Chrisb482

Well my girl and I got into our first accident yesterday. We were driving into work during a snow storm and a guy plowed into the back of the car. I was stopped behind a school bus (waiting for kids to get on the bus) and the guy slams into my back around 40 mph. The idiot then gets out of his car and tells me that he was speeding to get his daughter to school (during a snow storm with his daughter in the car). My girl took a pretty big hit, but it could've been a lot worse. I'm ok minus a shoulder bruise from the airbag and all the kids in front of me were ok.

I gotta say the Acura is a damn safe car. I got hit hard enough to have the left curtain airbags and driver's side seat airbag deployed. My only complaint about the whole thing was that the curtain airbag wouldn't deflat afterwards, I had to crawl underneath it to get out. The other problem was that the drivers seat belt wouldn't work after the accident. It was fully extended and locked into place. Not sure if either are designed to work this way or not.

I'm gonna attach a few pictures of the car. I dropped it off at the body shop yesterday and I'm crossing my fingers that she's gonna be alright. 2009 TSX with only 10,000 miles, such ashame.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wait, your girl is the car? or did you have a girl in the car?
billy?!??!?!?



Glad you're safe.

Chrisb482

Here's a link to the pictures. Yea I called my car my girl.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisb482/

nj2pa2nc

Wow: your car must have been hit hard for the airbags to go off. Just glad you are ok.

its rayden

that driver is a stupid ass. glad you're ok

Alee:)

I'm glad you're OK, op! Looks like a hard hit! Keep us updated.

TSteezyX

Glad to hear you're okay.

Did the impact send you into the back of the school bus?

After an accident, the seatbelts don't retract, they stay in the position where you were wearing them when the accident happened.

edit: Doesn't look like a lot of damage at all considering the 40mph impact. Looks like he just grazed the back left side of your car?

Chrisb482

The snow was covering some of the damage. I had looked in my rearview right before the accident and saw that the guys car was sideways when he hit me. He had apparently slammed on his breaks and his car fish tailed sideways, so it wasn't a full on impact into the rear of my car. Otherwise, it would've been worse.

Thankfully I didn't hit the bus, I was about 20-30 ft behind it.

BlacK_HawK10

Ouch! good thing you're fine.

TSXKid2010

What an ass driver, trying to get your kid to school is no excuse to speed, especially when there's a schoolbus around.

But glad you're okay!

KillerG

Glad you are okay.

I am always awe struck that even though people ALREADY drive like shit as it is, in a snow storm or heavy rain people can manage to be EVEN SHITTIER at driving with absolute ease. I swear sometimes i see people driving in averse weather conditions doing something retarded and my brain literally starts to hurt because its so fucking moronic.


tl;dr: I need to keep some advil in the car

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

I thought u had ur girl in the car

glad ur ok though

win2k8

Does the impact of the airbag hurt? Does the air bag like suffocate you if you don't deflate it in time?

I've never had airbags deployed just wondering how it feels like.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

go out and try it

TSXKid2010

^ +1.

KillerG

its like being engulfed in a giant boob

ed_423

LOl. the only way to embrace the airbag is to motorboat it


on a serious side. glad ur ok op, it really doesnt look like theres enough damage for the airbags to deploy.but like u said could've been the snow covering

and glad those kids are fine too!

patcracks

LOL Ed!

sorry to OP, that sucks!

TheGoodGuy

Hope it can be fixed, though its my understanding that if a car's airbags go off its written off immediately and salvaged. I guess one could buy back the car without the airbags and run it (i had a friend in college do that) and

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

if the cost of the airbag replacement is more than the Actual Cost Value (ACV) of the car, then yes its written off.

MrOtocinclus

One of the reasons society is in such a mess is that people of questionable character continue to create offspring. These same parents go to any measure to do what they believe is right for their child, with absolutely zero consideration for the people who share said society with them, and also in this case, zero consideration for the welfare of the child.

Anyway, glad to know you're OK, and good luck with the aftermath.

Chrisb482

I can tell you that I didn't feel the drivers side seat airbag hit me, but I did feel the curtain airbag. That one did hurt and I have a big bruise on my shoulder to prove it. Nothing too painful though, just feels like you've been punched.

Chrisb482

I just looked up how much airbag replacements were and was pretty shocked. Explains why most are written off.

Question, since I've never been in an accident. If the car is totaled and salvaged, what happens next? I don't think it will be, but I just want to know what to expect. Do I get a check cut from the insurance company for the car? And how much do they usually give, BBV of the car?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

do you have gap insurance?
and what is BBV?

