Minor collision with my Yaris

[edmscan]

So today I had a collision with my Yaris ... and well have a question that maybe someone can answer.

The only part of my car that needs replacement is the front bumper. The bumper I imagine would have to be painted as well.

So does anyone know the cost to replace the front bumper with painting on a 2007 Yaris LB ?

[SilverBack]

Sorry to hear it but glad it wasn't any worse. What does your insurance policy cover, if you don't mind me asking?

[edmscan]

I have collision coverage on my Yaris. So .. I am covered.

The "other driver", didn't want to go thru insurance (as he is paying 160$/month for a older Toyota Minivan) , so we shall see how this works out in the end.

I am going to get 3-4 estimates in the next few days and I will then contact the other driver and see how we are going to deal with it.

The accident wasn't reported to police as there wasn't enough damage for them to be involved. If I am forced to go thru insurance then maybe I will be forced to get a police report.

[mryaris]

A rough guesstimate would be in the $500-$700 range (including the bumper cover).

[edmscan]

A rough guesstimate would be in the $500-$700 range (including the bumper cover).

I may have actually made a mistake .. referring to the "bumper cover" as the bumper.

I don't know much about what is what ... but the only part that I need is "bumper cover".

[nookandcrannycar]

I have collision coverage on my Yaris. So .. I am covered.

The "other driver", didn't want to go thru insurance (as he is paying 160$/month for a older Toyota Minivan) , so we shall see how this works out in the end.

I am going to get 3-4 estimates in the next few days and I will then contact the other driver and see how we are going to deal with it.

The accident wasn't reported to police as there wasn't enough damage for them to be involved. If I am forced to go thru insurance then maybe I will be forced to get a police report.

Sorry to hear about your accident, glad you are okay. I don't know how it works in Alberta, but in the U.S. (at least in California, with insurance companies I've had) if you get in an accident and it is the other person's fault (and the other person has insurance) you want to have the other person's insurance pay for it. Your insurance company will only increase your rate re an accident if they have to pay out (assuming you weren't cited for anything by law enforcement). If both of you were living in California and the other driver had no damage, and your damage was under $500, his desire to not have anything reported would be legal. Now that I think about it, I think some of the states in the Eastern U.S. have no fault car insurance. Even with Alberta being set up at least somewhat differently (from California) re insurance, if the other person is at fault I would want their insurance company paying if at all possible. I have compassion for other people's financial plights (to an extent), but that compassion wouldn't extend to car insurance premiums.

[edmscan]

I have compassion for other people's financial plights (to an extent), but that compassion wouldn't extend to car insurance premiums.

Yes .. for me I am thankful that first there were no injuries, and secondly that there was only minor damage to my car.

So .. I spoke to a friend of mine and found out a good place to get my car fixed. So I am going there tomorrow. I will just get an estimate and then contact the other driver and tell him the cost. I will then attempt to collect the money from him.

If that fails, then I will contact my insurance company.
I will to some extent allow him to pay for the repairs to my car, and if that fails then I will go the normal route and go thru insurance.

[CTScott]

Another option is to find one already painted. I just picked up a red one off ebay for Crashy 2 for $170 shipped, and it is in really nice shape.

I initially purchased an aftermarket unpainted one for $80 from a local parts place, and painted it myself, but the fit is off just enough to be annoying (for example, the upper and lower grills keep popping off their mounting tabs).

[edmscan]

Another option is to find one already painted. I just picked up a red one off ebay for Crashy 2 for $170 shipped, and it is in really nice shape.

I initially purchased an aftermarket unpainted one for $80 from a local parts place, and painted it myself, but the fit is off just enough to be annoying (for example, the upper and lower grills keep popping off their mounting tabs).

Thanks for the input. I will be getting the OEM Toyota one to be sure that it fits.

[mryaris]

I may have actually made a mistake .. referring to the "bumper cover" as the bumper.

I don't know much about what is what ... but the only part that I need is the part that you would take off when you are replacing the headlight bulbs. If this is the "bumper cover" then .... this is the only part I need.

