Need some advice. Got hit....*roughly* how much to fix/to do myself?

[ifeightner]

In a nutshell....Got my 2001 Taurus, love it to pieces. 2 months later, some idiot kid runs a red light, and thankfully I reacted fast enough to almost avoid a direct hit to my drivers side door. But he smashed into my rear panels. See the attached pics.
Basically, he has no insurance, and the insurance of the car owner is refusing to pay. My insurance also will not, as I have no collision insurance. So I was forced to get it fixed. I had to get new struts, stabilizers, etc. Now for the body work.
About how much would it cost for me to get this stuff fixed? I don't know about body work at all, and don't want to get ripped off at a body shop (If anyone is around Cleveland and knows of a good body shop, please let me know).
What is this piece called? Can I buy some cheap? Any suggestions?
Also, there is damage to the inside of the trunk. Luckily the mach amp wasn't damaged in the process.
Thanks for any suggestions y'all

[The White Falcon]

The bumper shouldn't be hard to replace, the other piece (someone correct me if I'm wrong) is the left rear quarter panel. Looking around, I see prices from $300-450 from eBay and other sites. A junkyard might be easier, but it's not the most simple thing in the world to remove. Factor in the labor...it could be a semi pricey fix if you were looking to replace everything.

I'm by no means an expert, but it doesn't look terrible, so you might be able to get it straightened. That would be cheaper.

[behlinla]

Looks like a new bumper and then having someone push out the dents and repaint (optional?). Not an expert but maybe $500?

[ifeightner]

What? No I think you misread. I have proper insurance. This is MY CAR. The other driver does not. I have all the insurance my state requires, with Geico. The person that hit me was the son of the policy holder on the vehicle that hit me, and they are denying coverage based on the fact that the son was not covered on the insurance. I am a lawful citizen and would never drive with a "loophole" thank you very much.

[illhurtya]

I personally would consult with an attorney and go after either the insurance company of the car owner or the car owner themself for damages. I've never heard of someone wrecking someone elses vehicle and the insurance company of the car owner claiming no responsiblity. The owner of the other vehicle is definitely responsible for all damages incurred, especially if the police report states as such.

[q0987]

Originally Posted by ifeightner

What? No I think you misread. I have proper insurance. This is MY CAR. The other driver does not. I have all the insurance my state requires, with Geico. The person that hit me was the son of the policy holder on the vehicle that hit me, and they are denying coverage based on the fact that the son was not covered on the insurance. I am a lawful citizen and would never drive with a "loophole" thank you very much.

Here is my understanding of the insurance policy, please double-check local insurance agents or legal exports and don't blame on me if I were wrong.

If the boy(son) has a valid driver license, then the insurance company of the policy holder will pay for the damage no matter whether or not the boy is covered or not. That's why people always say don't let others drive your car!
The insurance company will deny the coverage if the boy has no driver license.

If the policy holder denies to pay for the damage his son caused, then you can sue them in the small court and you only lose ~$150 if the court is in favor of the boy. Before going to the court, you must collect police report, photos, body shopper damage estimate, and etc to support your claims and you will get much chance to win.

But, but, if the guy has no money for the damage, then you are out of luck. It happens on me too so I know a little and hopefully it helps you. One owner of body shop told me "The law only protects bad guys!"

Good luck

[willyum]

That's a tough fix, not something to bolt off bolt on.
Contact Judge Judy to see if she'll take your case.
Just to get my bumper repainted cost me $200. No matter what you do, the paint job has to be professional to make it right and it won't be cheap.

[behlinla]

Originally Posted by ifeightner

What? No I think you misread. I have proper insurance. This is MY CAR. The other driver does not. I have all the insurance my state requires, with Geico. The person that hit me was the son of the policy holder on the vehicle that hit me, and they are denying coverage based on the fact that the son was not covered on the insurance. I am a lawful citizen and would never drive with a "loophole" thank you very much.

Sorry, I guess I did misread your OP. I edited my post.

[q0987]

I have a much smaller dent under the driver's side door. It costs $1600 to fix it!!!
So I just simply leave it b/c the guy doesn't have money to pay for the cost and the court cannot force her to pay for it!!!.

Again "Law only protects bad guys!"

[Dschinghis Kahn]

Originally Posted by illhurtya

I personally would consult with an attorney and go after either the insurance company of the car owner or the car owner themself for damages. I've never heard of someone wrecking someone elses vehicle and the insurance company of the car owner claiming no responsiblity. The owner of the other vehicle is definitely responsible for all damages incurred, especially if the police report states as such.

+1000

Lawyer up!