Date:         Wed, 19 Jun 2002 17:39:46 -0400
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject:      Battering Ram vs Ford Escort
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I have some photos up of the damage to my vanagon:

http://buncombe.main.nc.us/~emaglott/pp010/index.htm

It's been about a month since this accident happened, and I still have a
smashed in front on my vanagon.  Here's what's been going on:  The car and
driver at fault were both uninsured.  I talked to the agent for the other
car who said that they were about 2 weeks past due on the insurance payment
when the accident occurred.  He thinks that another agent actually
contacted them and gave them the chance to pay their bill and the insurance
would cover this accident.  They still didn't pay.  Wow, that seem really
stupid to me!  My lawyer friend said that they were probably "judgement
proof," meaning they have no assets and don't really care about legal
responsibility.

So that put me into dealing with my insurance com[pany under my uninsured
motorist coverage.  Finally took the van to a body shop that is somehow
affiliated with the insurance co. to get an estimate/adjustment.  The body
shop manager looks  it over and then gets on the phone to junkyards looking
for used parts to repair it.  I kept hearing him say "square" looking for
the headlight.  Finally came up with an estimate of $1650, but that didn't
include the 2 grilles, which he was still trying to find used.  New ones
would have been about $350.  So now I am dealing with a real adjuster from
the ins because they want to total the van.  They determine the value based
on sale price of the same vehicle in a certain radius from my house.  They
say this is coming in around $1275.  I say, that is probably not for a
vanagon GL Wolfsburg Camper.  She says the VIN does not show it as being
anything but a base model vanagon.  In actuality, It was a weekender that I
have installed the full westy stuff in.  She asked how I know it was a GL
wolfsburg other than the badges on it.  Well, I am not sure.  What things
should it have to prove that?

So she offers $1650 to total the vehicle and let me keep it.  I will get a
"salvage title."  My understanding is that the only difference this will
make is that it will show up on the title as being totalled at one
time.  She says it is possible to get the salvage title turned into a
regular title by having the vehicle inspected by the DMV or something.  She
also said something about not being able to get collision insurance on a
vehicle that had a salvage title.  Comments on this?

As far as fixing the van goes, I can do much of the work myself, except for
the body work.  I think $6-800 should cover the body work, then I would
need a new bumper and a few other parts that I don't have.  So for $1650, I
can get it back in shape.  I am nervous about this salvage title
thing.  The other thing is that the first estimates I got were in the
$2-2500 range, and the current estimate didn't include the 2 grilles.

What can I do to pursue this further?  How likely is the adjuster to deal
with me?  What can I threaten to encourage her to deal?  While getting
$2000 and no salvage title would be fine, I think I can live with $1650 and
a regular title.  I don't know if I can even get that at this point...

My original post on the accident is below.

Edward


I was on my way this afternoon to have  a friend weld in my passenger side
seat swivel.  Smacked into the left rear of a ford escort with my right
front.  Its driver decided to make a left turn from the right lane, while I
was passing them in the left lane.  I laid on the horn and the brakes, and
got that sinking feeling as the car disappeared below my windshield.  Spun
the escort a tad more than 90 degrees.  Last I saw the escort, I was headed
right for the driver's door, so I'm glad I hit it farther back near the
corner.  Unfortunately, enough of the impact occurred above the bumper to
dent in the front pretty good, break the right headlight and side marker
light and knock off the lower grill.  I'm not sure if the grill is broken
or not yet.  Other driver was charged with a safe movement violation, but
is claiming they were in the left lane already when turning left.  Officer
doesn't go for that story based on the damage and how the vehicles ended
up.  I may have to testify against other driver.  Oh well.  I hope
insurance will help me out...  Vanagon is an 86 weekender converted to full
westy.  Chrome bumper is all tweaked on the right side, but the big
structure under it appears completely unscathed.  I was not afraid at all
when i realized I was going to hit the other car, because I knew I had the
battering ram technology on my side!