I assume that the bumper cover needs painting as well.

I got you ......a new OEM Toyota fascia/bumper cover is in the $200 range and then there's the R&R, paint and labor to paint, etc. Depending on the shop you use it'll likely be at least $500 ($200 fascia + $300 paint & labor), but maybe more depending on who does the work.

Quality work is not cheap and since this was not your fault you want it repaired to as new condition, right? Once this guy realizes how much it will cost him he'll likely file a claim with his insurance. I hope you got his insurance info at the scene.....you may have to file a claim if/when he doesn't respond to your payment request after you get some estimates.

I had to get a new fascia & right front fender for my now deceased '09 hatchback back in June '09 and it totalled $1100 parts, paint & labor.

Good luck with everything....I hope this gets resolved to your liking.

[edmscan]

Good luck with everything....I hope this gets resolved to your liking.

Thanks, I will post the estimate information when I get it.

Just an FYI, a friend of mine got a rear bumper cover for his 2012 Prius C .. and it was $320.00 for the bumper cover part and painted. The only thing is that he was paying cash .. so that may have been cheaper than an insurance quote.

This is the same place where I am going tomorrow .. as they do excellent work.
I will post more .. as I get some estimates.

[nookandcrannycar]

Yes .. for me I am thankful that first there were no injuries, and secondly that there was only minor damage to my car.

So .. I spoke to a friend of mine and found out a good place to get my car fixed. So I am going there tomorrow. I will just get an estimate and then contact the other driver and tell him the cost. I will then attempt to collect the money from him.

If that fails, then I will contact my insurance company.
I will to some extent allow him to pay for the repairs to my car, and if that fails then I will go the normal route and go thru insurance.

Good to know you have that kind of flexibility as your situation migrates into the future. From my experience in California, there isn't that level of flexibility.

[nookandcrannycar]

Thanks, I will post the estimate information when I get it.

Just an FYI, a friend of mine got a rear bumper cover for his 2012 Prius C .. and it was $320.00 for the bumper cover part and painted. The only thing is that he was paying cash .. so that may have been cheaper than an insurance quote.

This is the same place where I am going tomorrow .. as they do excellent work.
I will post more .. as I get some estimates.

Interesting. I know re hospital charges here in the U.S., if you are paying cash the rate is higher for many things. Some hospitals though will end up eventually reversing out that higher rate on the final bill. I know I'm comparing apples and oranges, but I do find it interesting how paying cash influences different situations.

[edmscan]

Interesting. I know re hospital charges here in the U.S., if you are paying cash the rate is higher for many things. Some hospitals though will end up eventually reversing out that higher rate on the final bill. I know I'm comparing apples and oranges, but I do find it interesting how paying cash influences different situations.

I am pretty certain that the price if you pay cash is going to be cheaper as compared to an insurance claim. I will ask tomorrow .. when I talk to the autobody guy re this, as it would be interesting to find out if there is a difference.

[Hershey]

To bad about your car :thumbdown: . Hope the repairs go smooth . Someone with a S.U.V. or P/U put a small dent about 1/2 way up the rear driver side door :mad: . There was some paint and scuffing . Removed that with 90% rubbing alcohol . You'd be amazed what rubbing alcohol can remove . The ding is slightly visible at a certain angle and light . This is why we decided not to get the '08 sedan repaired after the collision with a S.U.V. that pulled out in front of us .

[edmscan]

Well today has been an interesting day. I got 3 estimates to fix my car .. and all I know of is I am in the wrong business. I should be in the autobody business, what a racket.

So I get 3 estimates that are all within 50$ of each other, ranging from $1095 to $1150. There is a 6 inch crack in the "Front bumper cover". That is it. No other damage. Photos of the damage are attached.

So about $320 for the Front bumper cover part alone and about 800$ for labour and paint materials.

As I expected the other driver all of a sudden decides that he is not at fault and tells me to basically shove my car where the sun doesn't shine. So I contacted my insurance company and now it is an insurance issue.

