Dear Sandy.....

I feel your pain. When I was 17 I took my dad's 48 Olds and broke the horn ring! I thought I would get a real whooping, but didn't!

Dad reminded me of this incident his entire life.

When it's all over, for Nicole's sake, and she has made restitution, forget about it!

Right now, she needs some TLC....

--Don

 

Sent you a PM about the pics

 

Generally, with all smart phones (and probably most other phones too) u can email a photo off of your phone. I don't know the type of phone you have so I can't give u specific directions.

 

She sent them to me in like a video. She took one of the passengers side for some reason, and one from the front, which look fine. When I touch the pic or my menu thingy, I only get an option to delete the conversation, or insert. I can't move them like to my pics or anything. Oh well.

 

What is make and/or model of your cell phone?

 

motorola flip phone

 

I think it's the loose NUT holding the "thingy"

 

Can u be more specific? Is is a back flip model. Does it run Android?

 

Can you forward the message? if so. send it to me.. I PM'ed you my number.

 

I'm working on it.... I got it from my phone to my laptop email.

 

Ok.... the damage done. Only pic I could get off my phone. Gives me the chills to look at it, but it could have been worse.

nicolewrecksachebby-1.jpg

 

Hang in there Sandy! If it's totalled and you have GAP insurance, you'll be OK financially! Thank God nobody was hurt....now comes the issue of dealing with your daughter! Don't be afraid to get a little tough...

 

After seeing that pic, total for sure!

 

Yup that one is gone. Did you buy new or used? I hope you bought GAP if used. If its new they should just replace it with another new one.

 

Bought used. 39,000 miles. No gap - they said I didn't need it. I didn't even know what it is. Insurance co. said I should be able to get my money back on the service contract I bought for it. I don't friggin know. I'm just sick.

 

From what I can see virtually every panel on the left side and top are damaged. The frame may be bent hard to tell, but looks like it is slightly based on the visible damage below the doors and the peculiar kink in the roof (that is really hard to see clearly). So yes, from the pic and having seen previous wrecks that were totaled it looks like this car is a goner.

I never heard of GAP insurance on a used car. GAP usually is used in a lease. It covers you for the "gap" if any between the remaining payments and residual value total and whatever the insurance company will pay out.

 

WOW Sandy, you seem to be having some bad luck lately. Looking at the picture it sure looks like a write off. But the main issue is nobody was hurt . Your kid probably feels real bad right now and will depend on that when dealing with you. Do yourself a favor and don't give into her easy or to qiuck, make her life miserable for awhile.

 

GAP can also be purchased on a car with a loan to cover the gap between what you owe and the value of the car. If the car is 2 of 3 years old this works great. GAP is offered by the leasing/ loan company or your insurance company. But this does not cover any down payment you made on the auto. If the car is 1 year old or less your want replacement coverage. Not every insurance company offers this. Replacement Cost will replace your car with a new one if the car is totalled.

It is nice to see the saftey of the new cars. Older cars would have caused more injury to the passengers. The car did as it was engineered to do, it gave its life to protect the occupants. Somewhere a GM engineer is smiling.

 

I think you mentioned previously you have GEICO. I hate that company. Sure they will save you 15% or more.....BY REMOVING COVERAGES....and telling you that you didn't need them.

They conned my sister a few years ago. She had a lousy credit rating so I co-signed a loan for a brand new Sable for her with the stipulation that she maintain collision and theft with Allstate. She saw the commercials and without telling me switched to GEICO after the car was just 2.5 years old. GEICO told her she didn't need collision. Well sure enough she wrecked it and it was totaled with $10,000 still due on the loan. Luckily, she collected disability for 2 years (before they canned her) and was able to pay it off.

 

I agree

 

Yea, unfortunately it does look like it's heading for the crusher. I hope they don't try to fix it and give it back to you, it would probably never be right.

 

Grounded For Life or until that day you both can laugh about it.............. Looks like grounded for life!!! Have two grown boys never an issue like yours. hang in there and keep saying to yourself.." it could have been worse.

 

The car's a goner Sandy. And gap, no gap..... there's no price you can put on your kid's health. If whatever hit her was going another 15mph faster the situation would have been a lot worse for Nicole. As it is she's OK. They'll recycle the chebby, but they can't recycle Nicole,...although you'd probably like to try.
Just another ugly incident on the rich tapestry of life. (Don't really know what that means, but I heard the ground announcer at a football game say it once when the canteen ran out of meat pies)

 

[/quote]Just another ugly incident on the rich tapestry of life. (Don't really know what that means, but I heard the ground announcer at a football game say it once when the canteen ran out of meat pies)[/quote]

Now that's funny!

