03CoupeV6

No you're not being stupid, you're being decent, IMO.

But what a sad way for an Anthracite A-Spec TL to go (my favorite combination)...

At least the car did its job!

walker29

Dude, glad you are ok. Those pics made me ill.

Second - Don't be so quick to give up on the car. Some of that may buff out. Also, you may want to go after Acura to cover some of it under warranty, probably a lot of rattles now.

Seriously though, glad you are ok. Appreciate life - it could have been a lot worse.

cM3go

Why not a G35c/G35, maybe the new 3-series? depends on how much you want to spend/getting for your car.

ndx2

hmm.. how about a TL 6MT? haha

take a good look at:

volvo s40 t5 awd
saab 9-3 aero sedan/vert... the vert is sweeeeet
mb c320/230 (depending on your budget)
330i

hope you remember to take out your laser shifter & the v1 and what not... and like cTLgo said, go swap out your wheels with the stock ones, provided that they're not damaged. (once they decide to total it, that is)

just a suggestion: get an MT this time. it'll take a day to learn, if that. it's soooo much more fun to drive.

MR1

Good thinking, just make sure you see a doctor and get checked out.
May want to check safety ratings on whatever you plan on buying.

jamilla

At least the bottle of water survived! Not to make light of the situation.

vp911

lmao

vp911

I had infiniti buy back the FX, so well personally I don't want another infiniti... but aside from that my parents would never sign for a loan on an infiniti again (even though i pay it) they would refuse.

vp911

haha. no 6mt for me.

now assuming they total the car, i'll look at the 3 series, maybe the A4, idk what else is in the range. i wish that new IS was out, I wouldn't mind that car...

vp911

Yeah, I have to see my primary care phys. in a couple days for a followup.

I will deff. be checking safety ratings on whatever I get next.

subinf

i had an integra and was hit pretty bad two years ago. i had no intention of suing despite a lot of different people telling me i should because its an easy way to get money. i went to the doctor a few times to make sure everything was ok. my shoulder hurt a little bit so i had an mri. came back negative. since the other guys insurance company was not willing to talk to me about reimbursement I had to get a lawyer to cover my medical expenses. if you're not hurt dont sue, that just makes you like the rest of the assholes in america who want easy money. collect your out of pocket expenses and reimbursement for your car, possessions, etc. if you are hurt, get your compensation, nothing wrong with that.

crazymjb

Well if you arent hurt dont sue cause thats fraud. (well, not exactly. But if you sue for personal injury it is)

vp911

it's not fraud. there are many reasons to sue. but the point here is, i am not injured to any major extent - while the enitre left side of my body may be killing me - it is still not grounds for me to sue. like somebody said earlier, america is a litigation driven country. i have no interest in suing. the only reason i would is if i had major medical expenses or if the guy was a drunk driver (which i think would be fair for me to sue) and i would NOT keep the money from a suit because of drunk driving, i would give it to a group like AA or MADD.

crazymjb

I never said that...

vp911

lol

mg7726

you're a good man vikra. less docs find anything - leave this out of the courts. shit happens, you learn from it and move on.

vp911

now, i have to ask. since it seems teh ar will be totaled. what is a fair amount to be getting from the ins company? 05tl, navi, a-spec, 7500 miles. i checked from KBB with the 04tl with the same specs (icnluding aspec) and it said $34,400...retail price...

what should i be looking for?

ndx2

haha you'll be making money from this deal!! aspec MSRP is 40k~ with navi. so, ask for 38000.

vp911

you think i can ask for 38?

ndx2

sure, i think it's reasonable for a 6 month old car. btw, get some cheap steel rims and swap out those aspec wheels!!

they'll probably offer you something like 35k, but they won't care much as long as it's reasonable, as they will be charging the other guy's insurance.

EnJ

How much did you pay for the car? I would at least ask for that amount. As far as you not wanting to sue, that's your choice. Personally, I would just for all the damn trouble the other driver caused. By the way, was the other driver hurt? Any explaination as to why he sped through a blinking light? I'd reconsider your position on suing if I were you; you might seriously regret it in a few years. I guess it all depends on your morals, but I'd definitely make this fawker pay for destroying my car, along with pain and suffering, and medical expenses/ future medical expenses if there are any. By the way, did you see a doctor? I've heard problems can arrise years later even if there are no symptoms immediately after the accident.

vp911

I paid 33,800 for the car, and added a-spec after. when i filed the claim i was told by the claims rep to find reciepts for anything i added to make a final settlement with them.

the light was not blinking. it was simply off. there was a power outage, completely off.

yea, i may regret not suing him especially if i get into law school and have to pay my way through, but morally i think it is wrong to sue.

yes, i saw a doctor, and have a follow up in a few more days.

steevr

Get another TL. Amazing that you walked away from that one. The car did it's job in protecting you. I would definitely let a TL be your protection a second time.

