[pepsih]

...Luckly my baby e90 was NOT involved into this accident.

I was driving my wife's 5 week old fiat 500!
I stopped at a stop sign and i was waiting for a spot to merge into a highway and suddenly a Jeep driver rear ended me!
looks like the bumper and the trunk lid need to be replaced, i dont know what else.






Like the title says I was never involved into an accident before, so i would like to know what are my next steps ?
i called the cops, the report will be ready in the next few days.

Can i choose the shop that will fix the car?
Will the insurance cover the depreciation of the car due to the accident?
Can i order a different bumper and pay the difference? (I want a 500 turbo bumper, it's like and M sport bumper for fiat lol)
Can you guys give me some advices?

THANKS

[NormE91]

Just call your insurance agent/company and they'll handle it. Generally they have preferred shops, but you can usually use a shop of your choice.

Don't get hung up dealing with the other persons insurance company. Just call your company and they'll handle everything, that's what your paying them for. You were rear ended so it is more than likely not your fault; your insurance shouldn't go up.

Good luck!

[1chanc3]

If you go through insurance, you will pay your deductible.
They will have a list of preferred shops that you can go to for the work to be done.
Going through insurance however, does mark that the vehicle has been on accident when a car fax is pulled.
Expect the whole process to take about 5-8 weeks.

[NormE91]

Originally Posted by 1chanc3

If you go through insurance, you will pay your deductible.
They will have a list of preferred shops that you can go to for the work to be done.
Going through insurance however, does mark that the vehicle has been on accident when a car fax is pulled.
Expect the whole process to take about 5-8 weeks.

If it wasn't his fault he won't have to pay the deductible.

[aeilers]

Looks like a SRT8 Jeep

[DJtoad]

First, report it to your insurance company even though you weren't at fault. They'll tell you what to say and what not to say when the other insurance company calls you. You're free to use any shop you wish and, yes, you can claim diminished value due to the accident. As for going with a different bumper, that's between you and the shop who does the repair but most will work with you on something like that. Just make sure the shop you choose uses genuine OEM parts, not aftermarket. I have a feeling they'll repair, not replace, the trunk lid based on the photo.

[pepsih]

Originally Posted by aeilers

Looks like a SRT8 Jeep

Correct

Originally Posted by DJtoad

I have a feeling they'll repair, not replace, the trunk lid based on the photo.

ill try to make some additional pics but the trunk is little "bent". and it's little harder to close it

[deadmn1337]

Originally Posted by NormE91

If it wasn't his fault he won't have to pay the deductible.

If you go through your insurance, you will have to pay the deductible up front and then get reimbursed after the other company pays your insurance company.

OP, you can choose a shop or go to one of their recommended ones. If you choose your own shop they will send an adjuster out to inspect the car and tell you how much they are willing to pay.

Talk to the shop you choose and they will work with you to get the bumper you want and have you pay the difference.

[Agentphish]

That's a f'd up place for a stop sign...Not sure I've ever seen one on a highway entrance ramp...Definitely seen traffic lights to meter traffic going onto the highway during rush hour when the traffic is already not moving fast, but never straight up stop sign.

[335NJ]

Originally Posted by NormE91

If it wasn't his fault he won't have to pay the deductible.

X2, I guess depending on state, but in NJ I had to pay my deductible up front, but once the accident was ruled not my fault, I was sent a check by the other persons insurance company.

[0c5er]

Originally Posted by pepsih

...Luckly my baby e90 was NOT involved into this accident.

I was driving my wife's 5 week old fiat 500!
I stopped at a stop sign and i was waiting for a spot to merge into a highway and suddenly a Jeep driver rear ended me!
looks like the bumper and the trunk lid need to be replaced, i dont know what else.






Like the title says I was never involved into an accident before, so i would like to know what are my next steps ?
i called the cops, the report will be ready in the next few days.

Can i choose the shop that will fix the car?
Will the insurance cover the depreciation of the car due to the accident?
Can i order a different bumper and pay the difference? (I want a 500 turbo bumper, it's like and M sport bumper for fiat lol)
Can you guys give me some advices?

THANKS

You have a BMW and a Fiat and you've never been involved in an auto accident before? Geesh.

[Antetokounmpo]

I was involved in a similar incident in my other car a few years ago. I was stopped at a stop light and some idiot in a Chevy econobox plowed into me. I didn't even contact my insurance, I got his insurance company and policy number then called them directly because it was obviously 100% his fault. It took a few days then they gave me a bs estimate that didn't even take into account all the damage and told me I could keep the check and not even get my car fixed (of course I want it fixed!). Then I got an estimate from a body shop which was 4x more than their bs estimate. They fixed it and their insurance fully paid for it.

It sounds like your in the same situation. It might be easier to go through their insurance otherwise your insurance will have to get money from them. Good luck, hopefully they'll pay for the whole thing.

[jimmer411]

Originally Posted by NormE91

If it wasn't his fault he won't have to pay the deductible.

If he goes through his insurance he will pay the deductible. When I was T-boned last year I went through my insurance to speed things up, since my car was totalled I had the option of having them take the deductible out of the insurance check.

From there my insurance went after the other drivers insurance and his insurance company reimbursed me for my deductible.

[dmatre]

Try to deal with his insurance directly. This way you avoid the deductible issue. If his insurance balks, then go through yours and they will collect from his.

No need to stress or make mountains out of molehills. You're interested in reduced value on a FIAT????? Really? This car had near zero value once you turned the key. Get it fixed, then go on and enjoy life. Too many think that getting hit is a ticket to $$$$. A Ferrari, maybe. A Fiat? c'mon now.

[tc535i]

some good that rear ram bar did huh

[NormE91]

OK... so sometimes when using your own insurance when not your fault you may need to pay the deductible and wait to be reimbursed. In practice, I've never had to do that, but apparently some have.

It still doesn't cost you anything, you get the money back. Once when I was young I dealt with the other person's insurance directly. HUGE mistake. Think about it... that company has no interest in you at all except closing out the incident at the lowest cost possible. You're not their customer. You'll be making endless phone calls, emails, etc etc.... Why go through the aggravation?

YOUR insurance company will handle ALL of the bs for you. It's what they do, and it's what you're paying them for. There really is no down side to using your insurance, unless you really do need to pay out your $500(or whatever) deductible and wait for reimbursement. And if waiting a few weeks for $500 to come back to you harms you financially.... driving the wrong car perhaps?

[ed330D]

Go through your own insurance - what will you do if the other driver tries to shift the blame onto you?

It could be an expensive repair: obviously the bumper needs replacing, and maybe the trunk lid as well - it looks twisted. Then there are all the hidden bits that could be damaged: bumper mounts, floor pan, exhaust...

And what about your claim for whiplash? You did suffer whip lash didn't you. Got to pay for that performance bumper somehow.