# 530XI major CRASH..



## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

Was rear ended by a women doing over 100MPH in my new BMW on I-64 20 miles west of Richmond VA. I was doing about 65 MPH. She hit the rear bumper bounced back and took out both front & rear passenger doors. She then cut across the freeway in front of me ran off the road and stopped when she plowed into a tree head on.

No airbag deployment. Comfort seat headrest came forward as advertised seatbelts tighted and I never lost control of the car. Amazing machine. Stability control seemed to take over.

BMW Assist was on the satellite link within 20 seconds of the car coming to rest.

I am a believer. BMWs are awesome.

ED 9/15. Received in the states on 11/05 What should I do with insurance issues? Demand new vehicle?


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## BayAreaBMWFan (Aug 8, 2004)

Congratulations on surviving the accident without any significant injuries. I presume that the other party is legally at fault and they have insurance.

Was the car purchased or leased?

If it was purchased, I would try and get the car totalled. Talk to BMW and go through a BMW authorized body shop only. The E60s have a special repair requirement which very few shops have.

If the car is not totalled, then aggressively demand diminished value compensation (20% of the value of the car) or ask them to buy it at retail value.

If you have a lawyer friend, let the insurance company know that you plan to file a civil suit against their client for diminished value claim.


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## JayK330 (Feb 11, 2006)

Sorry to hear about this. Glad you made it out safe and sound. Hope everything will get worked out.

What a dumb bitch!


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Bit of a problembut...*

Since she went head first into a tree, It tool the paramentics an hour to get her into an ambulance. She was in no condition to talk. The facts support her high speed rear ending me. I hope to gawd, the insurance companies can sort it out. Took it to BMW dealership and they had no body shop. Very


BayAreaBMWFan said:


> Congratulations on surviving the accident without any significant injuries. I presume that the other party is legally at fault and they have insurance. *Hope to shout!*
> Was the car purchased or leased? *Purchased, all cash!*
> If it was purchased, I would try and get the car totalled. Talk to BMW and go through a BMW authorized body shop only. The E60s have a special repair requirement which very few shops have.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your advise. It is sound!


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## BayAreaBMWFan (Aug 8, 2004)

Call BMW 800 number and they can tell you about the nearest BMW authorised body shop. Take the car to them only since the E60s have a lot of new technology which only the authorized shops are supposedly capable of fixing.

Good luck.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Thanks*

Will do so tomorrow.


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## Bmwcat (Jul 30, 2004)

My condolences and glad you are well. Can you post some pictures for educational purposes?? :yikes:


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## BmW745On19's (Aug 12, 2005)

Bmwcat said:


> My condolences and glad you are well. Can you post some pictures for educational purposes?? :yikes:


:stupid:

Yes I too am very glad you are safe and sound, but please post some pictures for all the youngin's on here that drive fast!:thumbup:


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## realCL23 (Dec 3, 2005)

Glad you werent hurt. I was in an accident couple months ago that totalled my lexus is300.
It was 100% their fault, but all the time it took to deal with insurance was horrible. 
They always try to screw you over by not paying for the rental car unless you tell them repeatedly. 

Hope your insurance deal goes as smooth as possible.


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## M Style III (May 6, 2006)

I was rear-ended twice in my previous BMW's (2 separate incidents). These cars are bulletproof, however I do not want to find out the threshold.

I was also involved in yet another major car accident while sitting shotgun in my friend's Acura. Spent 7 hours in ER, but somehow survived to tell interesting stories. My friend's Acura was in the shop for 6 months - the shop could not remove all the bloodstains to this day.

Needless to say, I will not own a Asian derived car...glad to see that you're OK and able to share the experience on b'fest.


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## PotatoAddict (Nov 23, 2005)

Congratulations in surviving the accident in your 2006 BMW 530xi. Through many years of research and development, your vehicle was engineered with your safety in mind. Now, would you be so kind to answer the following questions? Your input is greatly appreciated and your responses will be used strictly for educational purposes only. Thank you...

100 MPH - 65 MPH = 35 MPH. So, it was kind of like resting at red light and having a car hit you from behind at 35 MPH. Ouch.

What was the freeway speed limit? How many lanes on the freeway? Which lane were you in? What was the average speed of overall traffic? Were most cars going 65, 70, etc? Were you driving slower than general traffic? Were you driving 65 MPH at the very left lane?

What time of day was it? Was it dark? Were there a lot of cars on the freeway or was traffic relatively sparse?

Did you see her coming or was the crash a surprise to you? Did she try to avoid (swerve)? Did you try to avoid (swerve)? Were you following another car at the time? Were there other cars to your side? What was the woman driving? Approximately how old is this woman? How do you know she was going 100 MPH+?