Chrisb482

I'm pretty sure I purchased gap insurance from Acura, I'll have to check when I get home.

BBV = Blue Book Value

nj2pa2nc

After looking at the pictures I am worried that if that happened when your car was hit at 40MPH how much more damage would happen if the car was going faster. Afew months ago my husband was driving back home to NC. There was a sudden downpour. The speed limit on this highway is 70MPH. He was attempting to slow down when the car hydroplaned (new tires) and hit a guard rail. None of the airbags went off and it was damaged in the rear. He was amazed how safe the car was. It was a HYUNDAI. It was not totaled and the body shop did a excellent job repairing it. Could not tell it had been in an accident.

TrixieSX

Glad you and the kids are ok man. It sucks to have another guy rear end your girl! Specially while you're in there

It's the other guys fault. His insurance should pay unless he doesn't have one.

Chrisb482

He does have insurance. I don't think I mentioned this before, but the guy doesn't speak English... made the situation even better.

This just sucks in general. You spend so much time taking care of the car and enjoying it and then some idiot comes and destroys it in a matter of seconds. Even if it's repairable, the car will never be the same.

kristy7911

The insurance company (whichever one you file the claim thru, yours or his-if you file thru yours they will just go back after his company to get the $ back), will determine the value of your car (usually using an independent company). They will find similar vehicles in your area, with similar options and mileage, and get an average value from those vehicles. Payment will be made to your finance company. If you purchased GAP, depending on who you got it from, you may be responsible for filing the claim, or it may be filed for you. GAP does not always pay the deficiency balance in full, and if there is any balance left over (either if you did not have GAP or if they do not pay the loan in full), you are responsible for the remaining balance. Fun huh?

snostorm

I got rear ended buy some dopey woman texting or something. She was in an Audi SUV. SHe hit me so hard the center console lid was open and it broke off from the impact. I got out of the car and expected to see some serious damage....the front of the AUDI grill was all over the ground. Damage to my car was minimal. I was blown away. The car took a pretty good hit. I was impressed.

DJMcGee

Glad you are ok. It's good that newer cars, have well designed crush zones and parts are designed to break to absorb energy.

I think you will find the damage more extensive than it looks.

Chrisb482

Just to keep you guys updated, I talked to the adjuster on Friday. He's going out to look at the car Monday morning. So I should have an idea of the actual damage tomorrow sometime. I'll post the detail for you guys.

For as hard as I was hit, I was definitely impressed with the TSX. The car looked like it absorbed a big hit. I was actually surprised it wasn't worse when I first looked at the damage. But we'll see why lies underneath tomorrow.

I still think it would take a lot to total this car. I did a little research into the actual value of the car today, its somewhere around 24,000. So the damage amount has to be pretty significant to total it. We'll see, I'm kinda crossing my fingers it does get totaled. Not sure if I want to drive the car after getting hit. I do have GAP insurance, so that'll cover any difference between what I owe and the actual value.

Chrisb482

So what ended up happening with your car? Was it fixed?

Chrisb482

Ok guys, got the estimate this morning from my adjuster. The car is not totaled, but has about $10,000 worth of damage so far. The guy doesn't believe there is any frame damage, but won't be surprised if there's more damage once they start taking the car apart.

Highlevel quote (the list is too long to type out):
Bumper, exhaust, muffler, left qtr panel, drivers side seat needs to be replaced, curtain air bag, seat airbag, several airbag sensors, headliner, moduling, trunk, taillamps, rear bumper absorber, etc. all need to be replaced

And I'm stuck with this POS rental for 3 weeks or so.

ed_423

whats the rental?

pbhak002

If they r replacing the bumper c if u can get the aero rear bumper instead, and just pay the difference.

kristy7911

I'm not sure where you are financed, but you shouldn't ever assume that GAP will pay everything.

Chrisb482

The rental is a Chevy Impala. Such a pos. No wonder why GM went bankrupt. I'll ask about the bumper. Do you know how much it costs?

KillerG

i had a chevy HHR as a rental once for a few days.

Like you I also quickly realized how the American auto industry managed to collapse. What i found astonishing is that there are actually people who bought this car and didnt have a gun to their head...

Chrisb482

Yea I know right? Who in there right mind would purchase this car?? What astonishes me even more is that Chevy sells this car starting at $24K.