About 2 weeks ago my 08 Z06 was rear-ended in a 3 car collision. While I was stopped for traffic in front of me, some moron in a yellow Dodge pick-up truck slammed into a Toyota pick-up in front of him and pushed that vehicle into the left rear of my car. The damage was to the rear facia, the left corner of the deck lid and left rear fender. My car is currently at the body shop and I was told that the "tub", which is basically the whole rear end of the car that the fenders and rear facia attatch to, was also damaged and will need to be replaced. Quite a labor intensive procedure according to the body shop because they have to dismantle the entire rear portion of the car to do the job.
The at fault driver's insurance company (Safeco) has assumed liability for the accident and both they and my insurance company (State Farm) have sent adjusters down to look at my car. It sounds like everything is good to go except for one thing. Neither insurance company has agreed to replace the rear deck lid. They are telling me that the damage to this part is minor and can be "repaired", which will involve patching/gluing the damaged left corner with fiberglass/resin according to the body shop. This seems unacceptable to me because of the fact that the deck lid was an undamaged, pristine part prior to the damage sustained in a collision that I did not cause. I have been told by both insurance companies that my only other option is to pay for the replacement deck lid out of my own pocket, which tweaks me off even more.
I would like to hear from anyone that has been in a similar situation when dealing with insurance companies. Are there any other options available to me in order to have the at fault driver's insurance replace this part or should I just suck it up and let them do a patch job on the deck lid? Also, if the deck lid is just repaired instead of being replaced, what will that do for the resale value of my car if I decide to sell it later on down the road? I have been told that I may be able to file a "diminished value" claim against his insurance as a result of the accident and would appreciate any info regarding that issue as well because I don't really know what would be involved in that process. All I really want is to have my car repaired back to the condition it was in prior to the collision. I don't relish the idea of having to involve attorneys just to have this accomplished even though I'm sure the people in the other vehicle involved (who did not have any insurance at all!), are already moving forward with a persnal injury claim.
I gotta say, this whole thing has had me really frustrated and stressed out for the last couple of weeks. The shop doing the work is a high quality place and they specialize in higher end vehicles, but I keep thinking that my Z06 which I have worked very hard for, will never be the same. I am less than happy with the customer service provided to me by State Farm, especially considering the fact that I have dutifuly made my insurance payments to them every month for the last two decades without any prior accident claims. I also feel it is unfair that I should have to settle for anything less than a pristine, undamaged part as a result of someone else's incompetent driving skills.
Thanks in advance for anyone's help and advice on this matter...
Just how much "damage" is there to the decklid? Two square inches? A square foot? Does shop understand that the car is not "fiberglass" in the sense that older Vettes and boats are fiberglass?
It sounds like the two companies don't see the damage to the decklid as being structural in nature. If the shop has not discussed how much will be repainted, you need to ask that too. Some shops will repaint only the damaged area and blend into surrounding areas. Other shops will mask to a seam or end of a panel and paint only that.
Also, did you choose the body shop or did one of the companies? WA state law gives you the right to go to any body shop of your choosing and you have no requirement to get multiple estimates for repair costs.
As far as "diminished value", the chances are good that this collision and repair will show up on a CarFax inquiry at some point. When you go to sell the car, somebody that uses CarFax will most likely see that the car was involved in a collision but nothing will be there about how the wreck occurred or who was at fault or what repairs were made. That simple entry in CarFax can easily lead to your not getting a fair price when you sell or trade the car or even losing a sale.
If you believe that the repairs are not being made your satisfaction, then I would contact the State Insurance Commissioner's office. They have people that deal with these sort of issues and they could be of some help.
FWIW I have had repairs done to 'fiberglass' on two different cars and I was pleased with the results.
First: was my C5Z after a buddy ran over a timing box at an auto X putting a 2" crack in front bumper at the license plate inset seam. This was done without insurance.
Second: was our 07 X5 after bumping a loose dog (the dog was fine) on Issy-Hobart the front bumper cracked. A new fender was ~3 out so we agreed on the repair. This was with our insurance (Allstate).
Both were minor repairs, done to the 'fiberglass' and blended paint.
I hope that you get your Z fixed they way you want it, Anytime work needs to be done after an accident it seems like there is an enormous burden to all involved.
Corvette Store
Collision repair/liability advice needed
