[rkptl]

Hi guys,

Got into an accident last night at a rotary.. Some lady passed a car that was yielding for me and struck me at rear passenger door. Luckily no one got injured, but the impact by the car spun my bmw by about 90-100 degrees .. I was going through the pictures and am concerned that there might be frame damage .. What do you guys think?

Thanks

[doug piston]

Can't tell without getting into it, you'll need a new quarter though. Make sure you speak with body shop and inform them you do not want used or LKQ parts installed.

Insurance companies are getting very cheap these days and would love to have used or aftermarket parts installed.

You also have the right to chose your own body shop and not the one your insurance company suggests. Call your dealer and see whom they use.

[Halsifer]

Oh boy, that is painful to look at. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you my friend, I would shed a tear or two if that was my car. Anyways, when I got into an accident before at approximately 30 mph, there was definite frame damage and had to be realigned. It's tough to tell from photos or outside perspective, the body shop will mostly have to confirm it.

But I'm going to assume yes there is likely frame damage based on how bad the impact looks. Also, I agree with doug. Find a BMW certified repair shop with great reviews and make sure it's new OEM parts. Insurance companies try to pull that crap, so assuming it's the other person at fault, call their insurance and have them cover you with new parts.

[ft1330]

What the others said... And man that's going to cost a lot to fix, somewhere in the 8 to 10K range I would say.

[BavarianFanatic]

Not to split hairs, but a unibody car doesn't have a "frame". That said, I agree that it definitely will need a new 1/4 panel. On the F30, the 1/4 or "rear side panel" extends well into the rocker panel on the bottom as well as up the roof rail to right behind the b-pillar. It doesn't appear to have damaged the b-pillar itself or the rocker ahead of the b-pillar. It will probably also need the inner rocker as well as a wheelhouse since it appears it took the brunt of it right at the leading edge of the wheelhouse in front of the wheel.

The good think is that unibody cars are modular by design and can easily be grafted with all new components vs. having to repair/straighten some percentage of the damage. This will likely be a pretty costly repair.

While you'll hear tons of folks indicate otherwise, this sort of damage can easily be repaired as good as new by a reputable/capable shop. And, while laws vary by state, most do favor the consumer in that you have the right to select the shop and specific OEM parts. The insurers, however, may only be obligated to pay based on the areal averages for said repair.

[kent11202]

If your insurance company tries to tell you after-market parts are just as good then ask them why they don't charge you after-market rates - that'll shut them up.

You have every right to get BMW parts. If they (her insurance company) give you a really hard time, remind them of the pain in your back and neck).

Seriously though, don't be too quick to provide a quick settlement. Sometimes injuries don't surface for awhile afterwards - tell them you'll settle for property damage ONLY at this juncture.

Sorry you are going through this.

[rkptl]

Thanks for the input guys.. I'm just a bit concerned since this is my first accident. oh well.. Things happen I guess.

I already made it clear to my Insurance that I want to get it done through a bmw certified shop.. Just waiting for my insurances' damage assessor to come take a look the car before its sent for repairs.

[DesertSmokeBBQ]

Hope this one is leased.....

[F87_LCI]

Originally Posted by kent11202

If your insurance company tries to tell you after-market parts are just as good then ask them why they don't charge you after-market rates - that'll shut them up.

You have every right to get BMW parts. If they (her insurance company) give you a really hard time, remind them of the pain in your back and neck).

Seriously though, don't be too quick to provide a quick settlement. Sometimes injuries don't surface for awhile afterwards - tell them you'll settle for property damage ONLY at this juncture.

Sorry you are going through this.

Don't be too quick to assign fault here. Sounds like the OP was turning left and one lane of traffic decided to yield and the other did not. IF this is the case, sorry to say but the OP is at fault, not the other driver.

Agree with the rest on getting OEM parts and a quality shop to do the repairs regardless of who's insurance compnay is on the hook to pay for it.

[Dinh335]

Originally Posted by LagunaSecaBlue

Don't be too quick to assign fault here. Sounds like the OP was turning left and one lane of traffic decided to yield and the other did not. IF this is the case, sorry to say but the OP is at fault, not the other driver.

Agree with the rest on getting OEM parts and a quality shop to do the repairs regardless of who's insurance compnay is on the hook to pay for it.

There's no turning left in a rotaRy...I.e....If OP was in rotary he has right of way period....all traffic yields to traffic inside rotary ..a common mistake for dumb drivers. My impression was that car was yielding for op then another went around and passed it hitting op.

Now if he was entering rotary, and got hit its def ops fault..

