So, Thursday night my wife and I go to bed and after about five minutes hear a car crash so loud we knew someone hit our house or car parked in the driveway. I grabbed clothes and started running and yelled to call 911. Got outside, and a BMW has crashed into my Jeep (from the side, knocking it completely off the driveway!), and into my garage, pushing in the door. The driver is out and standing there, not willing to help get it into neutral and pushed away from the house (my neighbor is yelling that its going to catch fire). So I run inside and get a fire extinguisher and by the time I get back out, flames are shooting out of his hood onto my garage. I ran up and sprayed it down and got it out, then yelled back inside to my wife to grab my son and get out of the house. Now the fire department and police get there and long story short, douse the car with water, take the guy to jail for suspicion of intoxication, and the car gets drug off and towed away. On top of that, and this is why this applies to our website, my Camaro is damaged. He pushed into the garage far enough that it hit the rear end and pushed my Camaro forward about a foot. There is a dent to the right of the gas cap, the paint is scratched, as are the chrome bumper and guards (see pics, the dust you see is from the fire extinguisher, my car is never that dirty).
Overview pic (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r145/erikeichinger/Damaged%20Camaro/AccidentScene1.jpg)
Side view of wreck (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r145/erikeichinger/Damaged%20Camaro/CamaroDamage.jpg)
Camaro damage 1 (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r145/erikeichinger/Damaged%20Camaro/CamaroDamage3.jpg)
Camaro damage 2 (http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r145/erikeichinger/Damaged%20Camaro/CamaroDamage7.jpg)

The silver lining: 1. Noone was hurt. 2. No damage to my house other than the garage door. 3) The Jeep saved my house, the Camaro, and my wife's Jetta from buring to the ground. The fire department said that had it not been there, he would have nailed the house, pushing the Camaro through the front garage wall, and he would have continued through the garage, over the gas pipe and well, there would have been a lot of flames.

So what do you think? Can I just have the damage to the Camaro repaired and the back repainted, or will it not match and I need to push the insurance company to repaint the whole car? I would love realistic opinions (though I know we all dream of a free paint job).

Finally - Merry Christmas to all, and buy a fire extinguisher!

Erik, glad to hear the family is OK... must have been a hell of a night. I can't imagine.

I would stick it to this guy for all he's worth, if it was just an accident thats one thing... I mean hey, we've all been there done that. But drinking and driving is something I don't really have much pity for, especially considering we've all got girlfriends/wives/mothers/sisters/daughters on the road. Definately try to get the whole car repainted, I would tell the insurance company that unless the car were fully repainted, it would lose value and points at a car show since experts will notice something like that even though the average eye may not. And it was in the GARAGE, so it's not like it was a parking lot accident where fault is questionable.

Let us all know how you make out, and again glad to hear you and your family are safe!

Wow,sucks...everyone's worst nightmare.Glad everyone's OK.

First off,who's your insurance company?Do you have collectable car insurance on it or is it insured with your DD's?That will be the answer,a CC insurance company will be more sympathic to the needs of a collectable car owner.The will know the car might need a full paint job but in all honesty,it's just a tail panel and the biggest thing will be getting it straight.I think you can get it done where you'd be very hard pressed to find any sign of repair.

Good luck...

First and foremost, this guy should be beaten for a minimun of 2 hours with baseball bats and rubber hoses. After a good workout, and your mind is clear, start establishing everything in a record book of all that is damaged, and this will include any money or time spent dealing with what he has done to you. Contact a lawyer, know your rights up front. The lawyer is the guy who can make him pay as he should for being a idiot. The good news is no one was hurt and Christmas can be salvaged for you, good luck, Mike.

Glad you and your family are safe Erik! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

I did notice the dealer tags on the BMW.....Guy gets a new car and immediately takes it out drinking. Add the intoxication to the unfamiliarity of a new car and crap like this happens.

Count your blessings that you are all safe this Christmas and things weren't worse than they are. Focus on what you have, not what you've lost, because it just doesn't compare.

Merry Christmas!

Wow Erik, I'm glad everyone is okay. I guess this could have been much worse, if the house caught fire. Like you said, it's a good thing you had the Jeep parked there to take the impact. It wouldn't have been good to have a car going through the other side of the garage and hitting the gas meter or line blowing up.
From what I can see from the picture, the damage to the tail panel is not that bad. It should be able to be hammered out and maybe a little body filler. If you can get a free paint job out of this, go for it. If the insurance company is only going to fix the immediate damage, they should be able to match up your paint just fine as long as it is not a really old paint job and the paint isn't faded in any way.

Good advice on the Fire extinguisher!!!

