waited in the bushes till I was almost on it then sprang out right into my drivers side door. wrecked the door and front and rear fenders.
Thats the third I can think of where the deer ran into the side of my car.
Hate those things.

 

Here in Washington State you have the right to take the car to the repair shop of your choice. When my 2002 was rear ended recently I went through my own insurance company. I told them I was having it taken to Corvettes of Auburn for repair. They said fine, have them send us an estimate. The estimate was for $ 14,000.00. About one week later I had a check for the entire amount in my hand. My company, Hagerty, is now going after State Farm, who insured the other driver. My car is back looking better than when it went in.

Check the laws in your state to see what your rights are.

 

ya know if ya wanna hit deer, bullets work better than cars :

 

Around here the only way a bullet would work better is if it had a headlight.