According to the other drivers boss (who knows best cause "I used to be an insurance adjustor") because it was in a "parking lot" it is 50% my fault.
I will post where the accident happened to this post for you all to decide what you think.

The other driver (green arrow) was coming from the back of the Scotia Bank (you can see the ATM at the back of the building). I was proceeding towards the main road (towards the bottom of the picture, red arrow) driving towards the entrance way you see in the picture. He proceeded from the left in front of me (from behind the building) .. and I hit his vehicle (black star). The problem is cause the building is in the way ... there was absolutely no way for me to see him. I didn't even have time to hit my brakes or to swerve, it was just that fast.

I have added a couple of pics of the damage .. and sorry about the photography, besides as you can tell my car needs a wash, but in the winter time that is a total waste of time.

So I am interested in what you guys think .. as to who would be at fault ?

[nookandcrannycar]

To bad about your car :thumbdown: . Hope the repairs go smooth . Someone with a S.U.V. or P/U put a small dent about 1/2 way up the rear driver side door :mad: . There was some paint and scuffing . Removed that with 90% rubbing alcohol . You'd be amazed what rubbing alcohol can remove . The ding is slightly visible at a certain angle and light . This is why we decided not to get the '08 sedan repaired after the collision with a S.U.V. that pulled out in front of us .

Good to know about what rubbing alcohol can do :thumbsup:. I have a scuff (about the size of 4 small postage stamps) near the left front wheel well on my Yaris, and another smaller scuff about 2 or so feet away on the rear view mirror casing (the one on the wheel well has been there for 2+ years :redface:). I'll try rubbing alcohol on both scuffs.

[justjesus]

in california, that's fairly typical rates for a bumper replacement (through insurance)

as far as "who's at fault?" goes, that's a question of liability.

The main thing you got going for you is that you were in the "main thoroughfare" part of the parking lot. He was coming from the side. This gives you the right-of-way.
One detail I didn't see, and it's maybe because Im tired and it's late, is the point of impact to the other car. Which part of his car did you hit? Any claims adjuster/examiner worth a damn will want to know this.

If the damage was closer to the front of his/her car, it is more favorable to you. If it's more toward the back, it is more favorable to the other driver. Why?
Because if he pulled out enough to where you hit him/her toward the rear, then s/he was establishing "control" of the intersection.

It's not as easy as this, however, but that's almost what it boils down to.

[justjesus]

By the way, that was good that you did that pic. Be sure to supply it to the claims adjuster for your company.

[edmscan]

in california, that's fairly typical rates for a bumper replacement (through insurance)

as far as "who's at fault?" goes, that's a question of liability.

The main thing you got going for you is that you were in the "main thoroughfare" part of the parking lot. He was coming from the side. This gives you the right-of-way.
One detail I didn't see, and it's maybe because Im tired and it's late, is the point of impact to the other car. Which part of his car did you hit? Any claims adjuster/examiner worth a damn will want to know this.

If the damage was closer to the front of his/her car, it is more favorable to you. If it's more toward the back, it is more favorable to the other driver. Why?
Because if he pulled out enough to where you hit him/her toward the rear, then s/he was establishing "control" of the intersection.

It's not as easy as this, however, but that's almost what it boils down to.

I hit the other vehicle just behind the drivers door, on the side of the minivan. As far as I see it, he proceeded from behind the building when it was unsafe to do so and was the cause of the accident. I see it as simple as that.

[edmscan]

By the way, that was good that you did that pic. Be sure to supply it to the claims adjuster for your company.

It was actually from Google Earth .. but it does show the location of the accident. I will be talking to the insurance adjustor later today .. and I will be sure that they get that picture as I think that it makes it clear where each vehicle was.

[nookandcrannycar]

in california, that's fairly typical rates for a bumper replacement (through insurance)

as far as "who's at fault?" goes, that's a question of liability.

The main thing you got going for you is that you were in the "main thoroughfare" part of the parking lot. He was coming from the side. This gives you the right-of-way.
One detail I didn't see, and it's maybe because Im tired and it's late, is the point of impact to the other car. Which part of his car did you hit? Any claims adjuster/examiner worth a damn will want to know this.

