Car accident (Rear ended)
 

I just saw the post about the other guy (Stormforge) who got rear ended. I was wondering what you guys thought about the damages on my car?

my goodness, i am really sorry to see that. i hope you are ok? that's always most important

i have dealt with rear ending before, never good. as mentioned in the other thread, look at the gap on the rear doors (against the rear quarter panels). see if it's even and similar left and right. that tells you on the frame

Yeah I'm ok. Lower back is sore.

I'll definitely check out the gap on the rear doors.

The "best" part is the guy who hit me was uninsured.

Uninsured???

Dude glad your are Ok. Don't forget, it could have been worse. Its just a car, and hope it gets fixed soon.

yeah uninsured!

Definitely agree. Could have been worse. Insurance adjuster is coming out to look at it.

Anybody have a guess(estimate) to how much it'll cost?

There's damage in the front too because he hit me so hard that I hit the car in front of me. (I was at a complete stop due to traffic on the freeway).

sorry to hear that man

I would say 3500 to 5000, take it to a reputable shop...search the forum, you should be able to find some, if you need some recommendation in SoCal region, let me know. good luck

To me it looks like just the bumper, which is already close to $1000.

Damn...that sucks! looks pretty bad, but if your're ok, that's what matters most.

I got mine hit while parked today also...dented fender and bumper....I didn't even get mad, no one was hurt.

Just the bumper?
Are you talking about replacement parts, or just what needs fixed to put it right?
Presuming the latter, then what about the structural damage that's crumpled to absorb the impact?
All of that will need straightened out, which from the look of it, will include the spare wheel well.
And then there's the frontal damage from being shunted into the car in front.

No point asking us, as even if any of us worked in the body shop trade, we couldn't estimate it properly without seeing it in the flesh.
What you should do, if you're able and the car is drivable, is take it to 3 body shops for them to give you a quotation for repair.

I'm presuming US car insurers don't mandate you must use their "approved" body shop only, and you're free to take it to whomever you trust/prefer, in which case those quotations will be useful and required.
Time to start making some calls or visits to local places, and getting a feel for their operation and quality of work.

Thanks Boron for your input and advice.

the right rear rail is pushed in

Please please make sure while you're car body shop shopping, make sure the shop quotes you for ALL new parts, including a BRAND new trunk from lexus and everything. It should cost quite a bit more than 1000. I see trunk damage, and possibly your trunk will need to be banged out and be repainted from the inside. I'd give it a good 3000-4000 for the rear end (haven't seen the front so can't give you a rough estimate). Take that fool to court and deal with it from there. I absolutely HATE people who don't buy insurance and pray everyday these idiots get what they deserve for their wreckless driving.

The insurance adjuster from my insurance is coming out to take a look since the guy didn't have insurance. I spoke to the body shop about new/oem parts. He said that it is actually up to the insurance company. They decide whether to use new parts or not. So hopefully, it'll be new. It sounds like the inside of the trunk will be flattened out.

Yeah here in Socal, I think there are too any uninsured drivers. But there's nothing I can do about it. Hopefully, it all works out. Thanks for everyone's input.

If you got the driver's details and reg, and reported it to the police, then there's no reason you can't take a civil suit out against him.
Surely the police will want to prosecute him for careless driving at least, if not compounded with no valid insurance cover for the vehicle being driven?
Of course, if he has barely a dime to his name, then the likelihood of extracting damages from him is remote.

Does the US have a similar setup to the UK - in that part of everyone's insurance premium has a percentage that is funnelled into the MIB (motor insurers bureau), which can be claimed against in the event of being hit by an uninsured driver?