Totaled...crying

[NY_Cade69]

Inexperienced driver T-boned the MachE tonight. Wife driving seems fine, just some bruises from the door and side airbags. Got her a CT scan after a few hours wait. All four doors' airbags deployed but front ones did not. Other driver at fault.

I am assuming this will be totaled. Any ideas for minimizing our loss during the settlement on this 2023 with 41K miles?

Also I can't get the frunk open - any hints for getting it open? No obvious bent parts on the front...

Thanks

If Other driver is 100% at fault, is totally responsible to make you whole. (don't forget diminished value, if not totalled)
See this: https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/auto-and-vehicle-insurance/after-accident

Sponsored

 

[RickMachE]

If you have a 2021 Mach-E with 50,000 miles, you'll end up with the value of that vehicle, despite buying it for much more. Now, instead of the car you had from new, you have to go buy a used vehicle, or cough up a lot of money.

My son's perfect 2018 Fusion Sport was hit by a Tesla driver in a parking lot that didn't know how to use 1 pedal driving. He had to buy a used one, both on price and that it wasn't made any longer.

 

[4sallypat]

......
My son's perfect 2018 Fusion Sport was hit by a Tesla driver in a parking lot that didn't know how to use 1 pedal driving. He had to buy a used one, both on price and that it wasn't made any longer.

Another reason I don't like 1PD.
Too old to teach this dog a new trick.
Even downshifting using a clutch in a 3PD is too much work.

 

[SonicBlue]

Inexperienced driver T-boned the MachE tonight. Wife driving seems fine, just some bruises from the door and side airbags. Got her a CT scan after a few hours wait. All four doors' airbags deployed but front ones did not. Other driver at fault.

I am assuming this will be totaled. Any ideas for minimizing our loss during the settlement on this 2023 with 41K miles?

Totaled for sure. Glad your wife is ok. You minimize the loss by locating a used 23 or 24 with low miles off lease, still under warranty - not by going out and buying a shiny brand new one. That would be my advice for everyone in the market - whether working with an insurance check or not.

 

[ARK]

"residual value going up on EV's"?????

A little bit, yeah. Driveway made me an offer for $21,200 in August 2025 on my 2021 AWD SR Premium Mach-E with about 25,000 miles, but raised it to $21,500 in July 2026 with around 31,000 miles.

 

[Mark813]

^^^ this.

The other party's insurance will try to get out the least amount of money, but stick to your guns and don't settle for anything less than a full replacement. You might have to get an attorney to pull more money out of them if worse comes to worse.

As @ChehRob mentioned - keep open the medical portion open even after you settle for the replacement costs. I know - my last accident rear ender has lasting physical damages that show up much later.

When my 2021 CRV was totaled in 2024 I made sure they knew all the options my middle tier model had plus real leather seats. The car was in excellentcondition before the accident and I got that value.

Also, they should calculate state sales tax above that value. Since you were losing that credit against the new/used vehicle sales tax in a trade-in if you hadn't had the accident.

Accident cases should have an attorney especially if there is injuries no matter how minor. Maybe you can negotiate better than me but I used one.

Your own insurance pip will pay for physical therapy and the other parties insurance will pay you the settlement.

Watch your visits and totals against the pip. If you use up your own pip the physical therapy place doesn't tell you because they are happy to get paid from the insurance settlement if they know you have an attorney working on your case.

When the settlement comes the Attorney gets their 30% (or higher) BEFORE paying off any extra medical costs you incurred above your pip.

Now the settlement is there for medical costs or physical therapy etc but don't burn it up at the PT place getting massages. Get real treatment, not saying people don't. My PT place had a "Rack" which stretched my upper and lower back on different visits. That's something I would like to have access to before ever having a car accident lol.

But just a warning that PT places will burn your money even though you're making no progress or you need to move on to treating yourself ongoing at multiple different practices chiro, etc.

Sponsored