A&Q about Lotus
Q:
sorry to see and read this. But i guess this teaches us that when driving the elise, we should maintain a significant amount or even more amount of space between "us" the car ahead ..
A:
Keith,
I saw your accident on Wilson Rd this afternoon around 3:40pm. It must have just happened because the cop hadn't reached there yet. My heart sank to see the condition of your clam. I was wondering how could an Elise driver rear end a behemoth, and now your description of what happened makes perfect sense. Anyways, my condolences and I hope you get your car back soon.
Rupesh
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damn, that sucks. Sorry about your car.
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Yeah man that sucks. Hope you get it fixed or get another soon.
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Wow that sucks, it looks repairable though. Glad your ok. I also missed getting side swiped by inches yesterday. I was in the right lane of 2 lanes turning left the car on my left decided that they were going to merge into the right lane midway through the turn right where I was. I was already over taking them so I just stuck it to the floor and I'm sure they missed me by inches. Be carful out there. That was my first near miss in the Elise, lets hope the last.
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Sorry mate Best of luck getting her repaired.
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Originally Posted by EburgE
I just happened to be driving by and snapped this. I think her vehicle took the worse of it.
SweeDaddy must have the uber-clam.
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Oh man, that sucks. Sorry to hear about it. If there's a bright side it is that you can have the body shop fill in the seam across the front of the clam before they paint it.
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Originally Posted by lateapex
What's up with these brain-dead SUV drivers? I hope they are getting cited for unsafe driving by backing up in the middle of the street.
If a truck were trying to make the turn in front of you and couldn't make it would you back up to help them out and be polite or would you sit there like an ass? The problem is in a Suburban, no matter how good the driver is, unless they're looking in the mirror as you approach from behind, once you're behind them, they most likely can't see you in any of their mirrors. Like he said, he didn't have time to even find his horn, so if they can't see you and you didn't have time to get on the horn, how could the SUV driver have known the Elise was there at all? Some SUV drivers are morons, but it sounds like this one just made a mistake.
I would like to think that a bike may have not had this happen since its most likely higher than an Elise if you're sitting up at the intersection.
P.S. Sitting wayyy behind the car in front of you at intersections is always a good idea in the Elise, but it leads to ass***** pulling into the lane in front of you because they think you're being stupid by not moving up.
A:
Sorry to hear about this. I agree with all the posts saying USAA is good about claims. When you get the estimate, make sure that it includes the extra charges for the paint being 3-stage. Adjacent panels that are blended should be fully clearcoated to ensure long-term quality.
USAA will do give diminished value on 3rd party claims like this one, depending on the state. Definitely worth asking about.
When I've had repairs done on my USAA insurance, if I have the work done at one of their "approved" shops, it's guaranteed for life. I've had to use this guarantee (3 years and thousands of miles away) and they did honor it, no hassle. I don't know if this works if you aren't the insured, but may be worth thinking about/considering.
Good luck,
Jen
A:
Originally Posted by FirstClass
If a truck were trying to make the turn in front of you and couldn't make it would you back up to help them out and be polite or would you sit there like an ass?
I guess if those are the only two options, I pick B.
If I'm in stop and go heavy traffic on an arterial, as I approach a light, I'll look for turning vehicles and try to stop in such a manner as to allow those waiting to turn an opportunity to do so. Those choosing to make a turn are essentially doing so against the right of way and have the responsibility to know how to put their vehicle where it needs to go, particularly if they drive for a living. I would not back up unless not doing so created a more potentially unsafe condition than the unexpected maneuver of backing up would. An example would be if a student truck driver mis-judged a turn at an intersection and traffic was oncoming.
Originally Posted by FirstClass
The problem is in a Suburban, no matter how good the driver is, unless they're looking in the mirror as you approach from behind, once you're behind them, they most likely can't see you in any of their mirrors. Like he said, he didn't have time to even find his horn, so if they can't see you and you didn't have time to get on the horn, how could the SUV driver have known the Elise was there at all? Some SUV drivers are morons, but it sounds like this one just made a mistake.
Some portion of all types of vehicle drivers are morons. Unfortunately, SUV's not only require basic driving attention/skill, they require an understanding of the vehicle's limitations. One of these limitations is visibility. If you are sitting in traffic, it is a reasonable assumption that you are not the last car in line. If you can't see what might be behind you, don't back up. Seems fairly fundamental.
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Originally Posted by JWA
Oh man, that sucks. Sorry to hear about it. If there's a bright side it is that you can have the body shop fill in the seam across the front of the clam before they paint it.
That's actually a pretty good idea. Has anyone here done that? Pics?
Rupesh- Wow must of been a strange "sighting" to run across a wrecked Lotus. To all the passerbys I'm sure it looked like I rearended her. Seems much more likely than a truck backing up. lol. Since my business is literally across the street, about 6 people I knew went by. A couple people even stopped in before I got there.
Firstclass- you are right on. She just couldn't see me and was just trying to be nice. As soon as I saw the reverse lights I knew what was going on but it was way too late. The left turn lane was really backed up far. If I was sitting far behind her I'd of been blocking traffic to the right lane before the road widened for the turn lane. Given my small size and location behind her, I know she could not see me in her side or rear view. She should of been able to see me from her passenger side mirror if adjusted properly. She mentioned that after getting back in her vehicle she still couldn't see me. Of course at this point 1/4 of the car was under her SUV. haha.
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Originally Posted by SweetDaddyD
That's actually a pretty good idea. Has anyone here done that? Pics?
I know at least a couple people have done it, but to see it you just have to look at any Exige. The Exige front clam is laid by hand so it doesn't have that unfortunate seam. Without it the front end looks so much more sleek.
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I'm so sorry, my heart goes out to you.
Be glad she has USAA, they are a good insurance company, if there is such a thing.
I have talked to them about diminished value, and they do look at it for certain cars.
Here is a link to some experts who can help you out with diminished value:
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3 minutes of googling told me that in Georgia all insurance companies are required to pay for diminished value. claims that they use a formula which is not in your favor so you might still have some fighting to do to get paid correctly.
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Thanks guys for those 2 above links, very helpful. Well, going to bed. Long day of bullcrap tomorrow. haha. I'll keep ya posted. Really- Thanks to everyone for being so helpful- the PM's etc. I've had a lot of good stories so far about AutoGlow so hopefully I'm able to work with them. (and hopefully Enterprise gets a decent rental car in tomorrow!)
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must be a crazy day, i had a close call today maybe ill drive my 4runner on friday the 13th
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I know exactly how you feel--a little too well. Sorry it happened to you.
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Boy I'd hate to have to call Soccer Hubby and tell him I just backed over a $300,000 car!
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Bummer about the car. Good luck getting everything worked out with the insurance.