My wife was driving her MY00 Forester on a neighborhood street at 20 mph when a woman rapidly backed out of her driveway in front of her. They collided. The police and the insurance companies agreed that it was 100% the fault of the other driver, who had a large cardboard box in the car blocking her view.
The Forester's grill was damaged and the hood slightly crumpled. I would have guessed $2000 or so... Boy! I was way off.
Actual body work = $5,600
The hit pushed something into the engine, damaging parts including the timing belt or whatever, and in the few seconds before the car was turned off there was another $3,000 damage done. The body shop says the dealer claims this is common with front-end hits to the Forester.
My '98 was totaled 6 months back in what looked like a repairable similar accident.
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Both air bags went off. I think they said they are $800 a piece notcounting installation. When I bought a new one, my wife complained that theForester did not hold up well. The salesman said it did exactally what itis supposed to do and protected me. I had minor bruise from the seat belt.Woman in PT Cruiser that cut in front of me was hospitalized.Frank
yah, but another thing that bothers me is that there was actually an agreement or debate as to 'who' was at fault for the incident. People at stop signs, at cross-streets or in their driveways should yield to traffic anyway, in spite of what's blocking their visibility. End of rant!
In Pennsylvania, the law requires that drivers entering or crossing the flow of traffic must yield to drivers in the flow of traffic. This means if I am going straight, and someone in the opposing lane makes a left in front of me, and I hit them broadside (even towards the rear of the car), they are
Same here in Delaware but when offending driver's insurance agent is in Connecticut and driver says, "You ran into me", I had to go no-fault on my insurance or wait 2 weeks for police report. Woman that caused my accident got a traffic ticket, probably had her car totaled and was hospitalized but I'm still pissed. It took my company, State Farm, eight days to estimate my car. I was pissed at both insurance companies. Fortunately two of my sons are lawyers and it ended up costing offender's insurance company more than if I had handled details myself. I also found that putting out no-fault deductible may take forever to get back so son threatened to sue if not paid promptly - it was. Frank
I have had State Farm for my entire driving life (14 years of driving as of Nov 1 or this year.) I can honestly say that I have had great luck with them when it comes to claims (1 totaled car due to deer in road while traveling at 85mph, 1 roll-over, was rear-ended several times, etc... about
10 claims in all) and I still pay only $48/month for full coverage insurance w/ $250 deductibles ($0 deductible on glass). I usually do all my own bodywork (except painting) and they just send the check directly to me everytime within a few days of the claim.
Yes they are. A friend of mine who had Geico got very prompt service. The neighbor out of his driveway and the bumper literally opened up the side of the car like a can opener. He called Geico that morning at work they were there by lunchtime. The guy took the specs on the car (83 Buick LeSabre (cream puff condition)) he said it worth $XXXX, it's totaled you'll have your check in two weeks. Apparently the doors and fenders were too hard to find. He was happy. As far as State Farm, they just decided to base they're premiums on your credit report. My brother's had State Farm all his life (parents too). He had his business, multiple cars, motorcycle, home and health. Never had a claim, they looked at his credit report, tripled his premium! He canceled all policies the following Monday.
Any just be glad you're not hurt. Cars are made to absorb all the energy so you d> I've heard that State Farm is very slow.
State Farm has always been very fast to pay any claims I've had. One of the best, if not THE best in this state of Texas.
But as to the tremendous price to fix minor damage, that may explain why my State Farm agent advised me that a Subaru Forester is in a Risk Group 17 (I think 17, may have been 16). Point was that a new Ford Excursion was only Risk Group 14... Risk group number dictates what coverage will cost. IT is based, I'm told, on potential costs which may arise from accidents. Maybe Subaru is one that does (as someone just said in this thread) sacrifices the car to save the passengers behinds! I guess that is not at all bad. I'd think you should be glad you are here to complain about the costs! Consider the alternative. Just my opinion.
I will say, while State Farm took 8 days to estimate my damage, the check was available immediately. If they look at your car right away, as did others, and check takes 2 weeks, then this is not better service. I had State Farm for house and cars but dropped house several years ago because of the crap they gave us on a couple of small claims. I've theatened to drop the cars but wife wants to continue. Something I've learned over the years is that you do not have to jump through insurance company hoops and do everything they say. Also, if any lingering doubts, do not settle right away. You can get your money for car but hold off on medical etc. Frank
Stick with State Farm. They insured me at 19 because my Dad had a policy. Next year will be my 50th year with State Farm. I've had two totals of older used cars, neither my fault. In the last twenty years only one major claim. Buckled the front end against a high mounted tow hitch on the rear of a Jeep. Could not stop on snowy hill, no damage to the parked Jeep, $4000 to the Legacy wagon.
None of the claims raised my premiums.
BoB For the duration of Swen, my address is inoperative.
I find that story very difficult to accept, mainly because I've had automobile insurance with State Farm for over 46 years. I've never had any problem with them paying, and paying promptly. Had one accident which was apparently my fault, cost them $100K+, yet they didn't cancel, didn't raise rates, just charged the little surcharge which our state prescribes for the
3 years.
Next, 'this awful thing' didn't happen to you, but to your brother. It is entirely possible that he is not telling you the ENTIRE story. What he is telling you is that he suddenly developed awfully bad credit, for some reason or other, and but they just decided to check his credit rating one weekend.
VOILA, up go his rates! More to that story than we see in this note. Something bad must have occurred to cause a sudden JUMP in rates. Something we do not see.
I do not imply that you are not telling the truth as you know it, and do not doubt your word. But when you just generally run down a company with a story your brother told you, and that story runs completely contrary to my personal experience with that insurer, I feel I need to insert my story, too. And my story I can personally vouch for. As they say, "been there, got the t-shirt!"
I have very good credit, about as good as it gets, and I've never gotten any special breaks from State Farm for that. Just doesn't respond to logical analysis.
My agent did tell me that they consider a credit record to be a printed profile of an individual's responsibility. If someone doesn't care about paying his bills or writes hot checks, etc., etc., then their assumption is that the person is not financially responsible, and that irresponsibility often carries over into that person's driving habits. I'll have to leave it to your judgment whether or not to accept that view.
Evidently that's an interference engine, and the pistons and valves met with destructive results.
We were notified today that our insurance company (USAA, the best there is!) has negotiated with the other driver's insurance company to TOTAL my wife's car. Evidently we are to receive about $16,500 including tax, etc.
So...
Does it make sense to buy the car from salvage, knowing as we do that there was no frame damage (air bags didn't even deploy)? The car was in perfect condition, with 36,000 miles on it.
I understand a rebuilt engine costs $2,000 minus core, or rebuild the existing one perfectly for $1,500.
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