# Rear Ended this morning - Body shops in So Cal?



## SONET (Mar 1, 2002)

The guy sounds like a jerk. Threatening to deny that he was even there? It doesn't sound like he's worth dealing with. Let your insurance company handle him and his silly little games. Life is too short. :thumbdwn:

--SONET


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## JonM (Jan 28, 2002)

Best in SoCal is Doug's Custom in Chatsworth. They do mostly Harley customs, but they can and will do high-end cars as well. They will be expensive and they will not be fast (expect a wait before they start work), but you will be 100% happy.


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## rwg (May 10, 2002)

That "little bump" ruined your bumper, compressed the bumper shocks, knocked the trunk out of alignment . . . he sounds pretty shady from the start. How can you possibly even think about letting them touch your car?


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

Stuka said:


> *WRONG, LAPD won't. CHP ALWAYS will, irregardless of the presence of injury. That's why it is better to be hit on the freeway than surface street.
> 
> It happened on the 91, I would have insisted on getting the CHP there. And yes, between tying up traffic and having the guy lie and deny his liability, guess what I would have done?:tsk: :angel:
> 
> ...


 darn it, i didn't know.

also, the owner i talked to on the phone wasn't there and never saw the car, so he's just going off of what his driver just told him.

i got a claim number and now am awaiting an adjuster to call me.


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

Stuka said:


> *Ugh, first, they have no right to demand that you let their shop "fix' your car.:violent:
> 
> Kiss your trunk lid goodbye.:thumbdwn:
> 
> ...


the trunk closes fine now. so i guess the frame rails are ok. thanks for your advice. i really wish i knew that the chp would show.. hopefully i won't need that advice ever again. :bigpimp:


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## e46shift (Oct 12, 2002)

dont forget to file for diminished value for the car


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## RCK (Jan 29, 2003)

Stuka said:


> *WRONG, LAPD won't. CHP ALWAYS will, irregardless of the presence of injury. That's why it is better to be hit on the freeway than surface street.
> 
> It happened on the 91, I would have insisted on getting the CHP there. And yes, between tying up traffic and having the guy lie and deny his liability, guess what I would have done?:tsk: :angel:
> 
> ...


Not sure what part of LA your talkin about, but I have been in an accident on the 101 fwy and once on the 405 fwy ( I was not driving either of those times  ) and the CHP refused to come out. When you dial 911 from your cell phone your call goes to CHP automatically, so the local police dept will never hear about it, unless you contact them directly. 
The first thing CHP will ask is where the accident is so they can dispatch a tow truck, the only time a CHP unit will come out is if there is an injury, or the vehicle is disabled in the middle of the freeway and is creating a traffic tie up. I am almost sure that is their procedure, however procedures can be broken


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

RCK said:


> *Not sure what part of LA your talkin about, but I have been in an accident on the 101 fwy and once on the 405 fwy ( I was not driving either of those times  ) and the CHP refused to come out. When you dial 911 from your cell phone your call goes to CHP automatically, so the local police dept will never hear about it, unless you contact them directly.
> The first thing CHP will ask is where the accident is so they can dispatch a tow truck, the only time a CHP unit will come out is if there is an injury, or the vehicle is disabled in the middle of the freeway and is creating a traffic tie up. I am almost sure that is their procedure, however procedures can be broken  *


 who's correct? :dunno:

let's just say you're right so i don't feel bad for not calling the cops. :bigpimp:


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## RCK (Jan 29, 2003)

Matthew330CiM said:


> * who's correct? :dunno:
> 
> let's just say you're right so i don't feel bad for not calling the cops. :bigpimp: *


Lets think about it for a minute. If a CHP unit responded to every accident in LA we would have a serious problem. There is probably an accident on a LA freeway every minute. There aren't enough CHP units in the entire state who could respond to all of them at once. CHP will not waste its resources and time responding to an accident where no one is injured. You did the right thing, let your insurance company handle it, thats what you pay that premium for!!:thumbup:

Sorry to hear about your car Matthew330CiM, hope you get it fixed RIGHT


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

Matthew330CiM said:


> * who's correct? :dunno:
> 
> let's just say you're right so i don't feel bad for not calling the cops. :bigpimp: *


I was rear ended on the 10 a few years ago in my E36 M3, I pulled over to the breakdown lane with the dumass who rear ended me.