If the damage was closer to the front of his/her car, it is more favorable to you. If it's more toward the back, it is more favorable to the other driver. Why?
Because if he pulled out enough to where you hit him/her toward the rear, then s/he was establishing "control" of the intersection.

It's not as easy as this, however, but that's almost what it boils down to.

^^^^^ This. The laws of the road don't officially apply (at least from what I understand) on private property in California, but insurance companies usually loosely follow those rules as a courtesy. I started a post (to edmscan) last night (wasn't able to finish it) and the conclusion i was going to write is exactly what justjesus wrote...that you were on the 'main thoroughfare' of the parking lot and the other driver would need to yield. I would think that the other driver's requirement to yield would be even more pronounced given that he/she was blindly (to you edmscan) coming out from behind the building. I once patronized a 'coffee hut' (originally a photo drop off hut) drive through in a very low traffic one entrance/exit parking lot. I stopped momentarily in the 'main part' of the parking lot to orient my purchases, etc. for a long drive (there were no open spaces in the lot and no other 'car customers' were behind me. A row of cars (the edge of the lot) were just to my right. A sixteen year old girl (had had her license for 1 week) was sitting alone in her parents huge SUV. The rear end of the SUV was only a couple of feet from my passenger door. I didn't know there was anyone in the SUV. She started the SUV and immediately put it in reverse, before I could even honk. Her dad lied to the insurance company (he didn't want even higher rates for a 16 year old). To his insurance company's credit, they smelled a rat, interviewed the 16 year old, determined the dad was lying, and sent me/my insurance company a check. My Aunt knows the family socially, but the family still doesn't know that she is the aunt of the injured party (this was pre Yaris)...so we know all that happened from just about every angle.

[nookandcrannycar]

It was actually from Google Earth .. but it does show the location of the accident. I will be talking to the insurance adjustor later today .. and I will be sure that they get that picture as I think that it makes it clear where each vehicle was.

:thumbsup:

[Hershey]

Good to know about what rubbing alcohol can do :thumbsup:. I have a scuff (about the size of 4 small postage stamps) near the left front wheel well on my Yaris, and another smaller scuff about 2 or so feet away on the rear view mirror casing (the one on the wheel well has been there for 2+ years :redface:). I'll try rubbing alcohol on both scuffs. Let me now how that works for you . Clean the area with water before the rubbing alcohol . Then rinse with water again after using the alcohol . Use a rag that won't scratch the clearcoat . Use rubbing alcohol to remove tar as well .

[nookandcrannycar]

Let me now how that works for you . Clean the area with water before the rubbing alcohol . Then rinse with water again after using the alcohol . Use a rag that won't scratch the clearcoat . Use rubbing alcohol to remove tar as well .

Would a fairly plush bath towel that has been laundered a few times be okay? Or should I go to a store and buy something else? If so, is there any special type of towel that would work best?

[Hershey]

I suppose . Don't apply much pressure .

[edmscan]

Well ... today I talked to my insurance company, and they wanted me to send them a diagram of how the accident happened. I did so .. and I never knew I was such an artist.

The adjustor also said .. "accidents that happen in parking lots are NOT 50/50 liability".

So this further justifies my position ... that I am not at fault in this accident.
So I told them . . that I am going to wait until liability is determined, as I don't want to pay my deductable (500$) for an accident that wasn't my fault.

So .. if they want me to pay the deductable (and claim that I was partially at fault) then I will go from there. But I fully expect that I will be found not at fault in the accident.

[nookandcrannycar]

I suppose . Don't apply much pressure .

You are scaring me :eek:. I don't want Bayou Blue to come off on the towel. I think I will go to an auto parts store and use your very informative sentence, telling the rep that I need 'a rag that won't scratch the clearcoat'.

[nookandcrannycar]

Well ... today I talked to my insurance company, and they wanted me to send them a diagram of how the accident happened. I did so .. and I never knew I was such an artist.

The adjustor also said .. "accidents that happen in parking lots are NOT 50/50 liability".

