My new 2021 Model Y just rear-ended pretty bad

[codergamer]

My 2021 Tesla Model Y got rear ended pretty bad by a Chevy Silverado. The trunk and bumper are completely damaged and the trunk won’t even close. The other person was at fault and I have the footage from all the cams saved as well. The other person shared their insurance for filing the claim.

I have Tesla Insurance and have filed the claim. I was told that I will get a call from the adjuster within 24-48 hours.

This is the first time that I got in an accident, can anyone help me understand with what will happen next? Will I be charged for anything?
How long does Tesla Insurance and Tesla Service Center take in general? Does Tesla Service center provide a loaner vehicle?

Thanks. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Tam]

...Will I be charged for anything?...

That depends on your policy and your deductibles. However, I think, the other party at fault should cover those expenses that your policy doesn't cover.

Does Tesla Service center provide a loaner vehicle?

If you are lucky, Service Center would provide a loaner but more commonly, they've been providing credits for your Uber rides (but not the tips).

 

[codergamer]

That depends on your policy and your deductibles. However, I think, the other party at fault should cover those expenses that your policy doesn't cover.


If you are lucky, Service Center would provide a loaner but more commonly, they've been providing credits for your Uber rides (but not the tips).

Thanks for the reply. My insurance coverage is pretty good however I hope that the other party at fault will have to use their insurance to cover the expenses.

Service center is closed for the next two days and it feels really bad to see my new car damaged like this. I had just gotten a ceramic coating yesterday.

 

[Darblish]

It sounds like you’re going through your own insurance and not directly with theirs. That’s good. That’s what you pay them for.

Your insurance adjuster and the service center will work out part costs and fair labor rates for the repair, and adjust your claim accordingly. With it being Tesla insurance they might just rubber-stamp what the service center says, but I don’t know if Tesla is just reselling other coverage or if they’re actually taking the financial risk for their insurance (I’m in Ohio so it’s not a thing here). They will then send that to the other insurance and say “pay me for this.” There may be some further cost negotiation if the other driver has a big insurance carrier, but that probably won’t affect you because your car may already be in repair or done by that time.

Worst-case, the other driver’s insurance has lapsed or is otherwise not valid, or (as happened to me) the other driver lies or just refuses to talk to the adjuster/agent on their end and they deny the claim on their end. This is why you go through your own insurance and not theirs: in that case you’d have to pay your deductible, your car will get fixed, and you’ll get a letter from your insurance company’s subrogation department telling you that you are giving up any right to sue the other driver or insurance yourself since they’re going to do that for you. In somewhere between months and years, you will probably get a check for your deductible back. Subrogation takes forever.

Very-super-worst-case, the insurance companies go to court and you may have to testify. That happened to my grandmother; a Wal-Mart truck backed into her car at low speed, they didn’t want to pay, and she was called as a witness. The judge asked her how she knew it was a Wal-Mart truck (“it said so on the side”), they called the driver of the truck who said “yeah, I backed into her, sorry about that,” and she got her deductible back about a week later.

 

[CapsEngineer]

Depending on the laws in your state, the insurance for the at-fault driver may be required to cover the cost of a rental for you.

 

[BreatheEasier]

Would be interested as to how your accident compares to the ones here - Salvage Tesla Model Ys For Sale

So many of these MY look like they would be repairable, yet all were total losses. Doesn't look like it takes much...

 

[Jjrss]

Would be interested as to how your accident compares to the ones here - Salvage Tesla Model Ys For Sale

So many of these MY look like they would be repairable, yet all were total losses. Doesn't look like it takes much...

Light frame cars are meant to absorb as much energy during a collision. Usually this means the car is totalled by a tap on the bumper.

Hence why insurance for Tesla cars is so high.

 

[BreatheEasier]

Light frame cars are meant to absorb as much energy during a collision. Usually this means the car is totalled by a tap on the bumper.

Hence why insurance for Tesla cars is so high.

