Hi Jon,

Is there any danger the insurance company(ies) may try to total your car? From your description so far the body shop will be doing the collision repair work but not clear if they will be doing the module and sensor repairs. Those alone will probably run $1K to $2K would be my guess. Then if any of the airbags need replacing then probably at least $500 per.

Anyway, good luck with the insurance companies.

Mike

 

Mine also has a British accent (2005 V8). One of the little things I love about it.

 

Jon89:

I would make sure that you mention to the ins companies that you want an open claim so that if there are any remaining problems (sensors, alignment, etc) that they will be taken care of by insurance companies.


Henry

 

Absolutely a MUST....I was in a slow speed head on in late 1996 (other drivers fault) and I didn't close/accept the final paperwork for at least 30 days after so called completion. Didn't want any gotchas to pop up. My insurance co. at that time was also State Farm.

 

Cant you change this from your menu settings (with vehicles that have Nav)? I can change from either UK or USA. Changes voice on Nav as well as hood-bonnet, trunk-boot...

 

carelm,

When I heard the initial estimate amount, the first question I had was would either State Farm or Geico attempt to total the car. The answer was no. The estimate shows that my car's "threshold" is $13,400. What that means is that if the estimate rises above the threshold amount, then totaling the car could come into play....


FloridaJag and JAYT2,

Believe me, this claim is not just open, it is wide open. $10,600 is simply the initial estimate and that is based upon new sensors alone fixing the airbag situation and turning off the dashboard lights. Then again, more airbag work may be required by the Jag dealership and as carelm pointed out, if that's the case then up goes the repair bill, probably significantly....




Getting your insurance company to go after another insurance company for payment because their driver was at fault is called "subrogation". That process cannot start until the car is 100% repaired and back in our hands. The target date for our car being ready is August 31st, but that depends upon parts availability, shipping schedules, how many attempts it takes to get a new aluminum hood that is NOT damaged in shipping, etc.

As a result of the subrogation process, Geico could theoretically tell State Farm "no, we're not paying this claim even though the completed police report clears your driver and places the blame for the accident on our driver" (which it indeed does - I got my copy yesterday afternoon). If that happens, then State Farm has to take Geico to arbitration. I was told by the State Farm Claims Center yesterday that if we must go to arbitration, then don't expect a final resolution until sometime in 2010. So I'm out my $500 deductible until then (assuming we win the arbitration case, of course). That's still a relatively small price to pay to have our car fixed with new OEM parts. Had I tried to go though Geico for the repairs, they would have insisted on reconditioned parts wherever possible even though I presented them with a document stating that I will not allow non-OEM or reconditioned parts. North Carolina law allows them to use whatever reconditioned parts they can find. Your individual states may grant you more protection from used parts, but not here. So you'd better have an insurance company that listens to you like State Farm is listening to me....

I don't see how Geico can win this case unless they can somehow get the police officer to change his report. It clears me of fault 100% and puts complete fault on the other guy for failing to slow down and yield. My State Farm agent tells me that nothing is foolproof, but my case is very strong and the official police report proves that....

But I really despise the fact that this matter could drag into next year. I'll have to pay $500 to pick up the car when it's done even though I was not at fault, and I may not see this money back in my pocket until 2010....

I'll say it again - don't get plowed in these S-Types....

 

There's always small claims court for any unresolved non reimbursed costs. Don't know what the limit is in your state, but in Calif. it's $7500.
Document document document...which I know you're doing.
If the officer changes his report due to "harassment" from Geico, that could be a major legal problem for both of them.

 

My file folder on this matter is already more than a half-inch thick. I've got the documentation covered forwards and backwards....

 

Update:

The car spent several hours yesterday up on the frame machine for orientation and measuring. As I expected, there is no frame damage. That is great news.

Many of the new parts required to effect repairs arrived late yesterday afternoon, three days ahead of schedule. That is also great news. The radiator and condensor and all of their associated brackets and fittings are scheduled to be replaced first.

My selected body shop does a great job of keeping me posted on what is taking place with the car. I typically receive at least one e-mail per workday describing what has transpired and what is next. It's a great customer service tool that I never expected. State Farm has designated them as a "select service" body shop in our area - perhaps this is one reason why.

Geico (the other driver's insurance company) continues to drag out the process for taking responsibility for their driver causing the accident. I'm hoping they'll decide to go ahead and pony up without trying to push this case into arbitration. The sooner they step up to the plate, the easier this entire matter becomes for State Farm and also for me.

Anybody have Warren Buffett's phone number?!

