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Triumph TR6 - Teenage girl taking on a cell phone

It is with a heavy and angry heart I post this note.
A 19 year old cell phone talking pin head decided to make an illegal u turn with out checking her mirrors
and unfortunatly I was right on top of her when she did this. My right front corner hit her left front corner, it riped off the the wheel and tire, broke the
hub and I don't know what else. I'm hoping frame is okay. I'm not writing this for sympathy, just looking for advice. She is charged with illegal u turn and me with no charge at all. 100% her fault but still both of our insurance rates are going to increase. The summer is halfway through and my baby is a mess.
Do I try and work something out with her dad and do the work myself( I built this car from scratch, I hate the thought of giving it to a shop to fix.) Or do I do the insurance claim thing and sue for the difference?
I would appreciate any thoughts.
Chris
Christopher Trace

Chris
I feel for you,this Sunday on my way to Lindsay
i almost had a simalar fate.
Driving up hwy 12 a car pulled out of a intersection
and as i slamed on the brakes and laid on the horn
i had vison of the front end been total, she stoped
withen a half inch,i thought for sure at that pointi was going to have damage to the length of the car .
But to answer your question in 1985 i was rear
ended ,the other driver was charged and the insurance company would not fix it, and i settled for cash and the salvage rights.this pissed me off
Anyways through the TTC club ,I got in touch with a chap who had sued the insur. to fix his car.
Bottom line is you want by what ever means,your car repaired to it's former glory,and at no cost to you.
Here hoping you were not hurt in this mishap.
Malcolm
M Macdonald

In my experience (maybe I've been lucky), if your driving record and claim history is reasonably clean, your rates should not increase dramatically. If they do, you're with the wrong company. Unfortunately, now's the wrong time to change.

Good luck and no matter much it hurts, at least you're OK and can fix your 6. She won't be able to fix being stupid.

Charlie
EC Smith

Chris-Why would your insurance rates increase if the accident was chargable to the other party? Maybe Canadian insurance rules are different. Will there be a hassle about the value of your car? Low-ball book value vs the real market value? The best outcome scenario might be if the insurance co. totals the car, you receive a settlement for the real market value, and are allowed to purchase it for the salvage value.
May their be a special place in hell for those who attempt to drive and talk on a cell phone.
Berry Price
BTP Price

Chris

Hopefully your vehicle was insured with a company that required and kept an up to date appraisal on it. If your policy has a "19" endorsement on it, the insurer's appraised damages to your vehicle will be valued against your vehicle's appraisal. If you are wit the Silver Wheel plan or something similar, you should be okay.

Doug
Doug M

Hi Chris,
Sorry to hear about this...!!
I understand your wanting to fix " from scratch" but the insurance won't pay for your time and aggravation plus the trips for primer,paint alignment ect.
I think if you have a recent appraisal and you pick the shop you will be better off in the long run,


Charlie
Charlie B.

Chris
This is a sad day. Us guys who did all the work ourselves in our restorations can really appreciate your wanting to do it yourself. If I am not mistaken, you are with Silver wheel. I do not think your rates will go up (unless you have been told this from Tony???). Sorry lad but I agree with others and go have it fixed. I do not think "dad" will work something out with you when you get an appraisal from a qualified TR6 repair place.

You should have come on the run/picnic last Sunday.

I have always thought it would be a good idea to turn the head lights on while driving. I sometimes turn on the parking lights. After hearing your story, I think I might just do the head light thing. While on a run last Saturday with the TTC Canadian Classic, a guy decided the line of TR6s was too long to wait for so did a left turn across the front of me. Now my red lines have a flat spot.

Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick,
I switched the wires on my headlight switch so that the first position down ( which used to be parking lights ) is now headlights only....easier to use and remember.

Charlie
Charlie B.