Thank God you are all okay. That could have been much more life changing than it was. Property damage is fixable.

As for the driver, he needs to compensate to the maximum extent possible for the danger in which he put your entire family. Drunk drivers killed two of my family members and have put me personally in danger several times.

You will not perfectly match or fade a paint job like that--you need to press for a whole new paint job and body work with a new panel if necessary.--you deserve nothing less from this person and their insurance company.

Glad you and the family are ok...... I'd nail the guy..... oh and remember to insist on Genuine GM Parts !!!!

Boy...
This all could have been worse than it was. The angle of the tail panel does reflect light differently that the trunk lid and quarter edges so a match should be easy. I would insist in a new rear panel and while they are at it, check the gas filler tube, gas tank and straps etc. The inside trunk latch mount also may have moved. Its all got to be fixed.

Kev

Nice job keeping your head about you! Damage could have been unthinkable if you hadn't been prepared and acted so well!
Get a lawyer and clean the guy out!

wow! Glad your jeep was there to save the camaro as much as it could.
How did the jeep fair? It must of took a hard hit.

Wow, this could have been a lot worse! Thanks goodness he hit the car in the driveway and not the house straight on...Glad to here everyone is OK...The camaro and the jeep can be repaired and or replaced, but the family cannot...I think a good bodyshop will be able to match the paint, at least they should try before the full paint job...sometimes that might open a whole new can of worms....:)

Go to Herbs Paint and Body, they have a few locations in the Dallas area and are a family owned body shop that does excellent work. Get a quote for a new tail pan installed and painted as well as new bumpers. Submit that quote to the insurance company for reimbursement. Then you can choose if you want them to pound out and body fill the current pan or if you actually do want a new pan welded in.

when will people learn not to drink and drive. just like them darn cell phones 2. :noway: glad you and your family are okay. things could have been alot worse.

happy holidays

I'd be a little concerned with the "suspicion of intoxication" thing. In Tennessee insurance companies have a little clause that says something like..."if said vehicle is being used in crime or while driver is drunk,basically,no coverage" which is gonna make him personally liable and not his insurance company.no big deal if you've got coverage cause your insurance company will go after him...however this is now gonna fall back on what your coverage is on the car...or you could sue 'em and get a cool BMW!

Like you said, coulda been a lot worse. Hate to see that happen to your car, as you can see from my pic of my car...I like yours!

Good luck, and glad no one was hurt.

wow! Glad your jeep was there to save the camaro as much as it could.
How did the jeep fair? It must of took a hard hit.
The Jeep is going to be totalled, I believe. Its bent pretty bad. Neighbors who were awake said he was flying down the street.

Find the VERY best three body shops withing driving distance. When I say best I mean BEST. Get three estimates and let them suggest the best way to fix it. Depending on how old the paint is and how much sun it has seen it may be very hard to match it perfectly. I would not settle for "close enough" on something like this. These cars are getting to valuable to not insist it be repaired correctly. If it isn't done right it will cost you dearly when/if you decide to sell. Good paint jobs are costing a lot these days and will hurt the value of your car.

Either way your car should be covered, if he doesn't have insurance (which he should since the car is new, unless it's stolen). Your car policy should cover it and your home owners insurance should also help you out.

I hope this isn't a trend, not to long ago a guy I know had his shop ran into and in the process they rear ended his 66 Chevelle (that was parked inside), buckled both quarter panels.

Keep your head up it could have been worse but, at the same time don;t settle and don't drag your feet getting things started. Good luck I am sure it will all work out.

I don't understand that clause in insurance that says they aren't liable if it involves drinking... I mean, say it's some deadbeat who crashes his 84 ford taurus into your external 5 car garage with a camaro, challenger, T-bucket, cougar, and hell... why not a superbee too... that basically you're screwed, and all you'd get is this guys 84 taurus?

that is some very scary thoughts... although i wonder if it would be covered under your homeowner's insurance.

Dave,
I agree and I would like to see that in writing. I am not sure an insurance company can legally do that. They may go after the driver after the fact and take everything he owns but, that's between him and his insurance company. What good is insurance if they aren't going to pay when their driver is at fault (drunk or not).

I think the issue when someone is drunk is that they are in violation of the law and because insurance is only a contract of indemnity violations of law can be contracted out of..... you wind up with his '84 Taurus and whatever you can collect from your under/uninsured policy. If you have the cars mentioned above I should hope you have a good underinsurance policy because with minimum limits in my state at 15k property damage (25 per person 50 per accident for injuries) it seems that any responsible person with a semi nice car, let alone a first gen camaro, should have at least 50k prop damage underinsured if not more!

