Hey guys... took a trip down to Baltimore from Boston. Long story short... was going off a ramp (one lane ramp), the retard car behind me decides to overtake me on the ramp, I was like wtf? and moved over a little bit to be safe and continued driving, when the ramp was almost over he tried to cut out to the left lanes but a big 18 wheeler was flying by and almost killed him so he swerved towards me really fast, so my first auto instinict was to move over to the right, but since i was already moved over i ended up ramming into the rail guard.... he/she didnt stop! they took off i didnt get the license plate i was more busy trying to avoid hitting the ramp.

Damage report ... i hit my front right side only, my right headlight shattered, decent part of my bumper gone, my fender bent and pushed up towards my passenger side door, my wheel scuffed and something wrong with susepnsion stuff obviously cuz the wheel wouldnt turn when i tried =(((((((

got it towed to JBA infiniti in elliciot city. they then towed it to their JBA collusion center in Glen Bernie. Anyone familiar with these places? Anyways the estimate is $7,800 sigh.... my car ...

This is my first accident ever so I'm not sure what I need to look out for and make sure what needs to be done so my car is 100% when i get it back.

My questions would be anyone know this area and know if that auto body shop is reputable?
Is estimate correct? (sorry no pics my phone ran outta batteries trying to get tow truck)
They said insurance process is like this, they go cheapest way, used parts , after market parts, then oem parts. Can I order aftermarket parts and have them put them on? :P

Sorry for the long essay, if theres anything else I should know please let me know... thanks guys

 

christian autobody inc. in laurel is used by the ngc guys. great reviews for their work and the guy will work with you if you want to do aftermarket parts. and no, that process does not work that way. request that your insurance send out an adjuster. he will give you a preliminary estimate. once you decide on the shop you want, that shop will tear it down and get a supplimental estimate for anything not noted on the original by the adjuster. they will write you up with oem or aftermarket depending on how much the body shop fights for oem parts. it's better to go with salvage parts if ins. will absolutely not go for new oem. aftermarket in insurance language means made in china.

the check should be written out to you and not the bodyshop (this is your choice). if you choose a bodyshop that works with you, you can compare prices for the replacement parts and substitute aftermarket stuff. if you need to talk, give me a call, i'll pm you my number.

btw, that estimate sounds about right.

 

That sucks, bro! I was involved in a hit and run in Baltimore a few years back. There's no shortage of shady people in that city.

 

Awesome! I'm from Boston too. Sorry to hear about the accident, I hope you're okay! That guy who cut you off is a total ***. I once accidentally almost got into an accident with my G, and almost caused someone to spin out. I was making a left turn when the light turned yellow, but the incoming driver decided to speed through the yellow-red light, and crossed the white line after the light turned red. Even though our cars avoided an accident (thank god), I immediately pulled over to make sure they were okay, just to be safe. It depends on the person. =(

Your estimate is cheaper than ours when my bro slammed a curb with his lexus es350...it cost us 9000...and we had less stuff to fix..but most insurances won't go aftermarket....they only go oem...we had the headlight, bumper, and wheel with various suspension parts replaced. My brother hit the curb so hard the brake rotor shattered, and the car wouldn't turn.

Your estimate sounds very reasonable. What we did was pay the shop our insurance deductible and our insurance took care of the rest.

 

Whoever told you that they go salvage first is BS. Like speed said they will send out an adjuster to survey the damage. When mine came out he had a database for what the oem part costs. They will cut you a check off what needs to be fixed. With this check its on you what you want to replace the parts with. If they cut the check towards the shop then its on what they want to replace it with which is usually oem.

 

Do you remember what car make and model that caused your accident?

 

What would that help?

 

I'm just curious? Can't a fella ask a simple question? I just hate those people who try to cut you off in really slow cars...like the Honda Civic for example.

 

it was some honda accord, problem is i was going normal speeds on ramp and it was a one lane ramp, why try to over take me during the ramp?

Ok so 2 people have suggested Christian auto body, wondering if there are any bad reviews of JBA ?

I would tow it to Christian's but is it too late? they have given me and estimate and all, they ordered the parts already but they are still waiting for me to sign and authorize the repairs. Can I still have them tow it there?

 

I believe you can, you have not authorized them to fix your car. It was wrong of them to order parts already without your consent. You are allowed to tow it to other places, but I'm afraid sometimes body shops are shady. They might screw something else up because they're going to be pissed that they already ordered the parts.

Technically, by law, they can't make you pay for repairs you didn't authorize. They shouldn't start work on a car without your consent.

 

If you want it fixed at Christian, tell jba to stop all work. To get it to Christian, just call them directly, tell them where the car is and they will take care of the tow

I have a problem with most dealership bodyshops. They are usually concerned more with volume than with quality.

 

just got it towed there =) thanks guys

and thanks mike for the number =)

 

No problem...glad I could help!!

 

Ok new questions!

I want a more aggressive looking front end, what can I do?

I keep reading sport bumpers vs X bumpers. Is there a big difference? Anyone have pics I cant find a direct comparison.

I've seen a few different lips, what is most popular in terms of looks and fitment on the bumper?

 

Sport bumpers do look more aggressive than normal X and non X bumpers. I'm not sure if your insurance allows you to make modifications on your car. I think they're supposed to give you the OEM look (the parts that were originally on your car.) Sometimes though, I hear some insurance companies do allow you to make slight modifications.

I would prefer the sport bumper IMO, so try to get it if you can.

This is the sport bumper:
http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezwe...tured_item.jpg

This is the non-sport bumper even though it has the sport wheels (odd, because those two don't go together stock):
http://www.leasetrader.com/photos/ac...G35X-AWD.xhtml


Hope this helps! Good luck!