We called CHP, he showed up, told us to get off the breakdown lane and get off the freeway. He then took down the report.

It was not a big deal.

I know a few board memebers with similar experiences as well.:dunno:

Andy
02 M3 CB/Cloth SMG


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## C-Bear (Jun 27, 2002)

Matthew330CiM said:


> * who's correct? :dunno: *


I can't tell you what official policy is, but when I crashed my E36 M3, BOTH the LAPD and CHP refused to come to the scene once I explained that no one was injured.


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## C-Bear (Jun 27, 2002)

Matthew330CiM said:


> *anyways, anyone know any good body shops in the southern california area? preferably around orange county.. *


If you're talking Orange County, the ONLY place I'd go is Spectrum Collision in Irvine. It's a Shelly owned business that does the bodywork for Shelly (obviously) and Irvine BMW. They're the only BMW/NA certified repair shop you'll find in SoCal. I've seen and used they're facilities and they're expert.

If, per chance, you need a name in the LA area, Marcos Auto Body is outstanding (I've also used them). They have a couple locations and do the work for several BMW dealers here in LA.

Lastly, this guy you're dealing with is a prick, and a vaguely menacing one at that. I wouldn't share another word with him, simply report ALL you dealings with him to your insurance and leave it at that. They're much better equipped to deal with an ass[h]ole who thinks he can play hardball.

Sorry for your misfortune, and good luck.


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## magbarn (Jan 28, 2003)

It probably depends how busy they are and who's on duty, but anyways, damn your car is spanking new! Take them to the cleaners pronto. If it's still pretty early on I believe, you can file a police report if I'm not mistaken. Plus since he rear-ended you smack dab in the middle, it's almost always the rear-ender's fault. Screw this b%#$hole. I hate these ignorant idiotic SOCAL drivers who won't even admit it's their fault and take responsibility for it.


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

What Stuka and SONET said. This guy is trying to d!ck you around, don't let him pick the body shop. Just submit the claim to your insurance company and let them deal with his insurance. 

I would HIGHLY recommend Marcos Auto Body, which has shops in South Pasadena, Alhambra and Universal City (North Hollywood). They do AWESOME work. :thumbup:


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## xspeedy (Apr 10, 2003)

Matthew330CiM said:


> in calif, the cops don't even come unless there is someone injured.
> 
> on second thought, screw them after insulting me twice. i'm on hold right now with my insurance company. what was i even thinking going down there in the first place.


In many areas, you do not have to call the police to the scene of a minor accident to file a police report. You simply collect driver/insurance info at the scene of the accident, and drive to the police department to file a report.

I recently had a small rear ender, and I collected detail info from the individual -- full information from the driver's license (name, address, birthday, expiration day, DL number...). I also collected insurance information from her proof of insurance card, including the name of the insurance company, the policy number, and the phone number of the agent/insurance company. While I was at it, I used my cell phone camera feature to take some quick snaps of the two vehicles, the damage to my vehicle, and a shot of the license plate of the other one. The photos prove the damage was there right when the accident happened (and that it didn't happen later). It also shows that the offender was there. The camera was handy to have.

ALWAYS have a police report. When you call the offender's insurance company, you will first be asked for the police report number. You are screwed without it.


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

thanks to everyone for your advice/tips and recommendations on body shops.

turns out sterling collision, owned by sterling bmw, is also bmw factory certified. www.sterlingcollisioncenter.com

i'll be taking my car there tomorrow and the insurance appraiser is coming out tomorrow. i'll be getting something like a dodge intrepid or a stratus for a rental..

also as an aside, when i spoke with the insurance adjuster, he said that when he talked with the tow shop, the guy was saying it was all my fault. ugh, we'll see, i'm trying to not worry about it too much.