So this further justifies my position ... that I am not at fault in this accident.
So I told them . . that I am going to wait until liability is determined, as I don't want to pay my deductable (500$) for an accident that wasn't my fault.

So .. if they want me to pay the deductable (and claim that I was partially at fault) then I will go from there. But I fully expect that I will be found not at fault in the accident.

:thumbsup:

[screenprintr]

My 2000 Camry bumper cover replaced, installed and painted was $360.

3 or 4 months later, my Camry died, and here I am on this forum with my newer Yaris 2010.

[edmscan]

My 2000 Camry bumper cover replaced, installed and painted was $360.

I am finding that auto body here in Canada is a racket. Like just the bumper cover part for my Yaris was about $320, not including installation and painting. I would expect about 40% more in Canada (as most things are about 40% more in Canada than the US).

Oh well .. I am waiting to see who is liable now, to see who will be paying for what.

[Hershey]

Would a fairly plush bath towel that has been laundered a few times be okay? Or should I go to a store and buy something else? If so, is there any special type of towel that would work best? No paint or clearcoat will come off . Use this paint / tar removal for years with no problem .

[nookandcrannycar]

No paint or clearcoat will come off . Use this paint / tar removal for years with no problem .

:thumbsup: Thanks. Today (finally!) I happened to see an automated drive through car wash that was not of the tire grab/pull/assembly line style. The last time I got my car washed I went through a wash like that and it cracked and scratched my wheel covers. The wash I went through today was also touchless. It didn't do a complete job. I had to wipe a bit to finish up (I had a clean towel for such purposes in the car in case I needed to utilize it). I noticed that there are quite a few more scratches and nicks than were noticeable after my last car wash.

I still have quite a few things in storage in California and am planning to head to California in January to take care of that. When I get back, I will pay close attention to the exterior of my car and follow what you suggested. I'll also go to the Toyota dealership and buy some Bayou Blue touch up paint to address some, for lack of a better word, 'pits' (likely from rocks falling off of flatbed trucks on the freeway). My rear bumper has some interesting 'character' marks :biggrin:. The electronic eye for my garage door is below the top of my rear bumper. Last year (If I remember correctly) I pulled into my garage, but didn't pull in far enough. I pushed the button to close the door and the garage door hit the top of my bumper (a single load door). A few weeks later I was rearranging some things in my garage and had to take the parking brake off on my Yaris and move it back a bit. I forgot to move it back, and the next time I left the house my garage door hit the same bumper in nearly the same place but with the door on the way up this time. I don't want to clear it up with a repair because then the entire bumper cover might likely be a slightly different color than the rest of the car. At this point in the 'lifecycle' of my Yaris, I think it is best to leave those 'character marks' as is. If I happen to see a really cool sticker I might buy one and a spare to put on that part of the bumper.

[edmscan]

Found out today that the autobody shop had the wrong model for my car on the estimate. They had my car as a 4 Dr Sedan, which I definitely don't have. I have an RS 2 Dr HB.

Well it is interesting in that the bumper cover for the sedan is more money than the RS model. So .. I got them to correct it, but I still haven't heard from the insurance company so I don't know if I will be fixing my car.

I refuse to pay 500$ (my deductable) out of my pocket for an accident that wasn't my fault. I don't think that I am being overly cheap, just being realistic as it just isn't worth it to me. Sure my Yaris is slightly banged up .. but I am not going to be the one to pay for it.

[nookandcrannycar]

Found out today that the autobody shop had the wrong model for my car on the estimate. They had my car as a 4 Dr Sedan, which I definitely don't have. I have an RS 2 Dr HB.

Well it is interesting in that the bumper cover for the sedan is more money than the RS model. So .. I got them to correct it, but I still haven't heard from the insurance company so I don't know if I will be fixing my car.

I refuse to pay 500$ (my deductable) out of my pocket for an accident that wasn't my fault. I don't think that I am being overly cheap, just being realistic as it just isn't worth it to me. Sure my Yaris is slightly banged up .. but I am not going to be the one to pay for it.

I'd say next step = wait to hear back from the insurance company.