Unfortunately have only had my 10 460L about 2 months and was rear ended pretty badly while sitting at a light. A drunk driver hit someone who then hit me- I saw it coming in my rear view and actually hit the gas and steered into an adjacent lane in an attempt to avoid the inevitable. Unfortunately I was about 1/2 second late and still took a nasty hit to the right side. Drunk driver fled the scene but was later picked up and arrested at his house. Lady he hit (who hit me) was taken off in a stretcher. My best guess is she was going 20-25 (maybe more) when she hit me. No airbags deployed.

I'm looking for advice in navigating through the insurance claim, repairs, etc. If it matters, I use Progressive and have a $500 deductible. I know they offer some sort of service where I can leave the car with them (they have a shop about 1 mile from my house) and then they farm out the work to a repair shop. It's certainly the most convenient option as they have on-site rental cars, but I'm looking for the best experience, not the most convenient. My wife backed into a pole in our SUV a while back and they made some comment that due to the age of the truck (2010 LX) that they "could" use after market parts to repair the bumper and tail light. I never went through with the repair of that, so just not familiar with how all of this works and how to make sure I don't get the short end of the stick. I'm also concerned about the functioning of the trunk since it's motorized. Please let me know what all to look out for, request, negotiate, etc.

Appreciate any quick advice as I'll be going through the process in the next 24-48 hours.

 

Well first of all, sorry to hear about your accident, but glad you are OK.

It is hard for me to give you advice because each state has it's own laws. In my state (Massachusetts) you would not be liable for the deductible because it wasn't your fault. In fact I had a very similar accident with my Infiniti Q45a, except I was the middle car, so I had damage front and rear. If this happened here, your car would be examined by an adjuster from the insurance company. He would calculate the cost of repair and you would get a check from the insurance company (no deductible).

You would take the car to the auto body shop of your choice. In the course of the shop repairing the car, they may find additional damage that the adjuster did not see. The shop will call the adjuster back and he will authorize a supplemental payment to you for the additional repairs.

Again, I have no idea how Florida works. Hopefully someone will chime in, or you could also post this thread in the Florida forum -

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/flo...exus-club-177/

 

If you have any aches or pains I'd call a lawyer. They can walk you through the ins and outs of the claims process. Don't forget about your car's newly diminished value due to it having a brand new accident in its history and the fact that the repair job will never be exactly factory original quality.

 

Your local Lexus dealership will likely have a recommendation for a body shop. I selected my own body shop several years ago, but Progressive may have a different policy. Best wishes with the repairs.

 

First off glad you're okay. Second...unfortunately my guess is your LS is totaled...

 

Yikes. I was not expecting that as a potential outcome, but I just saw the post from Duck05 and looked at his wife's accident in January. My damage is worse than that and I think he mentioned his repairs were somewhere in the $12k (maybe more) range. You may be right- I guess I'll know soon enough. I really don't like the idea of having to shop for another LS- as we all know the search for a used car that you feel comfortable with based on service history, accident history, etc. takes quite a while.

 

I would say I'm 99% sure it'll be totaled. The damage to the unibody structure on a rear hit like that is very expensive, those rear fenders are integral to the unibody structure and have to be cut out and new structure welded in...and Duck's damage was nowhere near as bad as yours...his fenders weren't as compromised, his damage was limited to the rear bumper, decklid, etc. His was over $15k when completed, this is probably ~ $20k to repair.

 

1. Happy to see you are not injured.
2. This damage will not buff out.
3. Call you Lexus dealer and ask for a recommendation for a body shop who has Lexus experience.
4. Try to work with the insurance company on getting the repairs done with NEW factory parts.
5. A good body shop can perform miracles and make sure they guarantee the paint.
6. Inspect the car closely BEFORE you drive it home to make sure everything looks great and works properly.
7. Insurance regulations vary from state to state and "IF" you have any questions or feel the company is trying to "stick it to you" seek out a lawyer who specializes in auto accidents...... EG: Better Call Saul.
8. The insurance company is NOT your friend....... Neither are the adjusters.
9. Hopefully everything works out for you and you are happy with the outcome.
10. Be thankful you were NOT hurt by this irresponsible drunk!

