Collision event,

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otis24

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Brought the 2009 T&C into the repair shop to get a key reprogrammed that I had purchased on Ebay. As luck would have it, there was a recall on the WIN module, which entailed replacing the ignition and both fobiks. Replaced two tires in April and the other two a couple of weeks ago.

This morning, a drunk hit the back of the van with a glancing blow. It moved the van about two feet and pushed the right front up on the curb. It tore the rear facia/bumper.

After driving the vehicle, things don't sound right up front and the handling is iffy. It seems to pull to the right slightly on braking. Road noise is present that wasn't there before.

My fear is that there is more damage than seems evident to the eye. Concerned that the new tire might have been affected by being pushed into the curb.

What else should I look for?

P.S.: The driver was arrested for DUI (.30 BAC) and the owner was given a ticket for no insurance. She says she has insurance but was ticketed until she can show proof.
 
Sorry complete idiots found you. Too much stupidity is allowed to roam freely. Lock 'em up.
 
Do you have collision insurance on this car? If so, it is the time to notify your insurance company and use their services. The driver and driver insurance situation may go on for a long time.

At any rate, take the car to a trusted body shop and get some initial estimates. Explain your concerns to them so they can focus/review the situation while doing the estimate.

You do not want to be "held hostage" by the lack of insurance or by the other insurance company who may do everything in their power to go cheap on the claim.
 
I have insurance ($500 deductible). Mine covers uninsured driver. My insurance agent advised that if the driver doesn't have insurance, I should notify the State's Attorney so that he can push for restitution of my deductible when it goes to court.
 
OK, so get the vehicle into a body shop and lay out your concerns. They should be able to do a thorough inspection and come up with an accurate estimate for your insurance company.

Years ago, when my mother was hit by an uninsured driver (in Missouri), her Shield of Shelter insurance lawyers made sure the driver's license was revoked and negotiated restitution of the deductible. Your state may have different procedures.
 
If you don't feel safe driving it, call your insurance and have them tow it to a body shop. There's more damage than meets the eye, I've been helping my dad with collision repair this week (what he does for a living) and you'd be surprised how far damage goes. Even if your insurance has to pay, your insurance rates won't go up since it wasn't your fault.
 
Good thing you were in a minivan and not a Chevy Spark.It would have been totaled.
 
Originally Posted By: otis24

P.S.: The driver was arrested for DUI (.30 BAC) and the owner was given a ticket for no insurance. She says she has insurance but was ticketed until she can show proof.


Sorry about the idiots surrounding you.

Shocked that she's not dead from alcohol poisoning.

I doubt she has insurance if she can drive when blackout drunk. It wouldn't shock me that she was a professional drunk and can't be bothered and/or obtain insurance.

If she can't drive to work, she can't work to pay off her financial obligation.

Sorry.

The good news is you are ok.

Was your van built on a Friday the 13th by a black cat who walked under a ladder?
 
Originally Posted By: javacontour
Originally Posted By: otis24

P.S.: The driver was arrested for DUI (.30 BAC) and the owner was given a ticket for no insurance. She says she has insurance but was ticketed until she can show proof.


Sorry about the idiots surrounding you.

Shocked that she's not dead from alcohol poisoning.

I doubt she has insurance if she can drive when blackout drunk. It wouldn't shock me that she was a professional drunk and can't be bothered and/or obtain insurance.

If she can't drive to work, she can't work to pay off her financial obligation.

Sorry.

The good news is you are ok.

Was your van built on a Friday the 13th by a black cat who walked under a ladder?
She is dying: one drink at a time.
 
Contacted the party that is responsible for the damage to my vehicle. She is an old aquaintance. Luckily, she does indeed have insrance (Progressive). The folks at Progressive have been very helpful. I take the vehicle into my shop on Thursday. The only thing the body shop had for a loaner/rental was a Ford Focus. I called Progressive back and told them that wouldnt work because my wife needed a van to deliver wedding cakes this weekend. The nearest rental agency is two hours away. At my suggestion, Progressive contacted a local dealership and set up a van rental.
Hopefully the damage is just cosmetic and there is no suspension damage. South Dakota did away with damage disclosures. The limit for a a damage disclosure used to be $5k. I don't know how that affects when a decision is made to total out a vehicle. That will be a conversation I need to have with my insurance agent.
 
Sorry to hear that.
me and my youngest dodged a "collateral" by 5 seconds.
somebody pulled that hard out of a parking spot that moved 3 feet a parked minivan.
 
The most important thing here is to use the body shop that YOU want to use. Don't let Progressive steer you to some other shop.
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
The most important thing here is to use the body shop that YOU want to use. Don't let Progressive steer you to some other shop.

YES, research a body shop yourself. Do not let them pick the body shop.
 
Body shop is saying that Progressive calls the shots and tells them what to fix. He stated that they usually want them to fix the car and then drive it to see if they think there is anything wrong. I told the body shop manager/owner that I would not sign off on anything until the front end was checked and the rear end as well.

He assured me that everything would be fixed but that we just needed to jump through the proper hoops. This is one of the few body shops in town. I know that they have a good reputation and that they value it. You can't afford not to in a small town.
 
When you get it back check the fitment on everything, they might use aftermarket parts and often the fitment is poor. If it doesn't fit well then complain to the body shop and they can have Progressive pay for OEM parts.
 
Last edited:
If the damage is just cosmetic, I'm not too concerned. The rear bumper/fascia will need to be replaced. I am guessing that they will pull the dents out of the end gate and repaint it.

The only thing that concerns me is the front tire and suspension and the rear suspension.

The collision was basically a glancing blow to the rear. It moved my van about two feet sideways and pushed the right front tire up on the curb. My concern is that their may be damage to the front suspension and tire and possibly to the rear suspension. Not likely, but possible. I want it checked out and ruled out at the very least.
 
Well what I mean about fitment, is with my experience helping my dad with auto body is aftermarket parts aren't that great. They stick out and have gaps, sometimes they don't work at all. My car had to have a new grille and fog lights and aftermarket fog lights wouldn't even bolt up.

I worked on a Subaru last week that we put a new aftermarket brake light in and it stuck out and had a huge gap.

Just make sure the bumper has good gaps.
 
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