Erik, im glad to hear your family is all ok..that looks like a newer BMW model so if its his car, he should have good insurance..i would not settle for anything less..then a perfect job..or close to it..if your Camaro has never been in an accident and this is the first, maybe talk to a lawer that is experianced in valued classics to see if you could figure out the best way to handle this..im not sure if there is any kind of recovery that insurance can do, cause if it has never been in an accident and this is its first, maybe there is some kind of extra value the insurance would have to pay out knowing your car is a classic and there can be some kind of drop in value now that it has been in an accident..maybe not..but i would look in to all possiblities..

Glad you and yor family are ok....but that damage....you can't match that paint, and those taillights are warped. Oh....you can't find that gas cap anymore....the trunklid is warped and crooked. And if they're off, the frame will have to be looked at. And just to be safe the gas tank and all the lines and fittings will have to be looked at. Oh and don't forget all the nightmares you've had since the accident, and how they've affected your love life,work performance,and social life...wink wink

Glad to read everybody is okay AND they caught the driver. The Camaro insurer will pay for the damage, not the home insurer.

If Camaro is on a regular policy, then you will have to request/negotiate with the appraiser for type of repair. Be reasonable, and most important, be honest.

A good painter, read experienced, can match paint. Merry Christmas!

Sure glad nobody got hurt, especially at this holiday time.. but you probably already did this but TAKE PICS... lots of them before you move the cars. All angles, from under, get on ladder and shoot pics looking down, skid marks, stains, from across the street, from all sides of the garage looking straight down the edge, in both directions. That might have kinked your garage walls too. Ledger boards can move under pressure, dont think its just the doors. Digital pics are free so fill a CD with your own evidence and a copy of it for your insurance. Have the camaro checked out at the BEST alignment shop around for being true and go from there. Crawl under the camaro with the camera too, all sides and both ends, just for future reference. I cant stress enough how 'a pic is worth a 1000 words' and you wont slap your head a month from now.
Just glad nobody was hurt, although it would be ok if that driver was in jail with a knot on his forehead. If he doesnt have one, call VITO in chicago and have one delivered. :)

Glad you and yor family are ok....but that damage....you can't match that paint, and those taillights are warped. Oh....you can't find that gas cap anymore....the trunklid is warped and crooked. And if they're off, the frame will have to be looked at. And just to be safe the gas tank and all the lines and fittings will have to be looked at. Oh and don't forget all the nightmares you've had since the accident, and how they've affected your love life,work performance,and social life...wink wink

Sorry but I have to disagree with this......my insurance is already high enough and my wife and I both have a clean record. I feel that you are intitled to you what is fair but when people do this stuff list above the person that caused this doesnt pay directly ....we ALL pay.

Sorry just my .02

Those that think the paint can be matched perfectly, probably have not done much painting. In some cases you can match paint absolutely perfect and in some cases you just can't I don't care if you're Chip Foose. The type of paint, texture, age, etc.. all come into play. It could very well be perfectly matched and I hope it can, just don't be shocked if it can't and don't settle for a non matching touch-up.

As far as being a drunk driver and not being covered I have never heard of such a thing. Ok he is violating the law by driving drunk. You are also violating the law if you drive over the speed limit, or if you leave home without your license. There has to be more to it. Usually an accident is caused by someone violating or breaking the law (running a red light, stop sign, following to close, too fast for the conditions, etc..). I am not trying to argue I just don't see how the law would let an insurance company make an "exception" like that. This is why bad drivers pay higher prices and have a harder time getting coverage. Why do you think young males are so expensive? When you insure someone you look at their record and take a calculated risk. If that's the case I want to find drunk drivers to insure, when they crash I never have to pay a claim, I just collect premiums and put them in my pocket. I'm sure he'll be dropped after this settlement but, that's a whole different deal. If someone has this in writing or can find it on the web, please post it. I just can't see it being possible.

Go to Herbs Paint and Body, they have a few locations in the Dallas area and are a family owned body shop that does excellent work. Get a quote for a new tail pan installed and painted as well as new bumpers. Submit that quote to the insurance company for reimbursement. Then you can choose if you want them to pound out and body fill the current pan or if you actually do want a new pan welded in.

First- As many have said, thank God everyone was ok

Now, a new paint job would be far from "free". Trust me, you'll have to fight and spend a lot of time to get everything right.

Talking Points:
Just remember, if you change the tail pan, you now have a replacement pan that will affect future worth of the car. It looks like it is in good condition, especially if all of the other panels are original.

If the panel is not replaced, now you have filler, especially if the car was a rust free car previously.

