AMEN. Thank you. I don't practice personal injury law, I don't sue people, and my initial response had nothing to do with litigation or complaining about the airbags. I was just stating the fact that airbags are expensive to replace. That's all.

If people don't like all the litigation in society, they just have to call their state and federal representatives and ask them to enact tort reform (shorter statutes of limitation, caps on noneconomic damages for pain and suffering, limits on punitive damages, etc.). Some states have done it, and it does work. So long as a Pl's attny can get 40% of a multi-million verdict, you will see ads on TV and the phone book for 1-800-I'm-Hurt. It's supply and demand.

As to my Volvo's steering wheel, they replaced the whole thing because when the airbag ripped through the cover of the steering wheel, it basically demolished the whole center of it. I guess they may be able to salvage the outside rim of the wheel, but most of the expense of the steering wheel assembly was in the cover and airbag (or so I'm told). Thus, they just ordered a completely new unit.

Also, I too had injuries to my wrist from the airbag, but I had no complaints about that. They were minor. I will say, however, that I now drive at "10 & 2" or "9 & 3" all the time (no more single hand on the top of the steering wheel), because if my hand had been at the top of the steering wheel, it probably would have broke my arm. With your hands on the side, they just fall away as the airbag comes out.

 

All that matters is that you are ok, with your wife. Thant's why you have insurance. Cars are just materialist things.

Glad to hear eveyone is ok....

 

Thanks for all your replies!
Does anyone has any experience getting a fair Diminished Market Value settlement from an insurance company? I would appreciate any tips and pointers.
I mean, even if they fix the car perfectly, it will still be a wrecked vehicle, and Carfax and other reporting entities will tell that there was an accident and airbags deployed, and this will drastically reduce the re-sale value of the car. Insurance companies know that. But how does one estimates the amount of diminished value?

 

Thats why I asked you about your plan on the DV claim. Most adjusters will stop talking to you the moment you raise this point. Once the point is raised, they (insurance company that hit you) will ask you if you intend to pursue this, and if you say yes, they will not write you your adjustment check. The process of getting your car fixed is greatly slowed down. You need to check with an attorney in your region that has experience with this. In some states its not possible win, in others it is. At the very least, talk to your insurance agent (if its someone you trust and know in person) to get their opinion, and be sure that accidents which are not your fault, do not hurt your premium.

Regardless, there is a lot of gray area in this process, which usually escalates to attorneys getting involved. Many give up, so find out what you are getting into first. I personally gave up after my insruance agent said its not worth the trouble. I think its BS, as we rightly deserve a DV payment, because like you said, it can hurt the resale. On the flip side, if you document the accident (reports, pictures, estimates, repair receipts) from start to finish, then a future buyer can have some assurances that the car is ok. Rarely will you find a 5+ year old car that has not been in some kinda of accident.

 

+1 - I have a nice reminder of someone's errant golf ball in the middle of my hood. Because of the double-walled aluminum nature of our hoods, paintless dent removal is apparently not an option. $400 is my current cheapest estimate in a range between that and $825. Sigh.....

 

just curious about your situation, did you get the golf club to pay for the damage? you pay out of pocket? made a claim? Ive always wondered how golf clubs would approach this issue.

 

"Thanks! Airbag didn't even touched my face. But it did put a huge bruise on my arm and scratched my wrist. Oh yeah, that smell is awful!"

I always had wondered about that as well. I'm usually wearing sunglasses during the day since contacts seem to make my eyes sensitive to light, so I always had this fear that the airbag would smash them into my face. I know, beats the alternative in most cases (probably not yours), but just something on my mind.

Glad you and the Mrs. are OK, and I'm sorry about your car. We've all been there, and as you know, the fender-bender is the easiest part to deal with, not that it's any walk in the park, but it's the insurance claim that will give you fits. Hang in there man.

 

Negative - my cost to absorb. It's a matter of inherent risk. Because of the proximity to the golf course, an inherent risk of damage is assumed. Even those who choose to live near golf courses have lost legal cases because of this. Sux :-(

 

Well, I can wait on the repair - its my wife's car, and insurance is paying for the rental, so its their money to loose either way. The longer they will drag this, the more it will cost them, in rental car fees, repair facility storage fees, etc, etc. And I will not let this thing go unsettled - I just talked to my local BMW dealer here, and they told me that based on the pictures, the car just lost about $7-8 grand in value. I'm not ready, nor willing to let it slide.

 

Just heard from my claims adjuster. The car will be repaired. There are no structural damage of any sort. Total $$ came to slightly over $12K.
They will replace the hood. They will not replace the steering wheel, just the bag.

If anyone still has any tips/advice on DMV, please let me know.