the worst thing that could possibly happen when you loan out your boxster

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by ukchris

One more note, there's been some discussion at PPBB about claiming for loss of value, if they fix your car the value is still impacted by the fact that it has an accident in its history. There is apparently a mechanism where you can get an estimate of the difference in value (say from a dealer) and claim in addition to repairs.Chris.

In the insurance industry, they call it "diminished value". It's the difference between what your car would sell for with no damage vs. what it's worth after someone knows it's been damaged. Like Chris said, get the diminished value from a dealer, not a regular body shop. In Georgia, the insurance company is required to repair it to its' previous condition and pay you the diminished value so you are back in the exact same position you were before the accident.

Sorry to hear about the accident. Check with Hennesey Porsche in Alpharetta to see if they have a recommended body shop. There's one in Cumming, The Master's Touch, that is very good (according to a couple of friends). They did it right on their cars. Just make sure they use all genuine Porsche parts and they use the flex agent in the paint for the bumper all at the body shop of your choice. Also have them pay the body shop directly when the work is finished so they can't cut you a check and run then it turns out to be 20% higher. That needs to be spelled out in writing before you sign anything the insurance company gives you.

[insite]

man, i feel your pain. lots of good advice here. my two cents? i have had several not-at-fault accidents in my life (rear ended, sideswiped on the freeway, etc.). i have always hated the overly litigious types that sue at the drop of a hat, so i always took what the insurance companies gave me and didn't complain (**************** happens).

well, what that got me was SCREWED. months later when some undiscovered issue appears, try getting them to fix it retroactively. when your car doesn't drive exactly as it should, try getting them to return your calls. when it's supposed to take a week to fix and it takes two months, add up the hours spent on the phone, hours missed from work, pain and agony over having to drive some POS rental, and the bottom line is that if you just take what they hand you, you eat serious crow.

get two estimates on the damage from DEALERS. call the other insurance company for their 'offer'. then, have your attorney call the insurance company. they will get you what really is fair.

as for the atlanta area, there are a lot of good body shops and a lot of crappy ones. if the frame is bent, try as hard as you can to get them to replace the whole front clip; that way, there are no stress / fatigue issues to worry about. as for dealerships, i prefer jim ellis on peachtree industrial over hennesy on mansell; they seem to cater to the enthusist to a higher degree. insist on NEW parts, not parts pulled from a junkyard. aluminum suspension components CRACK and break rather than bend, so you never know what kind of crap they'll put on there unless they magnaflux it, which they will not.

you can put some of the extra insurance cash toward litronics / gt3 bumper, etc. that way, you're only buying the part once rather than twice. no sense having them replace stock parts only to then replace those w/ upgrades. the dealers can give you some great advice, as well as a more accurate assessment of the nature of damage. judging from the pic, it's not too bad. looks to me like your frame is probably okay; you'll likely just need a new fender, light, bumper and door panel (but you never know). best of luck; that really sucks.

look at the bright side, though. you could be bummed because someone hit your beloved primer grey pinto.

[fefyfo]

Great advices. Thank you everyone. This is my first car that's been in an accident so Im quite new to this. All the info will give me the proper ammo once I start disputing with their insurance company. I'll keep everyone posted.