Chris, this is sad news! I agree with others...your insurance company must pay for repairs. You just need to ensure the repairs are done correctly, and no shortcuts taken. I don't know if Ken Mason does this kind of repair, but he does restorations, and is not far from you, right on Hwy #9. We passed him on our tour last summer. 519 942 1722
Good luck
Pete
Pete Russell

It is not his insurance responsibility to pay it is the ones at fault . His insurance Co must fight to make sure it is done right.
don
DON KELLY

Really sorry to here about this. I had a similar occurance this January in my MG. Was stopped and a construction truck decided he wanted to be where I was. His lug nuts tore up (literally!) the side of the car from the rear bumper to just shy of the front fender. No structural damage, but the estimate came out to $6k. His insurance wanted to total the car, but thankfully I had 'agreed value' insurance for 8k through my regular auto insurance. That stopped them from taking that route!

I did all of the repair work myself (after I got the settlement check). The car looks as good as ever, but it was hearbreaking to see it so battered for months.... I was able to fix it as good or better than the body shop would have done (I'm slow but fastideous) for less than $50! Hey, I've got a huge stash of MG parts... Because of that I had the money for when the TR6 came up for sale. Fortune smiled on me on that one! I hope you'll have as happy an ending.
Tom
Tom Sotomayor

CT,
Sad to hear. I know how much work you put into her.

On another topic it sounds like USA insurance is set up differently.

I agree with the majority and send it out. You doing the repairs will not be for pleasure or fun this time, it will anger you every time you walk up to it.

Silver Wheels should not raise your premiums, if they do, we all should send them a letter.

Plus, you will be enjoying her faster then you think if you sub it out to someone.

Let me know if there is anything my shop can do for you.


Marcello

Thanks guys,
everytime I look at her I see more damage than the last time, it's tough. But at least I walked away.
I could easily be a cripple right now knowing the saftey record of our cars. Drive safe boys, there
is so many idiots out there.

Berry, in this province your insurance rates increase every time you claim or fart.

Doug, don't know if I have "19"th endorsment with silver wheels
but will check. The car is insured for $30,000 because
it falls into the Sunbeam Tiger class.

Charlie, Kinda looking forward to the re-build,
do things better this time!

Rick, I would love to have come and drove with you guys last weekend but there was money to be made.
I aways drive with my lights on period! Statistics
don't lie, well they can lie but not in this case.
It is just safer to drive with lights on. Unless
you come upon a teenage girl talking on a cell phone
that is.

Don, not the way it works here. No fault insurance.
Good in some ways, not good in others.

Tom, I'm with you! Sorry to you guys who recomend the shop route, but any shop is trying to get cars in and out and make a profit. As I see it the only way to repair this car properly is to take the body off the frame and see what damage (if any) there is, measure everything.
As Malcolm says I want the car back to it's former glory and I don't want anything less. I spent years making it as perfect as I could and I can do it again.
My buddy that sprayed the paint says I can use his shop as a storage/workshop. Friends, they are the best! And while I'm at it I might go for one of those new frames we talked about a few months ago just to strengthen the whole structure.
Guys, if this had happened to my daily driver I probably would not even blink an eye but, this is personal, I am this car this car is me. I am sure you know what I'm talking about.
Chris
Christopher Trace

That's great getting a place to work on it Chris...I'd go the same route !! If you ever need some extra help let me know..I'd be glad to come up
Charlie
Charlie B.


I would do the same Chris.

Not to be morbid or anything but could you post a picture of the car in its current dammaged state?

I'd like to see where you are starting from and then hear about your progress.

Thanks

Henry
HP Henry Patterson

Chris,
Call me if you need a hand. (On a lighter note, at least you have a winter projet)

I was in Barrie Saturday for the CSRA CANATS show. Largest classic and custom car show in Canada (also draws alot of border crossers) I am a member. Anyway while there I bumped into Silver Wheels who had a booth set up. Tony and I chatted. I brought up your unfortunate situation and I added that we TR folk pride our selves on the safety and security of our cars, and it was a shame that Lant Silver Wheels isn't backing one of our members the way they should. Chris, Tony denied the whole thing and told me he was not increasing your premiums what so ever, (????)

