SBGT3

It doesn't appear that there is a replacement rear subframe on the list. Interesting that most shops miss it - sounds expensive.

100% proponent of track insurance after this experience. Call me naive or ignorant, but I relied on multiple emails from my insurance agent telling me I'd be covered for HPDE. After this experience, I came to find out that my policy excludes coverage for anything that occurs on a racetrack regardless if I was racing or not. If any lawyers want to chime in on my potential for a case, please feel free. The insurance company playing both judge and jury didn't think so, but it doesn't mean they're right.

+1 I learned my (very expensive) lesson.

Definitely an option.

cgfen

OUCH

Sorry to see this and glad that you are OK.
If it were my car, I would put it away for several weeks before deciding path forward.
Right now the experience must be quite raw.

Any chance that this occurred in turn six at Laguna Seca?
Only asking because I came all too close to a similar ending there several years ago.

I am now going to buy insurance for an upcoming DE.

Craig

SBGT3

This actually happened back in November, but initially I was very optimistic that my insurance would cover me and all would be alright in the world. Now I'm at the raw emotion stage where I'm a little overwhelmed with how to approach it.

Definitely get track insurance! Not a day goes by where I don't dwell on this and think about how I should've never trusted my agent's word, and how I should've read the full policy myself and consequently got track insurance upon realizing my agent was wrong.

ScottArizona

I'm a lawyer, but I'm not licensed in your state and cannot give you legal advice. PM me and I'll get you a referral (I have a lot). I don't want to get your hopes up, but if you have something in writing from your agent saying your are covered, and you subsequently relied on that, the company could very well be "estopped" to deny coverage, even though the "fine print" of the policy language excludes coverage. This is especially true in California, where the rights of insureds are often favored over those of insurers in the resolution of such disputes. You could also argue that the written statements by your agent effectively amended the policy to provide coverage despite the exclusion (and that without this statement/modification from the agent, you would have never taken the car on the track, at least not without specific track insurance, which you thought you had). My gut instinct is that any attorney worth his/her salt would at least have enough here to make things very uncomfortable for the insurance company, and after looking at Cal. case law things might be even clearer than that. Oh, and one more thing, no more public posts about the accident!!!!

LuisGT3

Wait, you have something in writing from your agent saying that you were covered?

996AE

If you have emails from your Agent confirming HPDE events are covered, and if he has E&O insurance or any assets worth 30k or more, you will get your car fixed!

Not a lawyer but spent 30 years in the insurance industry.

I do like the idea posted commenting; sit out a few weeks to let the emotions settle down. I have bent more than one race car on the track and its a real roller coaster.

Glad no one was hurt. Parts can be replaced.

mistermct

Sorry to see this. Glad you're ok. Hope you fix it and get back out there - those yellow belts and calipers on polar are just great!

spiller

Also sorry to see this. I think if you have the means, fix it and continue to enjoy the car. The longer you drive the car after repair, the fact that the car has been in an accident becomes less significant as time goes on. That's thinking with the head. Thinking with the heart, sometimes an event like this can taint ones experience with a car, and that's OK too.

GL with whatever you decide to do and glad to hear you are OK.

blake

Sorry to see this. IMHO, you should get it fixed - and I highly recommend by an expert.

LVDell introduced me to Kent Moore at Premier Sportscar Service in Las Vegas back in '05, and he is the ONLY guy that I let touch my GT3 because he is tight with Porsche Motorsports. Kent is an absolute expert on the GT2/GT3s, a complete perfectionist - and was a factory Porsche Motorsports mechanic whose team won at LeMans. When the local Porsche dealer in LV can't fix a 959 or a 918 - they send it to him. And above all, Kent's rates are very fair. (I find most Porsche dealers & independents price gouge - and do sloppy work.)

Good luck!
-B

bpu699

I have also saved every email my agent has sent. That was a wise move.

Agree with others, you now have a cause against the agents e&o insurance, or the agent personally...

Especially if that's what the agent said AFTER you bought the policy...

Talk to a lawyer

mooty

absolutely, kent at premier is great with these cars.

SBGT3

Correct. The insurance company is aware of this, but still denied my appeal.

Thanks, Rick! I will keep you posted if I decide to sell the car as is.

Thank you! It pains me knowing that this happened to such a rare car.

Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you for the recommendation! I really wish I could get my car over to him now for a repair estimate, but I have no cost effective means of transporting the car that far. Heck, the only reason my car is still sitting at a shop and not in my garage is because I don't have a cheap or easy way to move it 300 miles south. That, and I'm still trying to pursue the legal route to get my insurance company to cover it.

Emails were exchanged LONG after the policy was purchased. That's still the route I'm pursuing at this point.

Nizer

Bummer. Hope you bring her back.

Who was your carrier? I ask because I went through a similar dialogue with MetLife regarding coverage of a prior GT3. The agent also claimed in writing multiple times that I was covered for DE events. Thankfully I never had to test it and I purchased track insurance just in case as I wasn't confident they'd stand behind the policy.

911mhawk

+1^
I'd certainly pursue legal review with a well versed ins. atty too.
You now have an official track car if you decide to keep it and fix...however, the amount of time spent messing around with fixing can grow beyond your expectations.

SBGT3

You're a wiser man than I. Carrier was Mercury Insurance.

I agree. One of the main reasons I'm hesitant to pursue fixing it if the legal angle doesn't pan out is because I really don't want just a track car. Fixing my car while knowing what it has been through I think would taint the ownership for me. I only track my cars 3-5 times/year, so I'm more interested in a cream puff that likes it rough every once in a while