 

I have GEICO and I HATE them. My son got into an uninsured motorist accident where the other drive abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene in a friend's vehicle.

GEICO tried to force me to sign a policy waiver stating that if my son drives my vehicles they do not have to insure him. That just stinks in my books. It was an unissued motorist and they could not find the owner even with eye witnesses and license plates from the accident vehicle and the vehicle he left the scene in.

Yes, they had to pay out about $40k in the event (totalled vehicle and hospital bills), but we had full coverage on the vehicle and "uninsured motorist" coverage too.

I am ready to change from GEICO even though I have used them (with only one other minor event) for about 10 years. They have pocketed a LOT of my cash ($4K/year) and when they have to pay out, they balk.

I hope they do better for you Jon. Sorry about the accident. (Not too sorry about the rant... GEICO is for cavemen and geckos!)

 

Jon89 - thanks for the update. Those emails you get are a plus.

 

That is a great service. What Body Shop Co. is that? I have never heard of such a thing. But I would definitely use them if they have Service Centers in my area.

Thanks Jon. Hope the Cat is rolling straight and clean again soon!

 

The body shop I chose is Foster's here in Raleigh. They have two locations here but they are not a national chain, not even a local chain. Just two locations.

I can see why State Farm has designated them as a "select service" provider. Thus far they've been great. I'm expecting top-notch work from them once the car is finished (our target date remains August 31st but as well as things are proceeding right now, perhaps it will be ready sooner). We'll see.

Geico is going to be a problem, though. I think they'll drag this thing out as long as they can....

 

Gecko's are small creatures. Cavemen.....

 

Update:

The Geico call center phoned me around 7:30 pm tonight to inform me that they have decided to go ahead and accept responsibility for the accident, acknowledging their client's fault in causing it. Geico will not take State Farm's subrogation against them to arbitration. They will pay the claim in full to State Farm and pay me back my $500 deductible. If I indeed get the car fully repaired and back to us by the target date of August 31st, then Geico expects to be able to settle all payments by the end of September.

I asked for Geico to put it in writing to me either via a postal letter or via e-mail.

When I receive a written document from Geico accepting responsibility, then I'll believe it....

 

Jon, Thank you for still keeping me in mind on the hood/bonnet insulator saggy, shrinkage thingy! Looks like so far you and the Mrs. are going to be satisfied with the rebuild.

 

Joycesjag,

No problem. The body shop began hanging the sheet metal yesterday afternoon and if all goes well, the first coat of paint may be applied later today. I hope to go take my first peek at the restoration progress early next week. When I do, I'll also inspect the condition of the wrecked under-hood insulation pad. I asked them to save it for me and I presume they did....

I don't think I'll ever be able to say that I could be satisfied with ANY major rebuild. A wrecked car always suffers from diminished value regardless of how great a job the body shop is able to do. I've been talking with a local agent for the Auto Appraisal Group (go to autoappraisal.com and click on the "diminished value" tab to learn more), and he says that even with a near-perfect rebuild, our 2005 S-Type 3.0 will drop in value by $3,500 to $4,700 simply because it got plowed. An exact figure cannot be determined until repairs are 100% completed and the car is meticulously appraised (which will cost me $325 if I opt to do this). I am seriously considering filing a diminished value claim against Geico. Any additional monies awarded to me for diminished value compensation would be added to my "S-Type maintenance fund" which I established with a couple grand after my factory warranty ran out in mid-July instead of purchasing an extended warranty. An additional $3,500 or so added to this fund would go a long way towards paying for any future problems that may pop up in the years ahead (assuming we keep the car)....

 

In my opinion....do it !!!

 

Thanks for the heads-up about the S-Type's occupant crash protection system automatically tightening up all of the seat belts in a crash, even if those seats were not occupied. After our car finishes up at the body shop and is then trucked to our Jaguar dealer for diagnosing and repairing all of the warning lights that are illuminated on the dashboard, I'll be sure to remind my Jaguar service manager to check ALL airbags and seat belts even though I was the only person in the car when it was plowed. I'd like to think that the car will be 100% right after both the body shop and Jaguar have completed their work on it. I don't want to have to be taking this car back to one or the other for things that I uncover that weren't properly resolved. It's well worth it to me to give these guys an extra few days with the car if it will keep me from having to take it back in multiple times....

By the way, I clued in the body shop manager last Wednesday about how susceptible the plastic coolant tanks are to cracking and splitting at the hose nozzles after just a few years. So he examined ours, found some "weak spots" on it, and added it to the list for replacement. Glad to know that we'll have a brand new plastic coolant tank when the car finally gets back to us....