 

I wouldn't let Progressive handle this. The LS460 paint is not easy to replicate so you want a Lexus-recommended body shop to do the work (assuming your car isn't totaled). Body shops bill the same flat rate for insurance work so it doesn't matter where you take it.

Your insurance should pay you retail value for the LS if it is totaled or up to about 70% of this for repair.

 

I really would not worry about a "Lexus recommended" shop, I would do research and pick the best shop in your area. Dealers have marketing arrangements with shops, but that doesn't mean its the best shop.

 

Thanks guys. As luck would have it, a family friend is actually a "diminished value" consultant. I just finished speaking to him and got some good info- and he was echoing a lot of what you guys have pointed out. After learning a bit from everyone here and speaking to him, I'm unfortunately coming to grips with the fact the car will likely be totaled. A friend of a friend has a family business that does body work focusing on high-end autos (including exotics) and I used them for some work on my LS430 and was really pleased, so that's where the car will be towed for a full assessment.

I'll keep you guys posted as things unfold and any lessons I learn from going through the process.

As always, I appreciate the community here and everyone's willingness to help.

 

I am sorry to hear about your accident unfortunately Florida is a no-fault state which means you go through your insurance company and everybody else goes through their own insurance company and then everyone's insurance company sues the at-fault person's insurance company. I would say there is a very good chance your car is totaled. I would use the situation to remind people that the cheapest insurance is not always the best, in your situation you will most likely be okay as your vehicle should be totaled. I am an insurance broker so I do not work for the insurance companies directly, but I always recommend to people with high end vehicles to go to an insurance company that offers OEM Equipment rider add on ( this is not true for all states but for most states), this rider allows you to get brand new Lexus parts for your vehicle so you don't have to have aftermarket parts, it is usually very inexpensive rider about 20-50 dollars per year. Then if you have an accident even if it is not your fault you will be able to get new parts, because if someone hits your car their insurance company may not want to use oem parts and then you would normally have a headache and hassle to get this resolved, but since you have oem parts rider on your insurance you just have your agent file a claim on your insurance ( which trust me will not raise your rates any more than if the claim was filed on the other person insurance, and yes even with a NAF ( not-at-fault accident) your rates will go up), then your insurance company will go after the driver who was at-fault and their insurance company. Speaking from experience your insurance company will care more about your satisfaction then the other persons insurance company because they will never have to deal with you again but your insurance company will at least want to keep your business, ( i recommend smaller regional insurance companies who do not advertise on TV because they generally have lower rates and they operate on word of mouth so they want to keep their customers happier) just humble opinion from my experience.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident, but glad that everyone is OK.

I am not familiar with Progressive. But once had to deal with All State. They proposed 'OEM but reconditioned' parts and insisted on it. I refused and insisted on OEM parts. I would suggest you be firm on OEM parts.

Also, as other suggested talk t local Lexus dealership and find out whom the refer. Many dealerships do have own body shops as well. Good luck!.

Added : no matter how best the repair be done, it won't match factory original. If I were you, I would insist on totaling.

 

As far as whether the car is totaled or not, it is strictly a financial decision made by the insurance company based on the market value of the car and the cost to repair it. Whether or not you can appeal the decision depends on your state's laws.

As to the use of OEM parts, here is the law in Massachusetts, your state may vary.

If the repair of the damaged part impairs the operational safety of the auto, the insurance company will pay to replace it with an OEM part. For non-safety parts, unless your claim occurs during the first 20,000 miles on the auto's odometer, you are not entitled to OEM parts. For autos with more than 20,000 miles, state regulation allows for the replacement of damaged parts with used, reconditioned or after market parts. You can insist on OEM parts, but you will have to pay the difference in cost.

Now if they do total the car, here is something to consider. Check with your auto body shop and see how cheaply they can repair the car within your acceptable limits. Then find out how much the insurance company will sell the car to you. Just making up numbers here, but say they total the car and give you $27,000 for it. Your auto body shop says they can have it looking decent for $11,000, and the insurance company will sell you the car for $1000. So it costs you $12,000 and you pocket the $15,000. Now you do have a salvage title, but you only paid $12,000 for it and if you keep the car a few years what difference does it make what you later sell it for.

 

Most important that you are ok... car can be repalced