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      11-28-2024, 10:12 AM   #18
RockCrusher
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Drives: BMW 2024 M8 Competition Coupe
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Benton County, AR

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That's unfortunate. Hope every one is ok.

Totaled? My experience is to seek out the absolutely best repair shop and arrange to have the car in to have the extent of the damage estimated.

The insurance company adjuster will first have to visit/view the car and his repair estimate will be low.

But if the insurance adjuster declares the car a total loss that's it.

But maybe he doesn't.

So the repair shop then will assess the damage and estimate repair costs. And invariably its estimate will be higher. Why? Well, one reason is the shop will preform some tear down to better view and assess the damage.

If there is suspected structural damage -- and there probably is -- this means the car will have to be put on a precision bench and various hard point locations checked. If any are found out of position they can be brought back into position. This step is critical to ensuring a proper repair. But it is expensive and insurance companies balk at paying for this.

I have had this done to at least one car. A Celette Bench was used

You want the car repaired to BMW standards not the insurance company's standards.

The above will raise the cost of repair and could result in the car being declared a total loss.

Frankly with that kind of damage I would prefer to have the car declared a total loss rather than have it repaired.

However, if you file a claim with your insurance company you might find you signed away some rights regarding repairs. Rights such as new factory parts vs. OEM or even used parts.

(In one case the at fault driver's insurance company *insisted* on used parts. Body shop ordered the part: Front bumper cover. It was in worse condition than the bumper cover on the car which was clearly damaged too much to remain in service.)

Some pics (which pictorially sort of shows how I came by my "experience").

2008 Cayman S declared a total loss. (Hit by an '89 Volvo. Driver lost control in the rain. Oh the Cayman S was just 4 weeks old.)

2003 Porsche 996 Turbo: Not a total loss. Hit a mule deer. $25,000+ to repair.

2020 Challenger Scat Pack: Not a total loss. Hit while parked in my assigned parking space. In fact -- believe it or not -- hit twice by the same driver two different nights. $8000+ to repair and I filed for and received a $2500 diminished value settlement for the car.

Oh, 996 Turbo on a Celette Bench...
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