Miata vs. Bambi: Damage Assessment

Update:

After getting the car home following last night's deer strike, I parked it and sent an e-mail to my insurance agent. The cop assured me that my comprehensive insurance would either cover the repair or they'd total the car. In the morning, I got a reply from the agent and she said that she would file a claim and that I shouldn't do any repair work until the adjuster sees the car.

Later in the day, the insurance agent sent me a second e-mail, indicating that her records had shown that she and my wife had exchanged several e-mails earlier in the year and, as of June 30, my wife had dropped the comprehensive coverage on this particular car only, saving us $32 annually.

My wife and I discussed this little turn of events extensively over the course of the evening. Perhaps you were outside of your home at the time and overheard part of our conversation.

I was now free to begin repairs at my own expense. Keep in mind that I had listed this car on Craigslist two days ago and turned down an offer of $3500 later the same day.

Removal of the fender and headlight assembly were fairly straightforward.

Fortunately, there was no structural damage.

I reinstalled the headlight assembly and adjusted it. I was even able to re-use the headlight itself. I only need to replace the fender, headlight cover and plastic trim, and the plastic inner fender liner. The parts car that I have been using is the same color and was hit on the opposite side, so it looks like another trip to the junkyard and about $200 will get me back together again.

Then, it's back to Craigslist.

:(

Bambi can be a real b&*%# sometimes

If it makes you feel any better:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAVYYe87b9w&feature=related

Trust me, its cheaper this way. I'm sure your deductible was more than $200 and now your rates won't go up for having a claim on your policy.

One more question: did you at least keep Bambi's carcas? She's delicious!

Tim Baxter wrote: If it makes you feel any better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAVYYe87b9w&feature=related

Ha!

(Does it say something bad about me that I had to fast forward through a 90 second clip to get to the punch line? I think the intortubes are ruining my brain!)

Woody, I feel your pain! I had that very conversation with my wife the day she beaked it into a guard rail. Two airbags, a windshield and $2000 later it's kinda like new.

She dropped collision on this daily driver for what, $50/year? Yet we still have it on a crappy 15 year old 4-Runner. Maybe you heard the conversation if you were standing outside that night......

At least you're OK.

Dan

Typically, after a claim the insurance company is allowed to increase your rates for a given period of time. And that's above and beyond the discounts you suddenly lose by no longer having that no-claims bonus and such.

Really, it's a racket. Oh, at the moment you feel it, you've got to spend a few hundred dollars to fix a fender. But the game is rigged so the insurance company makes more money off you than they pay on the claim.

Here in Maryland for example, the insurance company would be allowed to raise your rates by 50% for three years. So figure what half of your total premium for three years would be, and compare that against the few hundred dollars a new fender is costing you. When figuring that 50%, remember to remove the safe driver discount, the no-claims discount, etc.

Don't forget the deductable!

Truth is, your wife did save you some money.

Added bonus, you can get some new tools and experience with the money you're saving.

Most companies, at least mine didn't, won't raise the rates for comprehensive or glass breakage. Liability claims are increased for 3 yrs and the increase can be reduced by taking a safe driver course. This is just from personal experience with my company, others may vary.

pigeon wrote: One more question: did you at least keep Bambi's carcas? She's delicious!

I don't know about where Woody is, but that's illegal in Texas. I think it's to keep the rednecks from using their front bumpers to hunt out of season.

The car is an easy fix, wives are another story.

billy3esq wrote:

pigeon wrote: One more question: did you at least keep Bambi's carcas? She's delicious!

I don't know about where Woody is, but that's illegal in Texas. I think it's to keep the rednecks from using their front bumpers to hunt out of season.

Anyone from San Antonio remember a place called Ferdie's? It was out in the hills a bit on San Pedro. The locals would bring him car killed deer or he would be informed of one and he'd send one of his employees after it. Best sausage I've ever tasted.

Tim Baxter wrote: If it makes you feel any better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAVYYe87b9w&feature=related

"We gratefully acknowledge the city of Tokyo...."