 

Lucky the other car perfectly T-boned it, if the other car hit on an angle it would of been a lot worse, any faster and it probably would of rolled it. Those new mandatory higher side window sill heights for side impacts and side airbags probably did help, although Cobalts don't have side airbags.
That probably isn't worth fixing to the insurance company but I've seen a lot worse bought at the auction and cobbled back together by body shops to sell.


I guarantee the frame isn't bent, Cobalts have unibodys, like most cars do anymore, and don't have frames.

 

You can just fwd the pic messages from your phone to your Email. Sorry about the situation.

 

Structural damage is what I'd worry about. The kink in the sailpanel and the beat up rockers tell me that car might be hard to maintain wheel alignment. But yeah, it'll probably be an insurance company salvage, then some chop shop will fix it and unleash it on an unsuspecting buyer. At least this crash should always show up on a CarFax.

And for a few years, never miss an opportunity to rub her nose in this picture.

 

.....Just another ugly incident on the rich tapestry of life.


Colonel...... thanks so much for that laugh, lol!!!! I really needed it.

I called the adjuster in VA and left her a voice message a few minutes ago, as I have not heard from anyone. Just wondering if they are totalling it or what. It would be nice to know something!

Nicole is flying back tomorrow. Coltsneckbob.... I don't have Geico. That was the other persons insurance company. I have Cincinnati Insurance. All I know about them is that they are expensive!! Larry has all our coverage through them - personal and the business. I am not pleased with their customer service at all, that I can tell you!!

I can still go with State Farm - where I got that less expensive quote from the other day before I heard about this accident. It was like half the price of what I pay now for the same coverages. Guess I have to wait to switch though - don't think it would look good to do it in the middle of a claim, lol.

I wonder if points will go on her license here since it happened in another state? Anyone know how that works? I can't concentrate enough to look it up!!

 

Depends on what reciprocal agreements (if any) Ohio has with Virginia. I know you can't fart in NC where it doesn't show up somehow on your VA records.

I got a ticket in Alabama in 1980. FIVE YEARS LATER IT SHOWS UP AS POINTS ON MY VIRGINIA DMV RECORD. FIVE FREAKING YEARS! And my record was clean before that, and for the five years after the ticket. My insurance jacked up nearly 100% and I had to take damn driver improvement course because a 20 over ticket requires it. FIVE YEARS LATER!

Yeah- 47 in a 25, in a school zone that wasn't marked from doodley, with the 25 mph speed limit sign hidden behind a tree in a normally 45 mph zone. And me the only car in a line of about ten doing the same thing, that had a front license plate. So I was automatically the one that got pulled.

I left $130 in that place. The clerk says "Have a nice day, come back to see us" and hell flew in me. I told her my Mama could die in Killen Alabama and they'd have to ship her out, because I would not set foot in the place to come get her.

 

Well...... I just got an email from the adjuster. She says "Estimate to fix the car is $6500 which is about 74% of value of car." So she ran an estimate which comes out right about what I paid. She said she will work up a total loss worksheet for me with the final figures on it, meaning what I paid plus tax, title, etc.. less my $500 deductible. Can't get anything from the loan company yet, as I'm not even in their system yet, so have to wait until next week to see if I'm in there yet, so they can know what will go to the loan company, and what will go to me if anything.

I hope I can get something back for the extended warranty I got for the car. Those papers were in the glove box of the car, so I have to wait for Nicole to bring them back. The adjuster said I should be able to get something out of it. They don't handle it, but I will call Fidelity on Monday and find out, soon as I read it again. I hope to God I never have to go through this again, but I could be planning her funeral, and that would be worse..... she doesn't realize.....

 

Im glad there were no injuries.

Sorry to hear about the teenage growing pain headaches your dealing with.
I have plenty of these issues myself so I can relate...I feel for you.

We love our children more than anything and the things they do to us...

 

I don't know if it will work down where you are,but in certain New England states-you pay the fine plus an extra five bucks.DMV sees you overpaid and sends you a check for the fiver.You DO NOT do anything with the check. The file remains open,and they do not notify anyone. I am not sure about an accident,I know it will work for speeding tickets. ---bil

 

Did she get the only ticket? If not. she better appear in court, or your insurance buys the whole thing!
If that damage can be fixed for $6500, I'll eat the car!!
Floor and roof are bent, outer wheelhouse, dogleg and qtr. panel need replacement, not to mention suspension and unibody! Add 2 used doors, paint and material, and your looking at 10K a day long!! And if the wiring and/or fuel/brake lines are on that side, much more!!
Glad your girl's O.K. - coulda been much worse!