EnJ

Well it's your decision, but it's pretty ironic that you think it's morally wrong to sue and you're going to be a lawyer.

vp911

hahahaha. good point. but i think it's wrong to sue in this case because it was an accident. accidents happen. now, this may change when i see the police report. if, for example the driver of the other car was drunk, i will sue. (i think i used that example before, don't remember)

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

You're what's wrong with America today.

Let's see your reasons here.

1. The car is destroyed -- Insurance will pay for it.
2. Pain and suffering -- Shit happens; that's why it's called an accident.
3. Medical expenses -- Insurance will pay for it.
4. Problems in the future -- Very possible, especially with soft tissue injury, but insurance will still pay for it, at least to the coverage limit.

People like you who are sue-happy are the reason we pay so much in insurance premium. Lighten up.

P.S. Ask for the amount he paid for the car? If you find an insurance company who does that, then please let me know because I would love to get coverage on my cars with them.

vp911

How much do you think I should ask for?

EnJ

You made some good points. I'd like to point out I've never sued anyone, nor have I ever been sued. Hopefully it will stay that way for the rest of my life. I wouldn't go all out in this case but I think I might take the cost of the car minus how much the insurance company gives me and sue the at fault driver for the difference. That's really not unreasonable in my opinion. Is it possible?

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

No, and it's not even morally right. Why?

Let's assume for a second that this never happened, and Vikram just wanted to sell the car. Would he get the full amount he paid for the car new? No, he would get somewhere near the market value for his used car. So why should it be any different? In essence, the insurance company is basically buying his totalled car, at its then-current condition just before the accident, because that's what insurance is for.

Now, if the guy was under the influence or should not have been driving for any other reasons, then I could justify suing. Because he put himself, and more importantly, other innocent people (in this case, our unfortunate victim Vikram) at unnecessary risk.

But if it was a simple mistake by the other driver, then, in my honest opinion, he does not deserve to get sued. Why? Because we're human beings, and humans make mistakes all the time. If Vikram got SERIOUSLY injuired, to a point that it will prevent him from living the rest of his life the way he used to (for example, lost a leg, or an eye), then a lawsuit is more than justified. But in this case, it's mostly property damage, and properties can be repaired/replaced. That's exactly why we pay thousands in insurance every year.

Vikram is owed the current market value of his car, plus the value of all the modifications he's done to his car. Nothing more, nothing less. Of course, he's also owed medical expenses for numerous check-ups for however long his doctor deems necessary, and the expenses of possible injuries that may surface over time. That's it.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Look up NADA (www.nada.com) and find the market value of your car. NADA is widely used in the insurance industry, although they use other sources, too.

They will give you market value; that's pretty much it. They will most likely contact you and let you know how much they will be paying you for the car (plus the mods, if you can produce receipts for them). If you don't think it's fair, then you should negotiate.

ndx2

ok, let's stay on topic buddy. we're here to help vik with his accident and such (not much we can do, but still), not to bicker about whether suiing is morally right or wrong.

vik, ask for 38 and see what they say.

Parker75

Most refreshing to read! Especially in light of your future profession as implied by you taking the LSATs.

vp911

I had checked nada earlier and it didn't have values for the 05 TL.

MR1

Your car is almost new, similar to the demos that they sell near year end. I would ask for what you paid in total. I would accept that amount minus $3-500/month in depreciation. The chances of finding an 05 with similar options and condition for sale is almost nil. I don't think asking for allof your money back including taxes is unreasonable. If Acura took it back the day before the accident under Lemon Law, wouldn't you get a brand new one?

Michael A

This is generally not how insurance settlements work. As a former Insurance Adjuster I can say that each insurance CONTRACT (policy) states exactly how the insureds loss will be paid. I know personally I have seen almost all Insurance contracts in New York State have a clause that states within the 1st 6 months or 1st year or anything under 6k miles or 12k miles (depends on exactly what is stated in your contract) the loss will be paid out based on what your original purchase price was. You will need you retail contract to prove this obviously.

If your loss is beyond this time or mileage I remember using a valuation service put together by a company called CCC. They compared blue book values from 3 sources PLUS values of comparable vehicles in dealers inventories realtively close to the insureds home.

Also remember if it does come to the 2nd scenario you CAN negotiate the settlement somewhat, as long as you can prove to the adjuster why you want a larger settlement figure.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Ah, yeah. Because it's too new. The market doesn't have enough '05 TL's to base their figures on.

In that case, I guess a few thousand over the market value of an '04 TL?

vp911

market value of the 04 isnt on nada either. lol

vp911

hmm. that would be nice if there was something like that in my contract. did they cover extra items (such as the aftermarket a-spec?)

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

That wasn't exactly my point of the post. But thanks for the info. Always good to know.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Oh, what the hell. I quit.