Other questions regarding the BMW safety features: _did your hazards also turn on automatically as advertised_? Did your fuel shut off, causing the engine to stop running? Did the door locks unlock? How is your trunk, is it completely crushed in? Did the passenger compartment remain completely intact? Did any of the windows shatter? About the active head restraints... was your head resting on the restraint before they activated?

Questions regarding BMW Assist: what happened? Did the iDrive display show something "crash detected - initiating emergency call?" What exactly did the BMW person say? Did he/she say something like "oh my gosh are you okay?!?!" (J/K) or "hello Mr. Glenmal, I just received notice of a rear-end crash in your 530XI..." Did the operator stay with you the whole time until help arrived?

Questions regarding what you did: did you brake after impact or did you just let the car roll? Did you get out of your car immediately after? Did other samaritan motorists come to your rescue? How did you feel? Were you scared of what happened? Were you angry? Did you want to cry? Did you try to rescue the woman from her wreck or did you just say "oh, heck, let her DIEEE?" Did you call 911 or your family first? How long did it take for help to arrive? What did you do?

Once again, thank you for your time, and I do hope your issue is quickly resolved in your favor.


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## realCL23 (Dec 3, 2005)

that must be a record number of questions in a single post...


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Deatails for a rotten accident, or oh **** my day was ruined!*

See imbedded text



PotatoAddict said:


> Congratulations in surviving the accident in your 2006 BMW 530xi. Through many years of research and development, your vehicle was engineered with your safety in mind. Now, would you be so kind to answer the following questions? Your input is greatly appreciated and your responses will be used strictly for educational purposes only. Thank you...
> 
> 100 MPH - 65 MPH = 35 MPH. So, it was kind of like resting at red light and having a car hit you from behind at 35 MPH. Ouch. True of the first rear impact. When she came aroud me and wiped out the passenger side, it was a bit destablizing but the car was quite steady.
> What was the freeway speed limit? *65* How many lanes on the freeway? *2 lanes each direction.*Which lane were you in? *Slow lane, outside*.What was the average speed of overall traffic? *65- 70 MPH* Were most cars going 65, 70, etc? Were you driving slower than general traffic? Were you driving 65 MPH at the very left *(Right lane)*lane? No, I was running the same speed as the general cars and trucks. *RAdar detectors are illegal and the route is heavily partolled.*
> ...


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Pobably not*

[The car is 75 miles away and there is no way to get there and back easily without taking a day off.
QUOTE=Bmwcat]My condolences and glad you are well. Can you post some pictures for educational purposes?? :yikes:[/QUOTE]


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## mullman (Jan 5, 2006)

glenmal-

I am glad you are OK and sorry to hear about your loss.
BMWs, like any car can be replaced, you and your loved ones are one of a kind.

BTW, what was she driving?
Was she impared (drunk, PMS, talking on cell phone?)

Just glad you are OK...


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*The other A** H****

*She was driving a 2002 Honda Accord ES, if you can call what she was doing driving. Felt more like a demolition derby to me!*



mullman said:


> glenmal-
> I am glad you are OK and sorry to hear about your loss.
> BMWs, like any car can be replaced, you and your loved ones are one of a kind.
> 
> ...


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## avincent52 (May 22, 2006)

Glad you're okay.
Here's my question. What the heck was *she* driving that she hit your BMW an an effective 35 mph, then hit a tree head on going 50 mph or more and managed to survive?
best
Allen


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

Honda Accord EX 2002 model. We are NOT sure she survived!


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## avincent52 (May 22, 2006)

Despite her wrecklessness, let's hope for the best for her as well. 
The sheet metal will all be as good as new soon enough.
And FWIW, monitor yourself for new aches and pains. Often the shock of the accident can mask the pain of a new injury. 
A permanent back injury (17 years and counting) took more than 24 hours to show up after getting rear ended at a stoplight in my Dodge Diplomat. 
best
Allen


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Additional choice*

*An Idiot?[* I am glad you are OK and sorry to hear about your loss.
BMWs, like any car can be replaced, you and your loved ones are one of a kind.

BTW, what was she driving?
Was she impared (drunk, PMS, talking on cell phone?)

Just glad you are OK...[/QUOTE]


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## motor_werke (Nov 15, 2005)

Wow, I've traveled that road many a time (I used to live in Williamsburg). Glad you are ok. One thing people take for granted is all the engineering that goes into our cars to protect us. BMW, and all german companies, take this very seriously. Then again, at autobahn speeds, you need the pinnacle of technology to protect you in case of an accident.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*To quote may revivalist*

"I have seen the light!

