Hit a deer, car is a total loss...looking for help :(

[geobur]

Hey guys, I am super sad to say that on December 23 I hit a deer. I was traveling along John street in between Leslie and Bayview at 7:30am when it happened. The damage didn't look too bad, however there is unfortunately frame damage. They would need to replace my radiator mount so instead they have decided it is a write off. :(

The insurance has offered me a decent amount however I am hoping to get a bit more from them due to some fairly expensive major work I recently had done on the car, but I don't really know the process. I am looking for advice from anyone who has been through this before.

I am also looking for help from anyone with mechanical knowledge willing to get cold and possibly wet and getting paid in beer and pizza or wings. I want to swap my mods back to their factory parts outside at the body shop my car is currently at. I have practically brand new Koni Orange shocks and struts, and a HKS Hi Power catback exhaust that I would like to try and salvage from under my car.

I will include pictures in a reply to this post in case people don't want to see a dead deer.

[geobur]

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o747/geobur/My%20Mazda/20161223_073739_zpsgopbzyij.jpg (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/geobur/media/My%20Mazda/20161223_073739_zpsgopbzyij.jpg.html)
http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o747/geobur/My%20Mazda/20161223_073748_zpsafm9vgxy.jpg (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/geobur/media/My%20Mazda/20161223_073748_zpsafm9vgxy.jpg.html)
http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o747/geobur/My%20Mazda/20161223_081722_zpshbqynxev.jpg (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/geobur/media/My%20Mazda/20161223_081722_zpshbqynxev.jpg.html)
http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o747/geobur/My%20Mazda/20161223_081748_zpsqqdykt9c.jpg (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/geobur/media/My%20Mazda/20161223_081748_zpsqqdykt9c.jpg.html)

[bpsmicro]

You could tell the insurance company about your upgrades, and they may factor that into what they'll pay you. It definitely won't be anywhere near 100%, but at least you'll save yourself the hassle of trying to recover the parts. Note that if you do want to recover parts, you'd have to do that before signing over the car (because at that instant, you don't own it) and it's possible your insurance company won't want you to strip it. Some companies are more flexible than others.

Once you've settled on the payout, if you can't retrieve the bits, you have the option of buying back the car at their salvage cost. If you *don't* tell them about your upgrades, the salvage will be lower and you get the car back. Then you can recover your parts, and all the other unbroken bits, and sell separately. How feasible that is for you depends on whether you have a place to store the wreck while you strip it.

Brad.

[aZuMi]

Damn, that sucks to hear. I didn't think there would be deer on John St. between Leslie and Bayview!?

[geobur]

Damn, that sucks to hear. I didn't think there would be deer on John St. between Leslie and Bayview!?

ya, tell me about it...I grew up learning to drive north of the city, up near Barrie, and learned to keep a constant eye open for deer...if anyone had told me I would hit a deer in Markham I would have laughed at them...I would have expected it up near where I grew up. It was definitely a shitty start to my holidays that's for sure.

[Cjcoolen]

Unrelated question:

Soo what did you do to the deer? It seems like you brought it with you based on the pic of the deer being in the truck.


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[drazen]

Unrelated question:

Soo what did you do to the deer? It seems like you brought it with you based on the pic of the deer being in the truck.


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Cjcoolen

Venison for dinner tonight bruh!

[aZuMi]

Cjcoolen

Venison for dinner tonight bruh!

LOL - I was going to ask that question too. Might as well take it home. Organic game meat!

[pwdunmore]

Bruised meet tastes like crap... lol just saying

[unknown]

Wow. It's good that you are okay.

[Jackal]

Sorry to hear and see this geobur. Glad you're fine and you're getting a decent amount for the car.
I guess that would make a healthy down payment for another car. How was it running by the way? Were you experiencing problems or was it running smoothly?


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[Kiewan]

Damn, the nicest colour of gen1 offered too.... Besides phurple

[bpsmicro]

Bruised meet tastes like crap... lol just sayingRoad Kill needs to have some "prep work" done to it *very* quickly (like, within hours or even quicker) to prevent the whole thing from going to waste. I won't go into detail to protect the squeamish, but if it's not *well* along the path of processing by now (as in, pretty much already butchered & packaged), it's way too late. A true road kill expert will have done some of the preliminary stuff right at the side of the road.

[pwdunmore]

Road Kill needs to have some "prep work" done to it *very* quickly (like, within hours or even quicker) to prevent the whole thing from going to waste. I won't go into detail to protect the squeamish, but if it's not *well* along the path of processing by now (as in, pretty much already butchered & packaged), it's way too late. A true road kill expert will have done some of the preliminary stuff right at the side of the road.

Yeehaa? lol

[rajin929]

you didn't hit the deer.
the deer hit you.

[S.F.W.]

I can't help with the mechanical work. But I can provide some guidance on dealing with insurance in terms of offers, and negotiation. I went though the process in 2010.
Insurance made an offer based on what they considered comparable vehicles.
I rejected, as I found it was way off. I then sent them a list of vehicles I found comparable, and we went back and forth several times.

A couple bits of advice 1)if you car is at the insurance body shop, they will not be in any rush to settle, as they are pay $0 or very low daily storage. If the car is at a third party shop, they will likely ask to have it towed to their shop. You can use this as leverage. 2)Start doing your research for comparable vehicles now 3)Insurance will try and pressure you. They will make the initial offer, and say something to the effect of now that we have made an offer, rental coverage ends in X days. Push back on this as well.

[jeff7670]

I have the entire radiator and the frame for it sitting in my shed you can have for free. See what cash the insurance company will give you and perhaps you can fix it cheaper.

[FD22]

Oh deer

(too soon?)


Like Ami said, don't hesitate to push back on the amount. Although like I told you already, the amount you told me last week is pretty reasonable.