Just got a call from a guy at the tire shop. I was hoping to hear that the new rear tires were on. Instead, it was a customer using their phone, telling me he backed into my car. So, I drove the boss's car down to get his insurance info, and check it out.

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I told him he should've hit it harder. :-)

At least the only spot that was showing a little rust is the panel he hit. Gonna throw in a respray on the rear surround and trunk, and see if it passes the insurance.

He was surprised how calm I was. Said he'd be pissed if someone backed into his car. I told him getting pissed isn't gonna change anything, and no one got hurt, so no biggie. Sh*t happens. It's how you handle it that makes the difference. :-)
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Well said!:-)
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Yup, that's what insurance is for....sh!t happens, tho sucks it happened at all bro!
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Thank you for being an adult in a situation in which many aren't. Good example.
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Calls for replacement of quarter via a belt cut, with partial repair to sail panel.
Specially because of that color, needs blend into rear door, deck lid and rear fascia (bumper cover).
C-pillar may also need a minor pull.
Fascia needs some heat work and blend, perhaps needing full cover spray.
Can't see from photos but looks like deck lid may be compressed from damage to quarter. If so, needs repair on edge and may then need a full spray, rather than a blend, depending on how far out the bondo and primer need to go.
Did she knock off your wheel cover? Owed for that too if she did.

There you have it from an insurance company manager that spent years as an auto damage adjuster as well as an auto damage adjuster manager.
Basically, not minimal dollars at all here. This is a big dollar dent.

BTW, nice way to handle it. Too bad too many are consumed by material stuff and let it affect how they react.
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Kudos to you Peter for how you handled it brother. :-) :-)
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ouch, he must have been moving pretty good. At least no one was in the car.
I used to have a 2001 LS Sport, I loved that car.
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That's a bummer, Peter. Well handled, though. :-)

My kid blasted the neighbor's mailbox on the way home from work Saturday night. Just a little dent in his hood (an old F150) but it mangulated the mailbox, post and all. I was thrilled with how he and the neighbor handled it. I went to run interference, but didn't have to do or say anything.
The guy only wanted 60 bucks because it had been hit by the plow and they were getting a new and less expensive one anyway. They'd paid $150 for the one the boy wasted. The boy gave him $150, and insisted on it saying "I didn't smash the $60 one". I was very pleased with him, too.
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As others have said -- you handled this very well! Kudos to you. Now, go have a cigar!
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My wife has been wanting a new car, and last month my neighbor across the street did us a favor by trying to park his Dodge Ram in the back seat of her 04 Nissan Sentra. The insurance co. gave us almost twice what I was expecting to get trying to sell it.
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Kudos to you for the way you handled it. I know for a fact I would not act so cool, calm and collected if someone hit my baby.
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X2

Cheers to you Peter, and I hope you get a nice check from the ins company
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:-) (Psst - A guy did it)
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Smacked the crap out of it,damn.
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She, he, he-she, she-he, doesn't matter anymore these days.
I'll just blame it on the iPad keyboard.
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Dude looks like a lady.
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You are correct. Just got the bid from my body shop I normally use. A tad south of $4,000 in repairs. Which means it's totaled. The car is a 2000 model year, and just ticked 180K. I have around $6K in mods, so I'm going to buy it back, get the quarter panel fixed and primed, and vinyl wrap it myself I think. I really like not having a payment, and would be a fun project.

That wheel in the photo is my full size spare (the other wheel was in the back seat, awaiting one of the replacement tires.) My wheels look like this:

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I probably would've shed a tear if they got hit. Can't buy them in the US anymore, so replacement ones would be expensive.

I'm guessing so too. Either that, or an extremely slow reaction time.

I really like the aesthetics of the LS.

Sounds like you raised him right, Scott. :-)

Oh, I'm thinking a strong drink is in order too. :-)
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Peter, not a buy back.
What you are looking to do is retain salvage.
Most if not all states allow that.
Depending on insurance company, they may try to fight it.

Basically, they determine ACV (actual cash value), plus applicable taxes and DMV fees, and deduct a salvage amount which they generally get from calling three salvage yards for bids.

You can certainly find a shop willing to repair quarter panel and that alone will be a significant savings.
Next, don't blend. Live with any possible tint and blend mismatch. Paint and materials adds serious bucks.

Good luck and let me know if you need help along the way in the total loss process.
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You have to give the guy credit for having enough sack to call you. In today's world, a lot of people would have left the scene if nobody saw them.
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I just bought a car with a salvage title on it and the insurance is super cheap. Pretty crappy that nice of car got banged up.
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