I will never drive another brand.



motor_werke said:


> Wow, I've traveled that road many a time (I used to live in Williamsburg). Glad you are ok. One thing people take for granted is all the engineering that goes into our cars to protect us. BMW, and all german companies, take this very seriously. Then again, at autobahn speeds, you need the pinnacle of technology to protect you in case of an accident.


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## BMWenthusiast (Feb 27, 2005)

Just wanted to say glad to hear your okay glenmal and will continue reading to see what is going on with the incident, and BMW's are amazing, I have no question in my mind about that.

P.S. nice avatar


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

Thanks on all accounts. I am so pleased with the safety of the car. It is amazing! Thanks for the kind words...-


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## Kzang (Apr 12, 2006)

What does the police report say? If you got it already.

The reason I ask is its possible that the accord driver might have loss control due to another driver or something in the road or had a malfunction like a brake? 

Glad your ok though.


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

I'm glad you came out unhurt.

It amazes me that someone could cause such an accident -- rear ending a moving vehicle while going 100 mph! I can only assume that she must have fallen asleep. You just don't become unaware of your surroundings when you're doing 100.



glenmal said:


> Was rear ended by a women doing over 100MPH in my new BMW on I-64 20 miles west of Richmond VA. I was doing about 65 MPH. She hit the rear bumper bounced back and took out both front & rear passenger doors. She then cut across the freeway in front of me ran off the road and stopped when she plowed into a tree head on.
> 
> No airbag deployment. Comfort seat headrest came forward as advertised seatbelts tighted and I never lost control of the car. Amazing machine. Stability control seemed to take over.
> 
> ...


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

Police report maybe next week. Wreck was only on Jun 1st. State troopers are faster than local yokals.

I would love it if it were a Honda flaw. Accelerator stuck would be good, but I suspect she fell asleep. Bad brakes wouldn't explain 100 MPH.

My real guess is operator errot!



Kzang said:
 

> What does the police report say? If you got it already.
> 
> The reason I ask is its possible that the accord driver might have loss control due to another driver or something in the road or had a malfunction like a brake?
> 
> Glad your ok though.


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## GBPackerfan1963 (May 5, 2006)

PotatoAddict said:


> Congratulations in surviving the accident in your 2006 BMW 530xi. Through many years of research and development, your vehicle was engineered with your safety in mind. Now, would you be so kind to answer the following questions? Your input is greatly appreciated and your responses will be used strictly for educational purposes only. Thank you...
> 
> 100 MPH - 65 MPH = 35 MPH. So, it was kind of like resting at red light and having a car hit you from behind at 35 MPH. Ouch.
> 
> ...


WOW!! Did you post that all in one breath?:rofl: :rofl: Glad to see that the safety measures that BMW has, worked to your satisfaction and that you survived the wreck. :thumbup: I see these kind of accidents every day.


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## LA525iT (Oct 27, 2003)

How do you know she was doing 100mph? If you saw her in the RV mirror prior to impact and told the cops/insurance adjustors, and the freeway was not heavily trafficked, you're going to be found a small % at fault if VA is a contributory negligence state.


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

That's weird. How can you contribute to neglegence when you're driving the speed limit and get rear ended?



LA525iT said:


> How do you know she was doing 100mph? If you saw her in the RV mirror prior to impact and told the cops/insurance adjustors, and the freeway was not heavily trafficked, you're going to be found a small % at fault if VA is a contributory negligence state.


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## LA525iT (Oct 27, 2003)

Robert A said:


> That's weird. How can you contribute to neglegence when you're driving the speed limit and get rear ended?


I dont know if this is what happened, but if he saw the vehicle and had time to take evasive action, he will be partially at fault. To me it sounds at first glance, and no offense to the OP and I apologize in advance if I am incorrect, if he could estimate the driver's speed, it means he saw her before impact and might have a had a chance, however slight, to take evasive action.


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## PotatoAddict (Nov 23, 2005)

firehire said:


> WOW!! Did you post that all in one breath?:rofl: :rofl: Glad to see that the safety measures that BMW has, worked to your satisfaction and that you survived the wreck. :thumbup: I see these kind of accidents every day.


Yes. Too bad he didn't answer everything. I really wanted to learn about the car's safety features, BMW Assist, etc. *sigh*


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

See imbedded text



LA525iT said:


> How do you know she was doing 100mph? *Police guess by how deeply she penetrated the woods before she hit a tree head on.*If you saw her in the RV mirror prior to impact and told the cops/insurance adjustors, and the freeway was not heavily trafficked *(was heavy traffic and highway workers in front.)* *There was a witness that was calling the police as she struck us.)*, you're going to be found a small % at fault if VA is a contributory negligence state.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

Now tthat I am a bit calmer, I will answer remaing questions I missed.