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

also, when i went to a chp station to fill out an accident report, the guy said in a case like this, there is no police involvement, and no need to fill out a chp form, it wouldn't do anything.. he told me to just fill out the dmv accident form, which i did..


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## RCK (Jan 29, 2003)

Matthew330CiM said:


> thanks to everyone for your advice/tips and recommendations on body shops.
> 
> turns out sterling collision, owned by sterling bmw, is also bmw factory certified. www.sterlingcollisioncenter.com
> 
> ...


Don't worry about it! Remember, he rear ended you!
Hopefully this place can fix your car up like new, it must be terrible to have such a new car in an accident  Good Luck man :thumbup:


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## tehkao (Jun 18, 2005)

> dont forget to file for diminished value for the car


You can do this? Wow...it would be nice. Cuz I don't think I'll be able to sell my car after this...no one wants a car that has had body damage.

BTW my ZHP was just smacked by an 18 wheeler on the I-10 today.


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## markseven (Apr 30, 2004)

Dang, that sucks.

-Mark


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

markseven said:


> Dang, that sucks.
> 
> -Mark


hey mark, when i saw that you were the last post, i was wondering if you needed a body shop. 

this happened a long time ago...


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## BMWenthusiast (Feb 27, 2005)

Okay, you want the best, this was discussed in another topic of "Body shops in OC", its Shelly Collision

http://www.spectrumcollision.com/

I think they said it was the only BMW certified body shop in SoCal, owned by Shelly Automotive who own's Irvine and Shelly BMW. Place is in Irvine.

EDIT: Nvm, old thread resurrected


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## operknockity (Apr 19, 2002)

How did I miss this thread :dunno: :dunno:

Sorry to hear about your accident and I hope everything gets worked out and the car is fixed properly!

The place that fixed mine (and worked on those of several other folks here) closed a while back and will eventually (if they haven't already) reopen in another location but will apparently no longer be accepting insurance jobs because they are tired of being nickled and dimed to death by the insurance companies who want them to cut corners on repairs.


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## LA525iT (Oct 27, 2003)

operknockity said:


> How did I miss this thread :dunno: :dunno:
> 
> Sorry to hear about your accident and I hope everything gets worked out and the car is fixed properly!
> 
> The place that fixed mine (and worked on those of several other folks here) closed a while back and will eventually (if they haven't already) reopen in another location but will apparently no longer be accepting insurance jobs because they are tired of being nickled and dimed to death by the insurance companies who want them to cut corners on repairs.


Yeah, the land Crayford Brothers is on is being turned into condos :dunno: I hope the reopen nearby and I hope I never need to use them, thought I'd recommend them without reservation.


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## rbe (Jun 16, 2004)

I had some work done by Sterling Collision Center and was happy with their work. I would go back to them.


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

This is a 2 year old thread. but thanks for your well wishes 

But hopefully this information would be useful to someone else. Or better yet, no one has to use this info...


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Matthew330Ci said:


> in calif, the cops don't even come unless there is someone injured.
> 
> on second thought, screw them after insulting me twice. i'm on hold right now with my insurance company. what was i even thinking going down there in the first place.


 Here in Houston the cops will also not come if there are no injuries. What you can do here if file a police report yourself at the nearest police station. If the other guy the does not do the same then your ahead of the game.

A Hertz rental driven by tourists hit me. Hertz is self insured like all rental car companies. Even with a police report showing I was not at fault they were giving me a hard time. I decided to turn the case over to my insurance company and got my car repaired right away. My insurance had a hard time trying to get Hertz to pay because they claimed they were only 80% reponsible.


