The scene<br>I was driving on a one lane, two way street when a fellow pulled out of his driveway from the other side of the street towards my lane, - didn't see me -.. slammed the brakes and my Hakka 1's + Bosch ABS 5.3 were unable to prevent me from hitting the other car's passenger side front bumper with my driver side front bumper & wheel, after which my car slid to the right and my passenger side rear wheel well came into contact with a parked car. I called the cops, both parties told the same story, and the police officer verbally told me that in the case of an accident where somebody is leaving a private parking space and they get hit they are always at fault because it is their duty to make sure that there's no incoming traffic. It appeared to me that all the officer did was to just recreate the scene and leave it at that. Who comes up with a verdict? The police or the insurance companies? Is there any way I can get screwed in this case?<p>The Damage<br>scratches, bumps, dents, creases in my driver side front wheel well and bumper and passenger side rear wheel well, left front wheel dangling. No damage to the wheel per se but the suspension & steering parts are most probably destroyed. This is what concerns me, the body work needed doesn't seem like much. When they loaded the caronto the flatbed as they were pulling the car one could hear things cracking inside and the wheel rolling pushed by the fender. <p>Due to previous experiences I have little trust in dealers or independent garages alike. Right now the car is sitting outside at an independent bodyshop/garage's lot. Who knows what they'll do to it until the nsurance appraisal. <p>The only thing that's killing me are the thoughts that my A4 will never drive or be the same. I also can't help but think what if I was going 5 km/h under the posted speed limit of 50km/h and not at 50 km/h? And what if I practiced emergency braking with an ABS equipped car. I know that I pressed the pedal until I felt the ABS fully kick in. If I had pressed even further would it have made a difference? It almost felt like the car was skidding on wet asphalt even though it wasn't. <p>One small positive in all of this is that although the left clear turn signal was dangling on the bumper suspended by its wire, it sustained no damage and snapped right back into place:)<p>Gus

I had a '94 VW Golf GTI and was rear ended stopped at a light. The insurance(State Farm) looked it over and gave me $2800 to have it fixed.<br>$6500 later! I picked the car up and it was perfect even though the shop had it for 4 weeks, the frame was bent that bad! The day I picked it up..I drove to the Audi dealer and squared a deal on my '97 A4, traded the VW. I drove the car for 3 weeks until my car came in. I must say the repair was perfect. The red paint matched perfectly and the car handled as before the accident. But the repair shop was known for perfection. I watched them rebuild a new Bimmer that was rolled 3 times. I couldn't believe that anyone could put that totally damaged car back together...they did.<p>Good luck....find a decent shop. Call other insurance companies (not yours) and find who does perfection. They will tell you as they are not your insurance company paying the bill.

Don't know where you live, but if in a major metro area you will more than likely find a body shop who can repair your car to a like new condition. The most obvious thing to look for is a shop which has state-of-the-art equipment, especially the paint shop.<p>I had a 94 Honda Prelude which was damaged to the tune of $9,000 by a young gal who ran a red light. Like your car, the suspension was badly damaged. I inspected the car after the repairs and even knowing that the car had sustained major damage, I couldn't find ANY evidence of repair. One of Honda's strengths is its very precise steering, so I was particularly anxious when I first drove the car following the repairs. Again, it felt just as it did before the accident. In fact, the car looked BETTER after the repairs because the hood and both front fenders had some stone chip damage prior to the accident.<p>There are, no doubt, shlock car repair shops and incompetent repairmen. Do your homework before you have the car repaired. And don't let the insurance company tell you where to get the work done--they have no legal right to do so.<p>Good luck!

What insurance company did the other guy have? Some companies can be a real pain to deal with.<p>Stay on the insurance company. First, you are probably not bound by the insured's policy limits of $ 16.00 a day or whatever for rental car. I always demand a car of like kind and quality. When my Infinity Q45 got thrashed, I got a 3 series for a while and when I went out of town once, I called and got the same rate for a Seville for a week.<p>I always ask for diminution of value. This is a tough issue. Try to get documentation from a delaer friend who will submit an affidavit for you. My experience is that a car that has been wrecked losses around 5 percent to 40 percent of its value depending on the extent of the damage. Most insurance companies offer a token $ 500.00 in states that recognize diminution of value. That may or may not be adequate because a car that has been painted on will recieve less (especially on trade-in to a dealer) than a car that has never been wrecked.<p>Ask for a list of body shops. Then try to ascertain which body shops usually work on Audis, BMWs, Mercedes and etc. I would begin by calling my Audi dealership and find out where they take thier cars for body work.<p>If the car has noticeable overspray or does not drive properly when you get it back, I would take it back or have an independent appraiser look at it.<p>Good Luck.

