My Car! Another boot in the butt.

[jaybet]

When I was laid off and down and out my Ford Ranger died, and my son gave me his old Honda Accord coupe. It was his first car and he spent endless time working on it. Even though it's a '94 it runs like a top and I think of him every time I'm in it. I really love that car.
This weekend while I was away at my daughter's for Fathers day, some drunk tourist douche came around the corner and smashed into it...right in front of my house. My insurance is minimal, and I can't afford another car. I'm hoping they can fix it, but I have to wait 'till I get the drunk's info off the police report (5-7 business days) to even try to get a rental for riding to work, or to get his insurance to take care of it. Meanwhile I'm scrambling around trying to get to work each day.

The car isn't worth much on the books, but it's important to me and this jackass just was too drunk to walk...so he drove. At least they caught him. Now I have to figure out how bad it is and if it can be saved. Got a good mechanic I trust, so we'll see. There's always one more small boot in the ass waiting around the corner.

[MikeBjerum]

Sorry to hear this!

Did you get any information on him before the cops hauled him away, or are you totally reliant on the report?

My luck would be that either he is uninsured or his insurance company is not going to take care of you as they should.

Good Luck!

[Badgersmilk]

Very sorry to hear the bad news.  Having been restoring cars since before I could legally drive, I'd be happy to help if you weren't hundreds of miles away.

Unfortunately it seems like they give so little punishment for DUI's it's just a total joke to get caught.  I know people are still driving around with 3 and 4 DUI's on their record!!!  Some legal, some not.  Doesn't stop them.  

Sorry, but, how drunk do you gotta be to be a tourist in NEW JERSEY anyway?!?    



 

[Bic]

^^^^^^ see Jaybet, if you change your look a little you wouldn't need to drive yourself anywhere!

[Bidah]

Drunk drivers grrr....  Guy in Helena Montana was just convicted of his 12th.. yes ladies and gentlemen, that is 12 times that he has been caught.  When a friend of mine was laid off he was hit head on by a guy with 6 DUI's that had just got out of prison for it, totaling his truck and giving him doctor bills up the wazoo..

Hang in there Jay we can figure out some good out of this.   

-Bidah

[Sponsor]

[Hazcat]

DAMN, that sucks brother!  I am super glad you and your family were not involved and are OK.

I am of the belief that anyone can make a mistake ONCE, even DUI.  That once should still be punished severely (yes, been there, dun that).  2nd time and yer out!

DUI (even 1st) should be a 'free ride' fix /replace the auto of the one (if anyone) hit.

[fightingquaker13]

Trouble is, its usually the Haitian immigrant with the family drivers licence that hits you. If the guy is insured though, you are solid as he was arrested for DUI so liability is proven. There will be no BS from the insurance company on that one. If you know a lawyer, it might be worth having him write tothe  guys insurance company just to see if you can jack them for a few hundred more for "sentimental value" and whatnot. Its going to be a low ball claim anyway and the difference of a few hundred won't mean anything to them, but it will to you. They are just happy that it wasn't your son's mercedes that got hit A letter from an attorney generally gets an insurance companies attention a lot faster than one from you. Good luck my brother.
FQ13

[shooter32]

Sorry to hear the news, glad you and yours are safe!

Hang in there and good luck.

[Pathfinder]

Trouble is, its usually the Haitian immigrant with the family drivers licence that hits you. If the guy is insured though, you are solid as he was arrested for DUI so liability is proven. There will be no BS from the insurance company on that one. If you know a lawyer, it might be worth having him write tothe  guys insurance company just to see if you can jack them for a few hundred more for "sentimental value" and whatnot. Its going to be a low ball claim anyway and the difference of a few hundred won't mean anything to them, but it will to you. They are just happy that it wasn't your son's mercedes that got hit A letter from an attorney generally gets an insurance companies attention a lot faster than one from you. Good luck my brother.
FQ13

You're missing the obvious - it's a '94, they will write it off. As in gone, not fixable. You might be able to buy it back on salvage, but it's iffy getting any insurance for a salvage car.

Sucks, Jay, sorry for the hassles. My son's car was just totaled (he was at fault to boot) Thursday, and his was a '95, so no collision at all, just liability.

[MikeBjerum]

You're missing the obvious - it's a '94, they will write it off. As in gone, not fixable. You might be able to buy it back on salvage, but it's iffy getting any insurance for a salvage car.

That is my fear!  To Jay this car is reliable and his primary transportation.  However, the insurance company is going to scrap it and call it a minimal value.  It is hard to accept, but you accept it from your company when you are at fault.  However, when you are not at fault the other company should be on the hook for reliability and not book values.  Typically it is situations like this that screw the innocent.