PotatoAddict said:


> Congratulations in surviving the accident in your 2006 BMW 530xi. Through many years of research and development, your vehicle was engineered with your safety in mind. Now, would you be so kind to answer the following questions? Your input is greatly appreciated and your responses will be used strictly for educational purposes only. Thank you...
> 
> 100 MPH - 65 MPH = 35 MPH. So, it was kind of like resting at red light and having a car hit you from behind at 35 MPH. Ouch.
> 
> ...


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## avincent52 (May 22, 2006)

One more question:
How's the dog? I assume he/she riding in the back seat with your son. 
Was the dog belted with the BMW dog belt doo-hickey.
(I'm serious actually. An unrestrained dog could become not only a victim, but a dangerous projectile in the event of an accident.) 
best
Allen


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Hiedi ( 6 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)*

My son 36 years old was up front) Hiedi was behind me and my wife behind my son (passenger side) Heidi was not wearing her seat belt, but she was in the BMW backseat dog cover, (behind my headrest to back seat headrest) it contained her and she was safe. Heidi sat by my wife in the grass on the roadside for 2 1/2 hours peacefully and very tranquil. I do have the BMW doggie seatbelt and she will always be belted in on future rides. Thank goodness we did not bring the 6 month old puppy with us.

Thanks for asking about Heidi, we do adore her.

(f


avincent52 said:


> One more question:
> How's the dog? I assume he/she riding in the back seat with your son.
> Was the dog belted with the BMW dog belt doo-hickey.
> (I'm serious actually. An unrestrained dog could become not only a victim, but a dangerous projectile in the event of an accident.)
> ...


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## von_zoom (May 11, 2006)

Have read with interest your terrible misfortune. Thank goodness you and your family are safe and okay. I saw on tv that there were 50 accidents within 10 miles on Interstate 95/40 the other day. Were you one of these accidents that were reported.
Good luck with your situation.
vz


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Not I*

I was coming from the mountains into the Richmond VA area. I was 18 miles from I-95 and still on I-64 heading East.

Thursday, June 1st was an extremely bad day for us. I am and always will be greatful to BMW for still being above ground!



von_zoom said:


> Have read with interest your terrible misfortune. Thank goodness you and your family are safe and okay. I saw on tv that there were 50 accidents within 10 miles on Interstate 95/40 the other day. Were you one of these accidents that were reported.
> Good luck with your situation.
> vz


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## avincent52 (May 22, 2006)

Glad to hear Heidi's okay. What breed is she? big dog/small dog?
I'm just thinking of my own experience with both my kids too small for the front seat. 
That's one of the reasons we bought a wagon, so that when we get a dog he/she can ride in the back. 
best 
Allen


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Heidi*

Heidi is a 6 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (tricolor). She is unflappable, thankfully.:thumbup:


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*I am 150 miles south*

I am 150 miles South of DC.


Getsmmr said:


> Glad to hear everyone's ok. Car held up really well from the pics.
> 
> Not sure if this is too late, but I had a car taken to First Choice in Arlington / Crystal City. They have a great reputation and I've seen a lot of great work come out of there. I had an initial estimate for my 330 at 6.5k from the adjuster (Front and head curtain deployed). They took one look and said no way. They did the tear down and moved it from 6.5 to over 22K with the supplement, needless to say, the car was totaled out and I received a nice big check. (more than i paid for the car in the first place...). On top of that, the adjuster said that the shop had such a great rep that he didn't even question their supplement, and just went with it.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Thanks for the advice*

I have now researched VA law. Diminished value is required by our laws if requested (thanks to you I now know). It requires an indepedent appraiser and may be picked by the owner (Nationwide to to force me to use their appraiser, NO WAY!). Have been told that the settlement runs between 10% - 12%. Whole wreck thing really bothers me. The insure is *NOT your friend-EVER!*

QUOTE=BayAreaBMWFan]Congratulations on surviving the accident without any significant injuries. I presume that the other party is legally at fault and they have insurance.

Was the car purchased or leased?

If it was purchased, I would try and get the car totalled. Talk to BMW and go through a BMW authorized body shop only. The E60s have a special repair requirement which very few shops have.

If the car is not totalled, then aggressively demand diminished value compensation (20% of the value of the car) or ask them to buy it at retail value.

