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OP: It’s amazing how quickly those damages add up. I guess the question is, will your insurance give you true market value for the car? I’m wondering how that works given the current market fluctuation, though the market does seem to be rectifying itself.
I wish you and your wife a speedy recovery and hope it’s nothing long term. The same goes for the driver that hit you. The hope is that the driver learned something from this and all this doesn’t go to waste.
As for defensive driving, anytime somebody brakes really hard in front of me, it doesn’t matter if I can brake in time or not, I typically pull off to the side in case the person following is too close/not paying attention.
It really is amazing how the repair estimates can cause a total loss decision. My wife was rear-ended two weeks ago and resulted in a total loss. 2019 Audi A6 Prestige trim with 38k miles in great condition - but still totaled based on repair estimate. The car did its job though, the crash warning illuminated on the dash, her seat belt tightened milliseconds before the hit. She never saw it coming but the car did (Audi Pre-sense).
These things happen way too often, and the cause is almost universally distracted driving. Number one cause IMO is the cell phone in the hand of the driver, but now the fully electronic dashboards with touchscreen menus are also very distracting. Analog controls with ***** and sliders can be operated without taking eyes off the road - not so much with complex multiscreen menus of today's dashboards.
These things happen way too often, and the cause is almost universally distracted driving. Number one cause IMO is the cell phone in the hand of the driver, but now the fully electronic dashboards with touchscreen menus are also very distracting. Analog controls with ***** and sliders can be operated without taking eyes off the road - not so much with complex multiscreen menus of today's dashboards.
^ touch screens is one of the things I hate most about modern cars. I can't change anything easily on our tesla. Even turning the wipers on is in a menu if you dont have it set to auto.
It really is amazing how the repair estimates can cause a total loss decision. My wife was rear-ended two weeks ago and resulted in a total loss. 2019 Audi A6 Prestige trim with 38k miles in great condition - but still totaled based on repair estimate. The car did its job though, the crash warning illuminated on the dash, her seat belt tightened milliseconds before the hit. She never saw it coming but the car did (Audi Pre-sense).
These things happen way too often, and the cause is almost universally distracted driving. Number one cause IMO is the cell phone in the hand of the driver, but now the fully electronic dashboards with touchscreen menus are also very distracting. Analog controls with ***** and sliders can be operated without taking eyes off the road - not so much with complex multiscreen menus of today's dashboards.
Hopefully she sought medical treatment along with an MRI. Whiplash is no joke.
...and way to go Audi. I didn't know pre-sense was a thing 👍🏻
I totally agree about touch screens. In fact I was at an M driving event at Lime Rock and BMW swore they would never go touch screen but I guess that changed.
The difference between my 2022 Cayman and my 2023 911 is remarkable when it comes to touch screen menus and technology. It's at least two or three menu touches to be able to turn off my AC compressor in the 911, or I can say" hey Porsche, turn off my air conditioning compressor".
Where is in the 718 it's just a button.
The touch screen thing is really scary. Way too distracting to have to navigate so many menus and have to take your eyes off the road. I wouldn't be surprised if some manufacturer doesn't get sued in that operating the basic functions of the car is so distracting that it caused a crash.
Glad to hear that you and your wife are ok. I had my 2018 Cayman S(only 29000 miles on it as I also have 2021 Gt4) totaled 4 months ago by a 16 year old in a full size pickup run a stop sign and t-boned us. He said he had cruise control on and his brakes did not work. (I think texting). He was going so fast his pickup was also totaled and changed the heading of my vehicle 90 degrees. My wife and I are lucky to be alive. Be prepared to get a low ball settlement offer. The insurance companies usually use a third party company that does a search of comps but unfortunately they like to include vehicles with multiple owners, no documented maintenance etc. Not a true apples to apples. They initially offered me $56000. I provided them with nationwide data for cars with 1 owner and gave them all my service records showing proper maintenance and documentation. After several back and forth conversations with them I agreed to $77000. Get all your ducks in a row. Hope things go smoothly for you.
Be prepared to get a low ball settlement offer. The insurance companies usually use a third party company that does a search of comps but unfortunately they like to include vehicles with multiple owners, no documented maintenance etc. Not a true apples to apples. They initially offered me $56000. I provided them with nationwide data for cars with 1 owner and gave them all my service records showing proper maintenance and documentation. After several back and forth conversations with them I agreed to $77000. Get all your ducks in a row. Hope things go smoothly for you.
That is one of the advantages of agreed value insurance. If you don’t need your car for everyday driving, agreed value insurance saves you the hassle fighting with your insurance company about how much your car is worth.
That is one of the advantages of agreed value insurance. If you don’t need your car for everyday driving, agreed value insurance saves you the hassle fighting with your insurance company about how much your car is worth.
Or select the "new car replacement" option. Bumps your insurance up a few dollars but in the first few years they have to give you what it would cost to buy your car new.
It really is amazing how the repair estimates can cause a total loss decision. My wife was rear-ended two weeks ago and resulted in a total loss. 2019 Audi A6 Prestige trim with 38k miles in great condition - but still totaled based on repair estimate.
I get a Porsche car rear-ended turning into a total loss -- transmission/engine are right there.
Why is an Audi A6 that has only trunk space at the back and exhaust components a total loss?
I get a Porsche car rear-ended turning into a total loss -- transmission/engine are right there.
Why is an Audi A6 that has only trunk space at the back and exhaust components a total loss?
Cost of repairs. In our case the damage estimate was 37k and the cars value was 43k so according to some formula, I think mandated by the state insurance commissioner the car was a total loss. I was quoted: damage exceeding 70% value is total loss. I think that percentage may vary state to state. The visible damage to our car did not look terrible but the rear door to quarter panel gaps were closed up indicating some significant crush to the car. Estimate had a replacement of the floor up to the back seats. Suspension removal, many rear sensors, etc. The vehicle that hit us was a Ford F 150 pickup. It was a pretty hard hit and both vehicles had to be flat bedded from the scene. Replaced the car with an Allroad.
The “unrepairability” of modern cars has its roots in two things: crush structures and extensive use of aluminum. And lawyers. And regulators.
The passenger survivability in modern cars is all about the car body deforming around the passenger compartment. The higher the crash speed the more of the body must deform.
Unlike steel that can be beaten, cut, welded back together and afterward be just as strong, aluminum structures must be replaced. Else, the next time the car is hit by a distracted latte-drinking tiktok-watching driver, the occupants will be far less safe and the lawyers would step in and sue everyone that touched the car after the first accident.
Aluminum use is mandatory to hit fuel efficiency goals.
OP that's insane! I had a front bumper, headlight, AC cooler and fender sum up to less than 15k EUR with labor - how on earth this amount of damage is 70k??
12-03-2023, 08:30 AM
SPOT ON 