Understand the concept, but Tesla repairs must skyrocket past even BMW in cost, although my insurance is a little less for my MY than my previous X5. For example, in 2018 I hit a deer in a new 2017 X5 xdrive40e with a sticker of $72K and about 10K miles on it. $26.7K worth of damage, and the car was repaired vs. totaled. Didn't hit the percentage threshold to total it.

I guess this means a flood of relatively new parts on Ebay for our MYs from all these wrecks

 

[Jjrss]

Understand the concept, but Tesla repairs must skyrocket past even BMW in cost, although my insurance is a little less for my MY than my previous X5. For example, in 2018 I hit a deer in a new 2017 X5 xdrive40e with a sticker of $72K and about 10K miles on it. $26.7K worth of damage, and the car was repaired vs. totaled. Didn't hit the percentage threshold to total it.

I guess this means a flood of relatively new parts on Ebay for our MYs from all these wrecks

My thinking; it's easier to render a Tesla physically unrepairable, vs hitting a totaled threashold value.

 

[codergamer]

Would be interested as to how your accident compares to the ones here - Salvage Tesla Model Ys For Sale

So many of these MY look like they would be repairable, yet all were total losses. Doesn't look like it takes much...

As compared to the Model Ys listed on the site, the rear lift gate of my car is bent pretty bad. :-(

What happens in case of a total loss? Who decides that? Is it the service center and the tesla insurance guys?

 

[codergamer]

It sounds like you’re going through your own insurance and not directly with theirs. That’s good. That’s what you pay them for.

Your insurance adjuster and the service center will work out part costs and fair labor rates for the repair, and adjust your claim accordingly. With it being Tesla insurance they might just rubber-stamp what the service center says, but I don’t know if Tesla is just reselling other coverage or if they’re actually taking the financial risk for their insurance (I’m in Ohio so it’s not a thing here). They will then send that to the other insurance and say “pay me for this.” There may be some further cost negotiation if the other driver has a big insurance carrier, but that probably won’t affect you because your car may already be in repair or done by that time.

Worst-case, the other driver’s insurance has lapsed or is otherwise not valid, or (as happened to me) the other driver lies or just refuses to talk to the adjuster/agent on their end and they deny the claim on their end. This is why you go through your own insurance and not theirs: in that case you’d have to pay your deductible, your car will get fixed, and you’ll get a letter from your insurance company’s subrogation department telling you that you are giving up any right to sue the other driver or insurance yourself since they’re going to do that for you. In somewhere between months and years, you will probably get a check for your deductible back. Subrogation takes forever.

Very-super-worst-case, the insurance companies go to court and you may have to testify. That happened to my grandmother; a Wal-Mart truck backed into her car at low speed, they didn’t want to pay, and she was called as a witness. The judge asked her how she knew it was a Wal-Mart truck (“it said so on the side”), they called the driver of the truck who said “yeah, I backed into her, sorry about that,” and she got her deductible back about a week later.

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply. This is really useful.

 

[codergamer]

Depending on the laws in your state, the insurance for the at-fault driver may be required to cover the cost of a rental for you.

I live in California. I have got the insurance information of the at-fault driver.

 

[codergamer]

My 2021 Tesla Model Y got rear ended pretty bad by a Chevy Silverado. The trunk and bumper are completely damaged and the trunk won’t even close. The other person was at fault and I have the footage from all the cams saved as well. The other person shared their insurance for filing the claim.

I have Tesla Insurance and have filed the claim. I was told that I will get a call from the adjuster within 24-48 hours.

This is the first time that I got in an accident, can anyone help me understand with what will happen next? Will I be charged for anything?
How long does Tesla Insurance and Tesla Service Center take in general? Does Tesla Service center provide a loaner vehicle?

Thanks. Any help is appreciated

Does anyone know about filing diminished value claim incase the vehicle is not a total loss? I’m thinking of getting an attorney. Does that seem like a good idea since I’m pretty new to all of this?

