Urgent! Aftermath of a minor accident...
 

Hi everyone,

My 8 just got hit by a SUV last night, after its tail slid out during a turn. I thought she had the time and distance to stop, and it made sense to me not to move at all during that moment, but whatever now....

I don't have any collision coverage from progressive, so I am going to take the car to a body shop tomorrow. And here is the question: Is there any way to get used galaxy gray quarter panels? Is there any way to take down the thin stripe that comes with GT version?

Here are the pictures, please let me know your thoughts on how to repair it relatively cheaply.

Btw. Any member live around the Lancaster, PA area?

Thanks in advance!

Steve Z

just let the body shop do it but who's fault is this? so you slid out and she hit you? what did the police say?
that pin stripe is put on later.
and that rear quater depending on how bad it is maybe they can push it out and bondo it maybe they need to cut it out and weld new panel on.

Thanks Jason! I thought it was her fault too because she didn't even skid/slid when trying to stop, it was more like she thought she could go through. But, I was technically in her way, and this is the first accident I have ever been involved in so not exactly sure what to do.

Good to hear there may be ways for repairmen.

Have a wonderful day

That is the wrong way to answer any questions asked of you.

Repeat after me:

I was fully stopped, and completely in my lane, when the other driver hit my car with her SUV, while I was completely stopped, and fully in my lane.

DO NOT say anything else.
Do not say that there was anything else you could have done.
Just say, over and over again, to whomever you talk to with her insurance company, that you were completely stopped, in your lane, and she hit you.

Her insurance company will pay to fix your car.
If they even think of totaling out your car, go through all the most expensive listings of same year or newer model RX-8's for price comparison for them to give you enough money to buy another one. Don't use any listings of cars that cost less, or have more miles than your car.

And almost never accept their first offer.

Somewhere on the forum is a thread about how to get the most money from an insurance settlement. Find it and read it.

BC.

Usually when someone hits you from the rear it is there fault....even if you are a bit skewed :)

Watch that they don't try and blame you for part of it...Like BC said...I was stopped and she hit me from behind is a good refrain :)

I'm not getting rear ended. Hope the hideous looking diagram explains...(I verified with my two passengers again, I came to a complete stop and there was at least a 3 to 4 seconds window before she hit me.)

Somehow we decided to just exchange phone numbers just in case we need to exchange insurance infos last night...Guess what...she filed a HIT&RUN complaint with campus police, and I was called in 8 this morning to clear everything up. I was like seriously?

Does Bladecutter's words of wisdom still apply to my situation now?

Thanks all of ya'll. I just filed a claim with my progressive, and it seems I will be talking to one of their agents Monday....

you're already fucked. Why in the world would you let someone rear end you and not file a report?

Heh.. just looked at your picture... yup ... you're fucked... you fish tailed into her.

Because I didn't think I was getting "rear ended"? Did you see the diagram I uploaded?

Well...
 

Well, I guess all I could say now is : it could be worse...:beer05:

how can it be hit and run, when she has your phone number?

kaido

Exactly. She never even called me, and made up stories to police like chasing me a couple hundred feet, when I actually saw her leaving. Messed up world man.

PA is a no fault state. At best they'll rule no fault at this point. Produce whatever contact info she provided you. With no collision coverage assume you'll have to pay for your own damage.

Looking at your diagram, looks like it's your fault – no way an oncoming driver should have to guess that a car turning into the opposite lane is going to swerve into yours.

But don't feel too bad. Minor accident. And you handled your car best you knew how as it was happening.

Thanks New Yorker, rx-8 really does better than I thought in moderate snow. Like I said, it is only the tail light and quarter panel for now, and we all know it could be a whole lot worse.

True. By the way, did you have your TCS and DSC on? And are you running winter or all-season tires? 'Cause your 8 shouldn't have swung out like that. If TSC and DSC were on, and you have proper tires, it means you took the turn just a bit too fast for road conditions. Take corners a little slower next time.

That's far from a rear ender ;)

The reality is like mentioned..you have minor damage ( $1500) and it was low speed...so you should be OK for hidden damage.

It's just one of those things with winter driving..especially in a rear wheel drive sportscar

I do have all season tires and TCS on, and you are probably right about the speed. However, the TCS never engaged though.

Now I feel bad that I have to report to progressive because i know she is going to, then the insurance company can sell my info to Carfax without even paying for me repairmen. :(

Just how life is, huh?

Steve, look at all the totaled 8's on here. This could've made your life much worse. Or even worse than that.

Bookmarked!

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...-claim-218419/

Good stuff, thank you!

You really need to report this to your insurance company. They'd rather not pay a claim to another driver, and the more you work with them the better off both of you are.

It's tough when you get into something like this and the other driver - who I understand ran into you while you were stopped - lies about what happened.

I don't think insurance companies sell (or even give) info to Carfax. I think Carfax gets their accident info from police reports. My accord was run into once, and my wife's Camry twice, and the only one that Carfax knew about was one where the NJ State Police had a formal accident report.

Ken

Tell your agent that you thought she had the time and distance to stop. If you could somehow prove that, it would be good. Do you think she was speeding?

so you spun out in front of an SUV and don't think it's your fault? and there are others on here teaching you how to lie and make it sound like it's the other driver's fault now...what ever happened to taking responsiblity for your actions?

Thanks everyone again for all the thoughts! Ibleeg, I think everyone on here is just trying to help me out, and who is at fault is up for the insurance company to decide. I am not going to lie to my insurance agent about the accident or about her, however, I do not want to be taken advantage of by the other driver, especially after she lied about the hit&run with police.

I have no way to find out if she was speeding, however, it is worth to notice that the speed limit is only 15mph, there is at least a 3 to 4 second window before we collided, and her vehicle did not skid. So there may be a good chance that she was either speeding or didn't react properly? Do you guys see the point I am trying to make here? I have made claim through progressive's website, and I should hear from their agents on Monday.

The girl actually works at one of school's cafeteria, so I don't want this to become personal. IF, just say if it is 50-50 fault situation, and the money has to come out from her own pocket, then I will just fix it myself. Life is difficult, and mine may be just a little bit easier than hers (financially) right now.

Like you guys have suggested, I will just tell my insurance agents my story, and let them do their work.

Have a good evening everyone.

You are absolutely right! I don't think anyone is trying to lie about anything. Reporting me to police was certainly weird, but I don't think she means to harm.