Please Help! My first accident!!!

[csandste]

Originally Posted by philipp10
It's a 1999 car with 213k miles. It's value is only max $2000. So the most you are out is $1000. Take the money and move on. Not worth fretting over.

I've had cars totalled a month after dropping collision. When its value dropped, I dropped collision. Unfortunate, but $2000 cars shouldn't be carrying collision coverage. So you made the right choice. I've lived in fault and no fault states and prefer the later.

 

[dishdude]

OP already didn't trust the car to last long enough to drive back and forth from work. Car was junk before the accident.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5042351/leaving-car-at-work#Post5042351

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted by Kurtatron
I am beginning motorcycle class tomorrow.

So how would you feel if someone turned left in front of you when you were riding a motorcycle. Assuming you could still feel anything that is.

That's why i don't ride a motorcycle.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Silverado12
A hard lesson, but get collision coverage.
For a 20-year-old car with 200K+ miles that's not worth much, getting collision coverage is a tough sell.


Not if you can't afford to replace your car.

 

[AZjeff]

Then you cross your fingers, roll the dice, throw salt over your shoulder, etc. Then life happens.

 

[Pew]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Cujet
His no fault insurance coverage does not pay for damage to his car, I get that. But his LIABILITY should.

Look again at the table on page 4 of the document that was linked to eariler:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/cis_ofis_ip202_25083_7.pdf

The only thing the 'liability' pays for is for injuries to people and for damages his car does to other people's property and to properly parked cars.

In Michigan, if you want insurance to pay for damage to your car, you need to have collision coverage.


Same as Illinois. Liability only pays for the damages the at-fault driver does to other people's property. Collision coverage would cover the damage to the at-fault driver's property. Liability is normally seen here on older cars that aren't worth a high insurance premium.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by Pew
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Cujet
His no fault insurance coverage does not pay for damage to his car, I get that. But his LIABILITY should.

Look again at the table on page 4 of the document that was linked to eariler:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/cis_ofis_ip202_25083_7.pdf

The only thing the 'liability' pays for is for injuries to people and for damages his car does to other people's property and to properly parked cars.

In Michigan, if you want insurance to pay for damage to your car, you need to have collision coverage.


Same as Illinois. Liability only pays for the damages the at-fault driver does to other people's property. Collision coverage would cover the damage to the at-fault driver's property. Liability is normally seen here on older cars that aren't worth a high insurance premium.

Not to my knowledge. Illinois is not a no fault insurance state. Even if you only have basic coverage, if the other driver is at fault, you can have his insurance pay to have your car repaired.

 

[Pew]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Pew
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Cujet
His no fault insurance coverage does not pay for damage to his car, I get that. But his LIABILITY should.

Look again at the table on page 4 of the document that was linked to eariler:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/cis_ofis_ip202_25083_7.pdf

The only thing the 'liability' pays for is for injuries to people and for damages his car does to other people's property and to properly parked cars.

In Michigan, if you want insurance to pay for damage to your car, you need to have collision coverage.


Same as Illinois. Liability only pays for the damages the at-fault driver does to other people's property. Collision coverage would cover the damage to the at-fault driver's property. Liability is normally seen here on older cars that aren't worth a high insurance premium.

Not to my knowledge. Illinois is not a no fault insurance state. Even if you only have basic coverage, if the other driver is at fault, you can have his insurance pay to have your car repaired.


Right, I think we pretty much said the same thing I just forgot to clarify if the at-fault driver only had liability.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by Pew
Right, I think we pretty much said the same thing I just forgot to clarify if the at-fault driver only had liability.

I don't understand why you said "same as Illinois." It is nothing like in Illinois. If the OP was in Illinois, he would have gotten his car fixed by the other person's insurance.

 

[Pew]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Pew
Right, I think we pretty much said the same thing I just forgot to clarify if the at-fault driver only had liability.

I don't understand why you said "same as Illinois." It is nothing like in Illinois. If the OP was in Illinois, he would have gotten his car fixed by the other person's insurance.




I reread your sentence In Michigan, if you want insurance to pay for damage to your car, you need to have collision coverage. and I understand it now. I initially read it in the context if the OP was at fault for the collision.

 

[Kurtatron]

So I had the car towed home, thinking I could save it. I don't think I can. Here's the damage underneath...

The unibody where the frame and radiator attaches are bent out of shape.

Maybe I can sell the parts? Recoup at least the towing cost? It has very little rust for a 99 in Michigan. Should I sell it for parts or just have it towed to a salvage yard?

 

[AZjeff]

Do whatever you're comfortable with. Selling parts will probably take a while. Is there any difference between "selling it for parts" and selling it to a salvage yard?

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Kurtatron
So I had the car towed home, thinking I could save it. I don't think I can. Here's the damage underneath...

The unibody where the frame and radiator attaches are bent out of shape.

Maybe I can sell the parts? Recoup at least the towing cost? It has very little rust for a 99 in Michigan. Should I sell it for parts or just have it towed to a salvage yard?


How much storage room do you have at home? If you part it out, you've basically become a junkyard. Usually the amount you can get parting it out is minimal. I think if you tow it to a junkyard you'll also have to pay for the tow and the junkyard won't pay that much. If you've stripped it of good parts, I'd wonder what the junkyard would offer you once it knew that.

It sounds like you should have gotten limited collision insurance, that way you would have at least gotten book value for the car although a car that old with that many miles isn't worth that much to begin with. How much extra was that kind of coverage?

 

[Kurtatron]

To conclude this story, I am giving up trying to fix the thing and going to send it to a junkyard. I am getting a 2001 Honda Civic replacement with 110k miles for $2800. I got the Solara for $1700 and put $3000 into it. I guess that's not too bad for almost 4 years of ownership. I had it for 3 years and 9 months. I think it is salvageable, but I don't have the time to fix it. Shame to discard a perfectly working car.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Kurtatron
To conclude this story, I am giving up trying to fix the thing and going to send it to a junkyard. I am getting a 2001 Honda Civic replacement with 110k miles for $2800. I got the Solara for $1700 and put $3000 into it. I guess that's not too bad for almost 4 years of ownership. I had it for 3 years and 9 months. I think it is salvageable, but I don't have the time to fix it. Shame to discard a perfectly working car.


You should look into the cost of limited collision coverage.

Don't worry, from the pictures, the car wasn't a perfectly working car. Far from it. There's no shame in discarding a wrecked car.