 

[quadroplexor]

I’ve been in several accidents in California (none my fault) recommend working with your insurance and let them deal with the other party. You might have to pay your deductible and get it back later after they work out the at fault bits. Your insurance should hook you up with a rental car too if it’s on your policy but sadly probably not an MY. WRT the SC I think most if not all just outsource major body work.

In my experience these sorts of ordeals just take time and patience to work through. In the end it’s just a car and it protected the occupant(s).

 

[codergamer]

I’ve been in several accidents in California (none my fault) recommend working with your insurance and let them deal with the other party. You might have to pay your deductible and get it back later after they work out the at fault bits. Your insurance should hook you up with a rental car too if it’s on your policy but sadly probably not an MY. WRT the SC I think most if not all just outsource major body work.

In my experience these sorts of ordeals just take time and patience to work through. In the end it’s just a car and it protected the occupant(s).

Yes, I’m really glad that the vehicle protected all the occupants in the car.

 

[Watts_Up]

Be carreful using your own insurrance for an accident you are not responsible.

My insirranced and the other party were the same company.

However my insurrance tried to make use my own coverrage saying that I should use my uninsuured third party and they would remove the deductable.

Doing so I would have not be able
- to sue the other party for medical paine and suffering,
- I would have very limited way to get extended car rental for more than 30 days while my car was in the shop for six month waiting for parts,
- and I would not be able to get any Lost of Value compensation, something very important since I lost my clean title of no accident and now it will be difficult to sell my car.

Be very carreful, insurrances try to always cheap out, for example they didn't want first to replace the rear windows but the body shop noticed a damage and it took a lot of time to have the insurrance to agree.

 

[codergamer]

Be carreful using your own insurrance for an accident you are not responsible.

My insirranced and the other party were the same company.

However my insurrance tried to make use my own coverrage saying that I should use my uninsuured third party and they would remove the deductable.

Doing so I would have not be able
- to sue the other party for medical paine and suffering,
- I would have very limited way to get extended car rental for more than 30 days while my car was in the shop for six month waiting for parts,
- and I would not be able to get any Lost of Value compensation, something very important since I lost my clean title of no accident and now it will be difficult to sell my car.

Be very carreful, insurrances try to always cheap out, for example they didn't want first to replace the rear windows but the body shop noticed a damage and it took a lot of time to have the insurrance to agree.

Thanks for the information. The at-fault driver has a different insurance. I have a Tesla insurance and I hope that they will agree with whatever the Tesla Service Center says about the repair cost. From what I understand from other replies to this post, the Tesla Insurance will ask the at-fault driver’s insurance to pay for the damage. However it may take some time.

 

[Stephan Bogan]

One thing you can do, and probably should always do when insurance is involved (home / auto) is hire your own public adjuster.

Public Adjusters work for you, and will strive to get the most out of insurance companies for you. They can counter insurance company adjuster arguments and a good one will not cost you much, provide detailed reporting and expertise back to insurance companies and fight for your claim(s).

You'll need to research a good one in your area.

 

[codergamer]

One thing you can do, and probably should always do when insurance is involved (home / auto) is hire your own public adjuster.

Public Adjusters work for you, and will strive to get the most out of insurance companies for you. They can counter insurance company adjuster arguments and a good one will not cost you much, provide detailed reporting and expertise back to insurance companies and fight for your claim(s).

You'll need to research a good one in your area.

Thanks Stephan. I will look into that option.

 

[codergamer]

My 2021 Tesla Model Y got rear ended pretty bad by a Chevy Silverado. The trunk and bumper are completely damaged and the trunk won’t even close. The other person was at fault and I have the footage from all the cams saved as well. The other person shared their insurance for filing the claim.

I have Tesla Insurance and have filed the claim. I was told that I will get a call from the adjuster within 24-48 hours.

This is the first time that I got in an accident, can anyone help me understand with what will happen next? Will I be charged for anything?
How long does Tesla Insurance and Tesla Service Center take in general? Does Tesla Service center provide a loaner vehicle?

Thanks. Any help is appreciated.

Here are the photos of the rear lift gate damage. The damage is limited to the rear bumper and lift gate.

Can this be a total loss still?