 

God was looking out for your daughter.

As the Dad of a 17 year old. Here are our house rules. Computer use is OK in a common area. We WILL have ALL passwords or all bets are off. We WILL be friends on her facebook account - BOTH her mother and I.

I agree with one of the other posters - GROUNDED until the end of time!

Lucky it was a car accident and not a meeting with a pedifile!

I would start looking for some comparable cars for sale just in case the insurance company tries to "Low Ball" you.

Pray for peace and thank God for giving her (and you) a second chance.

 

So.. what was the final decision of the Insurance with this car..
how was Nicole when she got home.. How has this past week gone?

 

Well...... I posted some of this terrible experience - what I went through over the holiday weekend - over in the Good Morning Post. It wasn't pleasant.

I called the bank again yesterday, and found out I was finally in the system, with an account number. So I called my insurance lady and she called the bank. She e-mailed me that the payoff on the car is $7960 which they will issue a check for. I will get a little over $1000 back to me.

I took the service contract out to the dealer on Monday and canceled it, they said it would come off the principle of the loan, but the insurance lady said yesterday that the bank said "the dealer is responsible for refunding it". So I called the dealership and told them what the loan company had said. They said they will call Fidelity (where the service contract is through) on Monday and she will let me know what paperwork I need to show them. Probably something from the loan company showing the lien was canceled on the car. I'm gonna keep on it. I canceled it within 30 days like it said on the back. I don't want to get screwed.

My insurance agent is going to give me copies of everything she does to make sure I have no problems getting the refund. That will be another $1900 I should get back. It looks like I'm out a little over $1000 by the time it's all said and done. I put $4000 cash down on the car, but ain't getting it all back.

Nicole said she knew she was doing wrong when she did it, knew she should have turned around and came home, but didn't listen to the "little nagging voice" in her head. She doesn't want to drive anymore - it really scared her. I guess she did a 180 degree in the middle of the road after she was hit, she said. She said she lied to me in the beginning because she knew I'd never give her the approval to go. She said she felt "free" for the first time in her life.... her car, her trip, stopping when SHE wanted to, etc... she felt adult. I told her I understand that feeling, we've all felt it, but she shouldn't have lied to me. Look what all has happened because of it.

She was fired from her job while she was gone too, so that hasn't helped any. She did go to temp agencies on Monday, and did get a job stacking flyers for a printing company. So she's not shirking her responsibility - at least not right now. She gave me every cent out of her purse and told me it should help with something. She's moaning and groaning over no internet or game systems, but I told her it's more comfy than being in the Summit County jail!!

She realizes the seriousness of what could have happened, I believe. I told her it's going to take a long time for me to believe her or trust her again. Larry would have killed her on Saturday as mad and drunk as he was, but he didn't know she was home, thank God. She had to crawl out of her window to get out of the house so I could take her to my sisters. It was ugly and scary. She really has aged me about 20 years this past 2 weeks, I'll tell ya.

So that's where it's at right now with the insurance company. I just wait to get copies of things and keep on the dealer about that service contract. Thanks for asking!

 

I am sure glad Nicole wasn't injured. Tough way to learn a lesson, but as long as she learns something from it and walked away is a good thing.

Believe it or not, this could actually be a God-send. If she had gotten away with it she could have tried it again and the next vehical could have been an 18 wheeler or a freight train. So you can look at it like you lost a car and some cash but your child is safe and sound. Now, I bet you feel like you've just won the lottery. My best to all of you.

 

Sandy,
I'm not sure of American laws, but here in Canada or at least in Ontario,in order to cancel a contract you must notify the company in writing and send it to them registered mail.That way they can't deny getting it. But be sure to keep a copy for your own records.

 

Well I have always felt the best way to stop a kid from drinking is if they get really drunk and have a hang-over for 3 days....it helped me when I was 17

Likewise, the best lesson about the dangers of driving is a severe accident you can walk away from. When I hit a small tree at a lowly 20 miles an hour (not drunk either - just a snow storm) I learned what it can do to your car, your body and your wallet.

I understand she was not drinking, but my point is that sometimes these hard lessons do, as previously stated, turn out to be good in the long term.

 

For all the damage done and all the other stuff that could have happened it sound like it isn't going to turn out so bad and your daughter and no one else was hurt. Make sure your restriction stick and make her pay you back and re earn your trust. With three boys I went down this road a number of times and they try to wear you down to get privileges back set a time table with goals and stick to it girl. You have our support.

That's why I look like I'm 100 years old and not just a young Verile strong handsome 65