[rkptl]

Dinh335 is correct. Once you are in the rotary, you have a right of way. To top it off, that rotary has yield signs on both right and left sides of every entrance. I was hit right as I was about to exit the rotary. Plus there was a witness and even the cop told me that she'll be cited for failing to yield.. So I'm not too concerned about that. My biggest concern right now is to get the car at my dealers CCRC asap.

[Math]

Oh man, this sucks:s
Most important thing is you're ok though! Cars can be fixed or replaced!
Good luck with the aftermath!

[kent11202]

Originally Posted by DesertSmokeBBQ

Hope this one is leased.....

Interesting point. If it's leased, does BMW, at lease end, take the position that the car is worth less than originally projected due to the "diminished value" caused by the accident?

If you owned the car, that could easily come into play at "trade in" because Carfax would show major repairs and that would diminish value. My ex bought a new Lexus and two months later sustained over $25K in damage (rear end hit on freeway) caused by an uninsured driver - the car is worth a lot less now due to that AND, ready for this? Her insurance rates doubled.

Karma?

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by kent11202

Interesting point. If it's leased, does BMW, at lease end, take the position that the car is worth less than originally projected due to the "diminished value" caused by the accident?

If you owned the car, that could easily come into play at "trade in" because Carfax would show major repairs and that would diminish value. My ex bought a new Lexus and two months later sustained over $25K in damage (rear end hit on freeway) caused by an uninsured driver - the car is worth a lot less now due to that AND, ready for this? Her insurance rates doubled.

Karma?

Sounds like you have a crappy insurance company.

[kent11202]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Sounds like you have a crappy insurance company.

It wasn't my insurance company, it was hers (as posted, she is my EX). In any event, I'd bet her company is no worse than any other.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by kent11202

It wasn't my insurance company, it was hers (as posted, she is my EX). In any event, I'd bet her company is no worse than any other.

Oops, I guess I suck at the reading. I missed the EX reference.

I've had more uninsured claims than I would like over the years and have never had a rate increase as a result. I guess I'm just lucky.

[kent11202]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Oops, I guess I suck at the reading. I missed the EX reference.

I've had more uninsured claims than I would like over the years and have never had a rate increase as a result. I guess I'm just lucky.

Don't feel bad - I've done the same thing on numerous occasions.

I'm in the People's Republic of California so things may be different here when it comes to sticking it to insured people. Frankly, I too was stunned when she told me what happened with her rates - I would have changed my insurance carrier.

[Bjornizz]

Damn that sucks... Good thing no one was injured.
Based on the pictures I think there are some damage to the frame, I'm no expert though so that's just based on earlier experiences.

[tntsE90]

Just a FYI:

Insurance company DO NOT have to process your claim and authorize repairs with only OEM parts. It is perfectly legal for them to authorize: used, LKR, refurbish ... you get the idea ..... if they are available. The ONLY time a OEM part is used is if there were no aftermarket alternative. It's in virtually all Insurance documents that the vast majority do not read but only find out after a accident while waiting for the repair.

With that being said, the F30 is a relative new car. I doubt there are much aftermarket part substitute for it.

[rkptl]

Originally Posted by tntsE90

Just a FYI:

Insurance company DO NOT have to process your claim and authorize repairs with only OEM parts. It is perfectly legal for them to authorize: used, LKR, refurbish ... you get the idea ..... if they are available. The ONLY time a OEM part is used is if there were no aftermarket alternative. It's in virtually all Insurance documents that the vast majority do not read but only find out after a accident while waiting for the repair.

With that being said, the F30 is a relative new car. I doubt there are much aftermarket part substitute for it.

That's interesting.. Let's say the insurance company doesn't approve oem parts... What happens when I have an issue with one of the replaced parts? BMW won't touch it even if it falls within warranty/maintenance period.. What happens then? Btw I picked up the police report today which puts the other driver at fault.. So if anything I might have to fight with her insurance company to get oem parts..

[BavarianFanatic]

You won't have to fight. You'll get OEM. There's no aftermarket support.

[drob23]

Originally Posted by rkptl

That's interesting.. Let's say the insurance company doesn't approve oem parts... What happens when I have an issue with one of the replaced parts? BMW won't touch it even if it falls within warranty/maintenance period.. What happens then? Btw I picked up the police report today which puts the other driver at fault.. So if anything I might have to fight with her insurance company to get oem parts..

Car is too new, I doubt there really are aftermarket parts available (that aren't goofy body kits or performance parts). This is more something to be concerned with a 2006 Honda Civic repair.