Bob- thanks for your answer.<br>Who paid the difference of $3700? When you traded in your VW, how much do you <br>think you lost on the value of the car because it had been in an accident?<p>Gus<br>

Did you keep your Prelude? How long did it take them to repair it? I think I'm at a good repair shop. Tomorrow supposedly the insurance company representative will do an appraisal. Should I call her and ask to be there when she's there? What procedures did you take once your car was in the shop?<p>Thanks,<br>Gus<br>

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I live in Canada, and have no dealer friends.:) In fact I have no mechanic friends either. I'm 23 and not very good with these things, got pushed around and am now driving a Corolla. Which is ok cos I wouldn't be enjoying driving a better car anyway.All I'm thinking of is how my A4 will come out of this whole ordeal.<br>I think I'm at a good body shop but I will look around tomorrow. How much do you think my car has lost of its market value assuming an excellent repair job?<br>One thing I'm unclear about is if one takes the car to an Audi dealer it will definitely be more expensive than if one went to an insurance company approved garage. In fact the insurance company told me their garages work at $32/hour. My VW/Audi dealer charges $65/hour for VW and $75/hour for Audi. (this is all in Canadian funds). How does the insurance company deal with that? Also since it isn't my fault, it will be the other guy's insurance that will pay. They must not be thrilled that their client got into an accident with an expensive car. Will I have to go thru them? In a case such as this where both parties agree on the scenario, who will decide on the verdict? Will my insurance company strongly defend my case?<p>thanks for your time!<br>Gus

Did you call up the other guy's insurance company? Tell them exactly what happened and tell them it was not your fault. Mention the police office report and etc. Unless the other guy backs out the insurance company won't try to screw you as looking at the accident and police report(in this case) will obviously tell that is wasn't your fault.<p>About the repair,<br>Usually what you do in that situation is to get an estimate on your repair from the most expensive shop then present it to the insurance apprasier. He/she will probably give you less than that and tell you to come back if the repair cost exceed. Take your car to the best shop and get it fixed. The other guy's Insurance should cover your repair no matter where you take it and how much it costs. They cannot force you to take your car to a cheap shops, I would stick with Audi dealer and their networked bodyshops.<p>good luck.<br>

Really, really SORRY!!!! World is full of morons... This events maybe the only reason against owning an A4<br>Dmitry

Canada, hey. I am not too familiar with the law in Canada. I am a lawyer in the southern US. Nothing I say is meant as legal advice nor should be construed as legal advice. This is general discussion and what I would do even before I had a law degree.<p>If you are happy with the Corolla, cool. I wouldn't be.<p>Market value will vary. After the repairs, go to a dealer and ask. Funny things is, if they are selling you a car that has over spray, a car with over spray does not lose value provided the repairs are properly performed. If you are trading in a car with over spray, they will quickly point it out and likely offer you black book for rough or average even if low miles, clean, and properly repaired.<p>I have a few buddies in the car industry who shoot straight with me. Maybe you will luck up on someone willing to help you. You certainly have nothing to lose, but time, calling around.<p>Hourly rates are the insurance company's problem. Insurance companies probably get reduced rates in exchange for volume. If you are at no fault, the other insurance company probably has an obligation to return you to, as near as possible, the position you occupied prior to the accident.<p>Good luck and relax. If they dick you around, get an attorney in Canada who is familiar with Canadian law.

Jason Teller was also very worried that his A4 would never be the same after he hit the deer at 60+ MPH. If I remember right he ran over it and did a lot of damage to the front of his 2.8 I agree I would also question this but when Jason got his repaired A4 back he was very pleased with the repair. I suggest you get it fix and then make the decission to keep or to trade. I am so sorry to hear about the accident and wish you the best.<br>Roy M 2.8q Tip

In 1991, my then-brand-new Integra was rear-ended (in Canada).<br>The other guy's insurance company paid all expenses without making any troubles. I had complete control over selecting the body shop.<p>Insist on using only new parts for repair (steering, suspension), since your car was new, too. Get the best shop you can. In my case what I decided was the best was not the most expensive one ...<p>As for the lost value, be optimistic. Body shops can do wonders these days!<br>

Your insurance company(or theirs) will pay the difference. Push real hard and tell them you are going to lose value on your car due to the accident....you may get $500. <p>If they say no way...just start complaining about head pain that just came upon you and probably due to the accident....they'll pay the devaluation!

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