Accident question
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,955
Likes: 161
From: PNW
And technically, a car isn't supposed to go hang out in the middle of an intersection to turn left, they are supposed to stay at the start of the intersection and then make the left turn when it's safe to do so. If that would have been the case, then he would have had to wait for the next light to turn left, but this accident wouldn't have happened.
Last edited by ZeeOSix; May 31, 2013 at 04:18 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,649
Likes: 863
JMHO - but who's at fault is something the court and the insurance companies are going to determine. If you have collision insurance, you are going to get a payment - PERIOD. The real question here is the condition of the Vette, and the repair/replace question. Based on the level of damage described - the frame is probably bent.
In a situation like that - you need to get your car to a shop that has worked on these cars before. There is a big difference between the car being repairable, and the repair being as good as new.
Three recommendations:
1) Find the shop you want to look at the car. You want a place that has worked on C5's before. The odds are that the claims adjuster will be influenced by the "opinion" of the people at the shop.
2) Start doing some research on what it would cost to replace the car. The "For sale posts here on the Forum are helpful, as are some of the Internet car price sites (e.g. Edmunds). If the Insurance adjuster tells you that they are totaling the car - they're going to expect you to make a decision pretty quickly - you want to have an idea what the car is worth.
3) You said that you know your agent. Talk to her about what will happen to your rates if you are considered to be "at fault", and how long that rate increase will last (typically 3 years). Balance that against the cost of a lawyer to fight the ticket, and any other legal issues. In most traffic courts - you can plead most violations down one "category" relatively easily (e.g. a 4 point ticket to a 2 point ticket), but is't not easy to get the ticket dismissed entirely.
In a situation like that - you need to get your car to a shop that has worked on these cars before. There is a big difference between the car being repairable, and the repair being as good as new.
Three recommendations:
1) Find the shop you want to look at the car. You want a place that has worked on C5's before. The odds are that the claims adjuster will be influenced by the "opinion" of the people at the shop.
2) Start doing some research on what it would cost to replace the car. The "For sale posts here on the Forum are helpful, as are some of the Internet car price sites (e.g. Edmunds). If the Insurance adjuster tells you that they are totaling the car - they're going to expect you to make a decision pretty quickly - you want to have an idea what the car is worth.
3) You said that you know your agent. Talk to her about what will happen to your rates if you are considered to be "at fault", and how long that rate increase will last (typically 3 years). Balance that against the cost of a lawyer to fight the ticket, and any other legal issues. In most traffic courts - you can plead most violations down one "category" relatively easily (e.g. a 4 point ticket to a 2 point ticket), but is't not easy to get the ticket dismissed entirely.
Last edited by Purple92; May 31, 2013 at 05:02 PM. Reason: complete post