He told me to ask you to call him ASAP.
Marcello

Charlie and Henry, thanks, I'll try to get a photo on but I'm not much good at uploading or downloading or whatever it's called.
Marcello, sorry this misunderstanding is completely my fault. Apprantly my rates with silver wheels won't rise but once the police report of the collision shows up on my drivers abstract my rates with my other car insurance company will go up. I wasn't reffering to my silver wheels coverage and I should have been more specific. The way the insurance companies justify
raising your rates after even a minior collision is that statisticly you have a much greater propability of getting into another mihap shortly after the first one. They get you coming and going.
And your right I have a great winter project now,
I think I'll really detail the engine bay this time so I can compete with Rick C. in the shine cataegory.
Chris
Christopher Trace

Chris
Send me the PIC(s) and I will put them on the BBS for you. OR...go ahead and learn something new this week:).
That is an absolute scam that your "other" car insurance rates will go up. In theory I agree with you that this is the way of life with "no fault insurance" in Canada. BUT, I do not know if they automatically get an update of your abstract. If you changed insurance companies then yes, your rates would reflect this accident. Maybe I am wrong, do they get an annual copy of our abstracts?

Rick C
Rick Crawford

Hi Chris,

I am very sorry to hear of this accident to your beautiful car. As you know, I am rebuilding from a serious accident myself, though my own fault in my case. (I have not been on this board much the last year or two while the car has been off the road, so feel a bit out of touch.)

I would suggest giving a call to Wayne McGill, who is in the insurance business and a fellow TR6 owner, for his advice, even though you are insured with Tony Lant, just to get a second opinion.
Both these guys know a great deal about this type of situation, and I am confident will give you honest information.

I have some front suspension components you can have free if you need to replace bent or damaged items.
Just send me an email with your phone number, and I'll call you right away.

Best of luck, Simon.
Simon Rasmussen

Rick, no, the other insurance companies won't know automaticlly, but they do check the drivers abstracts every two years at least or on renewal of contract.
One way or another it will happen soon. I'll try and send you pics, I met with the appriaser today, very decent guy, he saw everything I did, thank goodness.
Once we pull the body off the frame he would like to have another look at the frame. Even though the insurance Co. only wants to pay for the shock tower to be bent back into shape, I think I'll cut the whole front half off and replace with a new frame or maybe a new frame for the whole car. I'll know once the body is off. I have to say that Silver wheels/ Lant Brokers have been fantastic sofar in solving this claim.

Simon, thanks! I am going to relace everything on the passenger side whether insurance covers it or not.

Chris
Christopher Trace

Simon, could you please send your email.
catrace@b2b2c.ca
Christopher Traceo

Chris,

I also share your grief. I agree that you need to do the work to your satisfaction.A body shop will do a crap paint job and alignment job. I hope you get a settlement that makes it worth your while.

This summer I have had 2 near misses when cars did not see me and started to turn in front of me. Maybe I am tempting fate and should go with the headlights on as well.

I wish you a speedy repair.

Mike Petryschuk
Michael S. Petryschuk

Chris
When it comes time to lift the body, give me a call and will come down to help...or sooner if you need an extra hand.
I am now appreciating more you wanting to do the work. It is just a pity you will not get any of your labour/time covered for something you did not cause.
Awaiting the pics.
Rick
Rick Crawford

Hey Rick,
I'm ready to "lift" the body off the frame (actually I have been ready for months, but the painter has not been). Want to come on down and lend a hand??
db
Doug Baker

Doug
Send me an airline ticket and I will be there tomorrow.
Rick
Rick Crawford

Rick,
You're just too kind:)
db
Doug Baker

I Know:)
Rick Crawford

This thread was discussed between 20/07/2006 and 31/07/2006

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