My first accident..

[dtfd]

Just saw someone have their 15 year old SUV totaled because someone knocked the bumper off. Insurers are totaling everything right now, it's crazy.

I could see that happening. If you assume limited availability of used parts they would have to buy a new bumper from the manufacturer, which is likely back ordered for months, and then pay for the labor to get it installed. I don't know what the value of that suv would be but being on the hook for a rental car for an extended period of time might have been why they totaled it.

 

[IanCH]

Colloquially the unibody is considered the "frame". I don't know of a single car outside the SUV/truck market that is still body on frame.

What I was referring to was the difference in being able to replace some parts (bumpers, trunk, fenders) vs the body shop actually have to pull and make repairs to the unibody. You are right that insurance generally wouldn't touch that process, nor should OP allow them to. The car simply wouldn't be right.

My car was rear ended almost two months into my ownership of it. Thankfully the only damage was to my hatch, rear bumper, front bumper and hood (I was sitting in neutral so I rolled forward). All parts that could be replaced and were replaced. No damage to the frame though I had it taken to VW to be sure.

Well, the main part of the car that got hit over the rear wheel is part of the unibody... Which is why I distinguished the difference.

 

[cb1111]

The car is totaled, and the OP needs to go to a doctor and get legal representation right now. That driver had other assets.

 

[IanCH]

The car is totaled, and the OP needs to go to a doctor and get legal representation right now. That driver had other assets.

Now that you mention it, hadn't considered this - get the lawyer first, go to the doctor they use.

 

[cb1111]

Now that you mention it, hadn't considered this - get the lawyer first, go to the doctor they use.

Yes, the driver will have assets and the lawyer will find it. Morgan & Morgan is worth a call.

 

[JakeySan92]

Yes, the driver will have assets and the lawyer will find it. Morgan & Morgan is worth a call.

I actually called and they didn’t want to take my case. But I have a couple calling me Monday, so hopefully I’ll get somewhere regarding that.

 

[JC_451]

I actually called and they didn’t want to take my case. But I have a couple calling me Monday, so hopefully I’ll get somewhere regarding that.

You probably don't meet their threshold for ambulance chasing since you weren't hurt bad and you weren't struck by an uninsured Ferrari.

 

[JakeySan92]

You probably don't meet their threshold for ambulance chasing since you weren't hurt bad and you weren't struck by an uninsured Ferrari.

Yeah, I got that vibe after being asked a million questions about my “physical health” and then the tone changed shortly after. I’m just not that type of person to say “my neck hurts!” when I’m just mentally fatigued and can’t sleep in reality. *sigh*

 

[cb1111]

Yeah, I got that vibe after being asked a million questions about my “physical health” and then the tone changed shortly after. I’m just not that type of person to say “my neck hurts!” when I’m just mentally fatigued and can’t sleep in reality. *sigh*

In 2012 I got whacked by a car when I was stopped at a light. I was turning right and the guy tried to scoot in between my car and the car on the left - he didn't make it, but pushed me halfway into the intersection.

After the cops left, I tossed the bumper into the hatch (I had an Acura TSX wagon - another advantage of wagons) and went on to work, swapped it for a staff car and went to one of my sites. When I got back that afternoon, the Public Health Service nurse that was in my office said "you don't look good, you need to go to the ER". I drove home, then went to the ER where I was diagnosed with a concussion and possible whiplash.

Over the next week or so, I went to several doctors (I actually felt fine, just (like you) worn out. A couple of MRI's later, they said, "yeah, your neck is screwed up, let's watch it".

Several weeks later, I was back at my other site, got out of my car like I always do and got an awful pain everytime I tried to turn my head. I left early to miss any rush hour traffic and went to the doc - I walked out of there with a neck brace and a handful of pills.

Now, ten years later, I still get a twinge every once in a while - the doc said "that accident aged your neck by about 10 years.

Go to a doctor now even if you are feeling perfectly fine. If you talk to an attorney in the meantime, tell them the truth - you are unusually fatigued and will go to a doctor to get checked out.

 

[ElectricEye]

To the OP, I'm sorry to see and hear about what happened to your car - it's terrible.
I'm happy to know you are physically ok.