This may/could be recorded via a Carfax (not sure) the BMW will I am sure be recorded on Carfax. If that happens, it will be forever recorded that the camaro was wrecked. Then if the panel were changed, questions would arise as to just how bad the camaro was wrecked.

I would basically decide what you think is fair, then go for the jugular on both the insurance company and the drunk driver. Then you can let them negotiate you down to what you previously decided was fair.

Hope it all works out for you!

Rich

Any updates? I am really interesting in hearing if his insurance is on the hook or not (after reading the no coverege for drunk drivers thing).

I think thatr tail pan damage is one of the worst places to be hit. Other places can be repaired and marks from insade will not be seen. This area will look like crap if a shoddy shop does the work. It's owed to you that it be fixed correctly no matter the cost. There are people that can fix that area but it does not come cheap.

I am glad your family is OK but I would sue that crap out this guy and ask for part of the payment to be a beating for putting you and your in such danger and banging up your Camaro.

Joe

Thanks for all the well wishes.

The long and short of it is that his insurance is paying for property damage, repairs to the Camaro, and totalled the Jeep. They gave a fair price for the Jeep, but not enough to pay for a new car. As for the Camaro, they said they would fix it. I called the only two body/paint shops in town I trust and both said they could fix it to match. I am sure the arguments will come later when they price is more than they expect.

As far as the guy goes who did all this - he spent a few nights in jail and apparently had some other legal issues as well. He did call me and left a message apologizing.

As far as the guy goes who did all this - he spent a few nights in jail and apparently had some other legal issues as well. He did call me and left a message apologizing.

You don't hear of that very much anymore. I bet he is wondering what's going to happen to him and how fare your going to go with it. It's nice he called and return the favor by letting him know that you don't appriciate him or others in his state (if drunk or on drugs) hitting your home and scaring the heck out your family and hitting your Camaro. You just might save his life or someone elses by taking him down as fare as possible. People like this deserve to be taught a lesson. We all know driving, drinking and drugs don't mix and yet people do it any way. Wring him out to dry I say.

Joe

... As far as the guy goes who did all this - ... He did call me and left a message apologizing.


He didn't call you out of the goodness of his heart and true concern for you, your family and your property he put at extreme risk - he called you because his lawyer told him to, it will be presented in court "as him taking responsablilty for his actions"
Ask me how I know this ... :sad:

Glad to hear things didn't turn out worse for you and your family. Your quick action and response to the damgers after the accident truely saved the situation from turning ugly-er real fast :thumbsup:
Hope fully you can get your cars repaired/replaced to your satisfation nas soon as possible - always remember, the legal responsablitly of his insurance company is 'to make your losses "whole" again' - making sure you clearly spell-out what is needed to do that is your job, how much they eventually pay for it is their problem ... And any court will rule the same thing if it resorts to that.
Make sure you keep your agents are informed of your total losses and the steps needed to repair the damages - they are bound by your personal insurance converage to make sure it happens, even if they have to pay for it and then go after the other guy themselves (at least it works that way in CA and federal cases I've been involved in).

Hopefully it can all be repaired in time for spring cruising season :D

John

He didn't call you out of the goodness of his heart and true concern for you, your family and your property he put at extreme risk

John is on the money. This was my first thought. A guy with other "legal troubles" who calls to apologize is a guy who has learned to be manipulative. Apologizing has paid off for him in the past so the behavior has been reinforced.

Erik, don't get taken advantage of by a guy, his lawyers, and insurance agents who are all experts at manipulating human emotion and the system to their advantage. Please hold this guy fully accountable for his actions and the jeopardy he placed your family in. Hopefully it will help him in the long run.

As to the car repairs, I wouldn't sign a thing unless you are COMPLETELY satisfied. These guys do this for a living...their objective is to pay you as little as possible. I am not suggesting in the slightest that you do anything unethical on your part, but you should not cave into any deal that costs you 1 cent out of pocket to return your possessions to the state they were in the moment before the accident! It's not your fault! They will try to wear you down...it's their job, and they do it every day...

STAY STRONG! YOU'RE the victim of this clown.

Scott

The latest update is that his insurance has paid for all property damage and a rental car for awhile. I will take the Camaro this week and let everyone know what happens with that. I did call a lawyer, one I would trust, and he actually said that he wouldn't hire himself yet. There just isn't enough money involved to be worth the time and trouble. Once you take out the lawyer fees, it just isn't worth it. With that said, if anyone knows of a lawyer specializing in dealing with classic car cases and values, I will take all recommendations (just to cover myself once I get to the paint/body shop).