I just drove from Des Moines to KC and I think there was an average of a deer strike every three miles. Usually it's the dead raccoons that litter the Interstates, but the deer kill this year in MO is phenomenal.

billy3esq wrote:

pigeon wrote: One more question: did you at least keep Bambi's carcas? She's delicious!

I don't know about where Woody is, but that's illegal in Texas. I think it's to keep the rednecks from using their front bumpers to hunt out of season.

I've seen people try it. Given the reproductive abilities of deer and the awkwardness of trying to hit one with a motor vehicle, it sounds like a waste of paper. In July I rode a bicycle from San Jose to Salt Lake City. One of the things I would do to occupy myself was count road kill. No deer, but I did see several cattle carcases...

billy3esq wrote:

pigeon wrote: One more question: did you at least keep Bambi's carcas? She's delicious!

I don't know about where Woody is, but that's illegal in Texas. I think it's to keep the rednecks from using their front bumpers to hunt out of season.

Legal in Illinois.

billy3esq wrote:

pigeon wrote: One more question: did you at least keep Bambi's carcas? She's delicious!

I don't know about where Woody is, but that's illegal in Texas. I think it's to keep the rednecks from using their front bumpers to hunt out of season.

Mmm, I suspect it's like most states where you have to charge it against your hunting licence. Seriously. Though some times you can get a written waver from a cop. Usually road kill deer aren't worth butchering though, especially if the gut has ruptured. When you're finding stomach contents up under the scapula, there's just no hope of having edible meat.

The Maryland count on roadkill deer is remarkable this year as well.

I'm no hunter but I'm hearing the acorn crop is high this year. Deer are plentiful here in Richmond, Va. I live in the city and see them walking in the suburbs all the damned time.

IN THE CITY. It's nuts...

In Ohio, the hitter gets first dibs. After that, the OSHP has a list of takers.

Yesterday, I was talking to a woman who's live-in boyfriend (carless) wrecked her car. He also made the decision to get her insurance without the rental car provision (saved $10/month). It's taking seven weeks to fix their only car, so now they only have a motorcycle to get around on (in Michigan, where it's currently 29 degrees).

She's keeping the boyfriend. His nickname must be Mr. Ed.

Having lost a Shelby Charger to a suicidal doe, I wish I could have kept both carcasses.

By the time I got to a phone, reported, handled some business, and returned, the deer was gone. Not sure if it was the farmers or cops who got her.

Actually, I did keep the totalled Shelby a while, but had no place or time to rebuild. RIP.

By the way, cattle are a LOT harder on cars than deer. And moose ... Wow!

the 2(or 3 if you count a no damage incident) I hit in my last neon all got up and walked

The down side on rental is in my case, State farm jerked me around wouldn't cover a rental when it was in the shop getting asesed because it was "driveable"

I hit a deer last night, barely any damage though, and the deer ran off.

Joey

I went back to the junkyard today and revisited my beloved 35,000 mile wrecked Miata parts car. Fortunately, it's the same color as my car and it was hit on the opposite side. Here's what I got for $185 and an hour's work. It was 24 degrees out when I was there.

In addition to a near perfect fender, fender well liner and full headlight assembly, I grabbed an excellent rear bulkhead cover to replace the one that I had trimmed for the roll bar, some spare bulbs and a better driver's side floor mat. I also grabbed every bolt and nut I could get with my 10mm socket (you can never have enough metric hardware) and a few small items that I knew I could e-Bay to recover some of my costs; a 97 Owner's Manual, a cup holder and a near perfect center console radio bezel with a pair of eyeball vents. And finally, a gas cap, as I discovered last week that the aftermarket ones that they specify for the Miata have a little grab handle on them and they don't allow you to close the fuel door.

I usually carry a small bag of tools into the junkyard with me, but I knew that this time, I would need a lot of tools and have a lot to haul out. In the middle of the night, I had a stroke of near genius and decided to load my tools into my old backpack, which would free up my hands. With some careful packing, I found myself very well equipped, which made a big difference when working out in the cold.

I installed the fender and part of the headlamp assembly this evening. The color match is very good. In the morning I'll finish up and get some more photos of the car.