 

[JakeySan92]

UPDATE:

Insurance totaled the GTI.. The adjuster didn't mess around with the valuation process. Got seen by a doctor per most of ya'lls recommendation and I'm glad I did. I won't go into specifics regarding that(legal reasons).
Backstory: I'll say I'm gonna miss that car, bought it new in 17, had 49 miles, only had a few issues(covered under warranty((steering rack replacement($2000), drivers side headlight housing($1500) had to be replaced because of failed AFS) and out of warranty my water pump failed 500 miles ago at 63500($1700) which I don't consider terribly bad considering the issues I've had with other cars I've owned. The GTI always got compliments from random people(and the attention of Kia optimas/Honda civics trying to race me ), drove like a roller coaster, and generally took care of me(got through multiple crazy winters up north in the snow). My first car was a B5 Passat and getting the GTI took me back to my younger years made driving fun again! Both the VW's I had were manual but the next one I'm excited to think of entertaining the idea of a DSG! I think I'm most upset I didn't get to experience a tuned GTI and feel what it's like to have that extra slingshot of torque, but I digress.. It was a fun half a decade. I enjoy this forum and will be lurking for a while and post updates when I get into a GTI/R hopefully soon. Until then I'll be driving like a grandma in my spouses Tiguan waving at every Golf I see

 

[gixxerfool]

UPDATE:

Insurance totaled the GTI.. The adjuster didn't mess around with the valuation process. Got seen by a doctor per most of ya'lls recommendation and I'm glad I did. I won't go into specifics regarding that(legal reasons).
Backstory: I'll say I'm gonna miss that car, bought it new in 17, had 49 miles, only had a few issues(covered under warranty((steering rack replacement($2000), drivers side headlight housing($1500) had to be replaced because of failed AFS) and out of warranty my water pump failed 500 miles ago at 63500($1700) which I don't consider terribly bad considering the issues I've had with other cars I've owned. The GTI always got compliments from random people(and the attention of Kia optimas/Honda civics trying to race me ), drove like a roller coaster, and generally took care of me(got through multiple crazy winters up north in the snow). My first car was a B5 Passat and getting the GTI took me back to my younger years made driving fun again! Both the VW's I had were manual but the next one I'm excited to think of entertaining the idea of a DSG! I think I'm most upset I didn't get to experience a tuned GTI and feel what it's like to have that extra slingshot of torque, but I digress.. It was a fun half a decade. I enjoy this forum and will be lurking for a while and post updates when I get into a GTI/R hopefully soon. Until then I'll be driving like a grandma in my spouses Tiguan waving at every Golf I see

Glad To hear you saw a doctor. At least the car can be replaced. Good luck on you next car purchase.

 

[the]

out of warranty my water pump failed 500 miles ago at 63500($1700) which I don't consider terribly bad considering the issues I've had with other cars I've owned.

VW is going to give you that money back. You should have a class action letter in the mail.

 

[JakeySan92]

VW is going to give you that money back. You should have a class action letter in the mail.

I actually just checked the mail and I did indeed receive that!

 

[cb1111]

Yeah, you'll want to bite your tongue regarding your injuries. I'm happy you went to see a doc - car accidents can be tricky because injury can rear its ugly head a long time later.

Not quite a car accident but basically the same thing - in the early eighties I was working for the govt in Germany and fell off the back of an army truck onto a gravel parking lot - the ladder attachment tore out of the truck as I got to the top and fell backwards with my legs tangled in rungs.

I dusted myself off and went back into the office. The first person I met said "why is there blood coming out of your sleeve?" I was directly across the street from the health clinic, so I wandered over there dripping blood. They spent a couple of hours picking gravel out of various limbs and other body parts and patching me up before sending me home. I was really sore, but thought I was basically OK.

The building I worked in had a door with two padlocks - one about knee height. About three weeks after the accident, I bent over to unlock the padlock and couldn't straighten back out again. I had thought I was all healed up, most of the scrapes were healed and I had been feeling fine.

They sent me to physical therapy and I was mostly fine until I moved to the UK, made a wrong move and couldn't move again. Oddly enough, whilr the MRI machine was mostly invented in the UK, nobody there had one and there was a 6 month wait for any sort of imaging, so they put me on pain meds - which I hated.

A year or so later I went to Germany on vacation, quit taking pain meds and couldn't move again and ended up in a hospital (that actually had an MRI machine). Turns out I have a squished L4/5 and spent two months in physical therapy. They suggested surgery and the doc said "Surgery works great, I've had it done three times and I feel fine now"

TL-DR You can feel fine and have an issue a long time later.