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Accident in Model 3

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by yeahhtrue, Jan 5, 2021.

  1. yeahhtrue

    yeahhtrue Member

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    I'm concerned I'll be losing money if they total this out. I owe about $25,000 on this. I put $14,000 down. I don't know if I'll get that back, plus if I buy a new car I won't be able to claim the EV rebate again.
     
  2. VT_EE

    VT_EE Active Member

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    Ah, the loss of the rebate makes it less attractive. Hopefully they get it worked out and fixed. As someone else said, the damage you have is easy to fix compared to the rear quarter panel I had replaced. Mine looks great as I’m sure yours will when fixed.
     
    • Like x 1
  3. yeahhtrue

    yeahhtrue Member

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    Repairs are still moving forward...they did not decide to total it even with a repair cost of over $23,000.

    I initiated the diminished value claim with the other guy's insurance. They said that they can't do anything until after I get the car back from being repaired. Then they will appraise it and decide what they'll pay out, if anything.

    The initial estimate of 3 weeks was obviously a joke because it's been about that long already and repairs have not even started yet. Repair shop is waiting for parts to ship from Tesla which I gather can take a very long time. So I don't expect my car back any time soon.
     
  4. TLLMRRJ

    TLLMRRJ Active Member

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    Isn't that a joke with insurance?? You have a near new car that needs more than half its original value in repairs, and they pretend like it might not depreciate extra from the accident. Gotta love insurance companies!
     
    • Like x 2
  5. yeahhtrue

    yeahhtrue Member

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    Yeah, for real. The KBB value range for my car with a clean record was between $34k and $37k, and the trade in quote from Tesla for my car after having the accident was about $27k. Obviously I don't expect them to hand over that whole difference, but don't pretend that there may not be any depreciation.
     
    • Informative x 1
  6. TLLMRRJ

    TLLMRRJ Active Member

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    #46 TLLMRRJ, Jan 21, 2021
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
    I only know what I read about depreciated value, but you may want to look closely at the option of selling the car right away to get paid out on the depreciating value. If you plan to keep it, they might argue that they can't really determine the diminished value since they don't know when you will sell it and what it will be at that time.

    I know if I had a major accident like that with an easy-to-replace car, I would immediately sell the car if they didn't total it since you can't tell right away if the work they did is really good. The high end body shop that repaired my previous Jag and charged a fortune to repair what was really minor damage did such a horrible job, I couldn't sell it fast enough after the accident. It was gone within a couple weeks.
     
  7. RedWhite19

    RedWhite19 Member

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    Do you contact your lawyer? If you have a good lawyer, they’ll pull money out for you, so the rebate isn’t a total wash.
     
  8. Phlier

    Phlier Bluebird

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    That's some really good advice right there.
     
  9. RedWhite19

    RedWhite19 Member

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    You’d be surprised how many people do not.
     
  10. yeahhtrue

    yeahhtrue Member

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    I haven't looked into finding a laywer. The thought never occurred to me honestly. They decided to repair the car anyway, so I don't know if there's a point in lawyering up now.
     
  11. Mk30

    Mk30 Member

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    Yeah, I got hit in the rear drivers side corner (about $6,500) and the body shop has had it since the 18th of December. I doubt I will see my car until the end of February.
     
  12. XAEAXII

    XAEAXII XÆAXii

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    It’s safe to say it’s a write off at least here in Canada
     
  13. Mk30

    Mk30 Member

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    Get independent quotes from dealerships. Do not rely solely on the insurance company. I am going to be taking the same course of action. I have a contact that does this in Maryland. You can PM me and I will provide you his contact info and details. I don't know if he does work outside of Maryland. It is worth a call though.
     
  14. yeahhtrue

    yeahhtrue Member

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    Does the insurance company have to go by quotes that I provide? I figured whatever they determined themselves was all they were obligated to pay out. At least without a drawn out legal battle...
     
  15. RedWhite19

    RedWhite19 Member

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    A lot of people lawyer up after an accident, even a fender-bender.
     
  16. KenC

    KenC Active Member

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    I hear Giuliani is available.
     
    • Funny x 2
  17. JayNJ

    JayNJ Member

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    Depends on how much they give you for a totaled car, they should be using the before rebate price.
     
  18. JayNJ

    JayNJ Member

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    Many (most) don't just have a lawyer they regularly use.
     
  19. RedWhite19

    RedWhite19 Member

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    And that’s a good thing. There are however lawyers who specialize in such things as car accidents. And this wonderful thing called the internet will help you find one.
     
  20. RedWhite19

    RedWhite19 Member

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    Not for long...
     
    • Funny x 1

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