If you have a lawyer friend, let the insurance company know that you plan to file a civil suit against their client for diminished value claim.[/QUOTE]


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## hockeynut (Apr 14, 2002)

Wow! Glad you're OK, and yet another story confirming why we love BMWs for more than just the joy of driving.

Glad Heidi is ok too - from a fellow King Charles Cavalier Spaniel owner!


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*State Troopers report said*

The other car was at fault.



Robert A said:


> What kind of evasive action would one take in such a circumstance? The only possibility of contributory negligence (which clearly didn't apply here) is if he cut in front of someone going fast. Otherwise, rear-enders are always 100% at fault.


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## BayAreaBMWFan (Aug 8, 2004)

Good that the diminished value law is in place since it offers some recourse.
You should be very firm with them and try to take it to a friendly appraiser. Typically the use car buyer at your dealership will have the best information. They hopefully will take care of your interest.

Also make sure that the car is fixed at an BMW authorized repair shop. Their might be some damage to the frame on the passenger side and given the high-tech materials used on the E60 not everyone is certified to repair them.


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## Davisjl (Jun 6, 2006)

BayAreaBMWFan said:


> Good that the diminished value law is in place since it offers some recourse.
> You should be very firm with them and try to take it to a friendly appraiser. Typically the use car buyer at your dealership will have the best information. They hopefully will take care of your interest.
> 
> Also make sure that the car is fixed at an BMW authorized repair shop. Their might be some damage to the frame on the passenger side and given the high-tech materials used on the E60 not everyone is certified to repair them.


If they total out the car and give you a bad value of the car ... just ask them for a substitution of vehicle. That always seems to get there attention down here in Georgia. They know they can't replace the car for what they are offering you and in Georgia I believe you can force them to substitute vehicle if they seem to think that's there number are correct.

I've never seen an insurance company offer you the proper amount for diminished value or if they total out the car. As stated above ... always use the used car dealer at the dealership where you purchased the car from. You might have to pay them a 100 fee or so ... but it will be more in your best interest than using anyone else. Be prepared to file a law suite before you get any headway. They like to play that stalling game. We've had to file papers on several accidents before the insurance company would get serious. Of course this depends on the insurance company. I've found that State Farm and Allstate have be very easy to deal with .... however any discounter (Progressive ... Gieko) can be a head ache ... especially if they are an insurance company that deals with high risk insurance and you've only seen there name on the back of the yellow page book.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*Nationwide*

Big and cheap as all insurance companies are.

:thumbdwn: 


Davisjl said:


> If they total out the car and give you a bad value of the car ... just ask them for a substitution of vehicle. That always seems to get there attention down here in Georgia. They know they can't replace the car for what they are offering you and in Georgia I believe you can force them to substitute vehicle if they seem to think that's there number are correct.
> 
> I've never seen an insurance company offer you the proper amount for diminished value or if they total out the car. As stated above ... always use the used car dealer at the dealership where you purchased the car from. You might have to pay them a 100 fee or so ... but it will be more in your best interest than using anyone else. Be prepared to file a law suite before you get any headway. They like to play that stalling game. We've had to file papers on several accidents before the insurance company would get serious. Of course this depends on the insurance company. I've found that State Farm and Allstate have be very easy to deal with .... however any discounter (Progressive ... Gieko) can be a head ache ... especially if they are an insurance company that deals with high risk insurance and you've only seen there name on the back of the yellow page book.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*BMW approved, but*

I hope there is no front end damage as the body shop is not yet certified on front end.



BayAreaBMWFan said:


> Good that the diminished value law is in place since it offers some recourse.
> You should be very firm with them and try to take it to a friendly appraiser. Typically the use car buyer at your dealership will have the best information. They hopefully will take care of your interest.
> 
> Also make sure that the car is fixed at an BMW authorized repair shop. Their might be some damage to the frame on the passenger side and given the high-tech materials used on the E60 not everyone is certified to repair them.


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## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

Glad you and your family are OK!

If that lady had some medical condition that she didn't know about that caused a black-out or something else which led to this I hope she gets treated and is careful about it. If she had a condition she _did_ know about, was DUI, or had nothing impairing her I hope she gets her license yanked permanently.

I don't think there was any evasive action that could have, or even should have been taken here. If somebody's coming up on you doing 100mph changing lanes to presumably get out of the way more often than not would put you directly _in_ to their intended path. Especially in this case where he was follwing somebody else at ~5 carlengths, changing lanes would have simply changed it from there possibly being an accident to there _definitely_ being an accident since now both lanes would have been blocked.


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

Thanks Tangent. It was a no win situation.


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