Scratch one Volvo R-car

[DJ]

My wife, Susan got hit on the highway today on the way home from work today. She's OK but was really shaken up.

Some guy who had apparently just been involved in some sort of domestic violence situation in Denver came flying up behind her, slammed a retaining wall on the right, then shot straight over into her at about a 45-degree angle at about 55-60 MPH. That stability control system really works well because she never even came close to losing control.

After he hit her the guy drove away (quickly). Another fellow behind her saw the whole thing and got his license plate so he's caught with a hit-and-run offense. Besides, he left his entire front bumper in the middle of the road, too.

The pics aren't that great because they were taken with a phone but they show that the car fared pretty well overall. You can see where the roof is tweaked a bit so I worry that it's actually bent worse than it looks.

[1,6 HF]

Very glad that she's OK--not hard to see how she'd be shaken up though.

And that little crease on the roof rail at the B pillar is pretty worrying, but not compared to how things could have turned out.

[Jim Fierst]

I hope Susan recovers quickly.I am sure glad that she was in a Volvo with stability controls. A side impact at that speed on a lesser car could have been a roll over.
Is that car repairable with the buckled roof??

[davidb]

Glad your wife is unscathed. Someone would say it so I
will: than God that wasn't Lucia. She'd have faired far
worse. Having been doing the window fuzzy strips this
week the door side instrusion bar has been in my face
hours on end. Volvo strength it aint.

[Jim Keller]

Man, Good to hear she is fine.

Car looks rough but I have seen worse fixed, I am sure, depending on how much your insurance will pay before they total it, rule of thumb is 75% of value is were they typically draw the line, I see at least $6K damage there, and that's what I can see.........not sure what frame racks cost out there, but it will need one to be right

[Hamish]

Not good DJ - very pleased to hear Susan is OK, say hi to her for us will you? Does say a lot for the Volvo, must have been quite a crunch.

Hamish

[DJ]

Here's some clearer pictures of the damage.

This is what we now know. It was a woman (Postal worker) who hit Susan driving a Saturn. She had just been involved in a domestic squabble with her drunken sister who she punched out several times, then threw out of her car a few miles back. We assume that the driver was also drunk but there's no way to be sure.

She's admitted to everything including the hit-and-run and now has enough charges against her to put at least 28 points against her license. There will probably be more charges, as well. At least she was insured so we won't have to be out-of-pocket for the deductible.

We finally got an estimate yesterday which came to about $8,000. However, the shop really expects it to be at least twice that in the end.

I still don't like the idea of repairing it because, the way I look at it, they were designed to be bent but NOT designed to be un-bent and it'll never be the same again. I've been advised by a friend that it still could be possible to have a "structural total" decision on it because of the type of damage. He's also indicated that I can probably go after her insurance for "diminished value" compensation because it's so new. We'll see how it all goes.

[Jim Keller]

I think your friend has a good point, you can go after both if you want it totaled, I would push for total myself, but definitly go for the deminished value as it is certinly deminished now with all the ways to track a cars history.

However, in todays world, if the shop you use has all the modern gizz whizzys so far as frame racks and all, I wouldn't be too concerned about straightening it, I have seen some bent much worse come off the rack with little more needed than a light sanding, primer and paint on the frame rails were it was originally bent, little to no filler needed if your frame guy's good. If the frame guy's a good artist, the repair will be just fine, safe and you'll never ever be able to see it. I did a brand new 02 Ford ZX2 I bougt totaled with 425 miles on it for $2K that was whacked bad on the nose and when my buddy got done with his new lazer frame rack, you really couldn't tell it was ever bent. Another farmer friend of mine's father rolled over three times in his brand new 2004 F150 during a brain fart and they put it back together to near perfection, (I can see a color difference in the tan part of the two tone but the green main color matches perfect), including welding on a whole new roof!, there were a couple things they had to go back for but got it all sorted quickly and they still have the truck today working on the farm.

[DJ]

So the saga now gets even longer. Because the repair will be rather long, we expect to exceed the $500.00 allowance for rental car so the wife contacted her insurance company to arrange for extended benefits.

Lo and behold, her insurance was cancelled over six months ago! So she lied to the cops which will be yet another charge, as well as, another criminal charge for driving without insurance.

Of course, now everything will go against my insurance and will cost me $500.00 for the deductible. And it will be more difficult to recoup anything for diminished value.

This sucks.

[Will]

DJ:
Of course, first and foremost, glad to hear Susan is OK.

The rest is only money. I kinda doubt you'd be able to shake the deductible out of this broad with the threat of a civil action, sounds like she has litttle income and just destroyed her transportation. However, if she was wearing a uniform or forgot to punch her timecard out at the Post Office you might make an argument for official capacity?