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

LDV330i said:


> Here in Houston the cops will also not come if there are no injuries. What you can do here if file a police report yourself at the nearest police station. If the other guy the does not do the same then your ahead of the game.
> 
> A Hertz rental driven by tourists hit me. Hertz is self insured like all rental car companies. Even with a police report showing I was not at fault they were giving me a hard time. I decided to turn the case over to my insurance company and got my car repaired right away. My insurance had a hard time trying to get Hertz to pay because they claimed they were only 80% reponsible.


 I had the same thing here in L.A. on the 101 fwy, rear ended by a tourist in a Chrysler cabrio, rented at Budget. I called my attorney and EVERYTHING got taken care off, damage to the car and doctors costs...:thumbup: Budget told us about the 80% resp etc but we did not fall for that, we told them pay or we'll see you in court where it will cost you about $80k... They paid up rightaway...


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## 1Dreamer (Oct 23, 2004)

Not quite the same as an accident, but when I lived in Brentwood I had my car broken into, called the police and they did nothing. Then I moved to Newport Beach and came out one morning to find someone shattered my window and tried (unsuccessfully) to steal the stereo - which couldn't be used if they had, but it was probably some kid(s) who didn't know that. Coming from LA I was convinced there was no point in calling the police so I immediately drove it to a place to have the window replaced and got a ride to work. My co-workers convinced me to call the police, so I called the Newport PD and they told me not to move or touch the car because they were sending someone right over to dust the car for fingerprints! :wow:

I honestly thought they were kidding at first and when I told them I'd already taken the car in to be fixed, they basically (in a nice way) asked me why I would do something that stupid before calling them, but when I told them I'd just moved to Newport from LA they understood. Still, within less than an hour they'd sent a policemen* to my office *who sat down across from me and took a police report. Talk about service. What a difference a city makes.


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

1Dreamer said:


> Not quite the same as an accident, but when I lived in Brentwood I had my car broken into, called the police and they did nothing. Then I moved to Newport Beach and came out one morning to find someone shattered my window and tried (unsuccessfully) to steal the stereo - which couldn't be used if they had, but it was probably some kid(s) who didn't know that. Coming from LA I was convinced there was no point in calling the police so I immediately drove it to a place to have the window replaced and got a ride to work. My co-workers convinced me to call the police, so I called the Newport PD and they told me not to move or touch the car because they were sending someone right over to dust the car for fingerprints! :wow:
> 
> I honestly thought they were kidding at first and when I told them I'd already taken the car in to be fixed, they basically (in a nice way) asked me why I would do something that stupid before calling them, but when I told them I'd just moved to Newport from LA they understood. Still, within less than an hour they'd sent a policemen* to my office *who sat down across from me and took a police report. Talk about service. What a difference a city makes.


 Tuesday morning I'm working in our home office and here a loud bang, some idiot hit our garbage cans...:tsk: Then I see this guy walk around with some old boxes etc, he puts them right besides our blue bin and black bin... he get's into his Ford Taurus and drives off (so I think)... I walk down our drive way and see that same Ford Taurus sitting a bit down the street. I walk over to the building site that those guys work on and ask is that your Ford Taurus? Yes, it is... I said did you hit our garbage cans...? NO ofcourse not.. I said ok, I'll call the police... they were there in 5 minutes to check things out... I will be getting new bins free of charge...


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## LA525iT (Oct 27, 2003)

MG67 said:


> Tuesday morning I'm working in our home office and here a loud bang, some idiot hit our garbage cans...:tsk: Then I see this guy walk around with some old boxes etc, he puts them right besides our blue bin and black bin... he get's into his Ford Taurus and drives off (so I think)... I walk down our drive way and see that same Ford Taurus sitting a bit down the street. I walk over to the building site that those guys work on and ask is that your Ford Taurus? Yes, it is... I said did you hit our garbage cans...? NO ofcourse not.. I said ok, I'll call the police... they were there in 5 minutes to check things out... I will be getting new bins free of charge...


Uhm, if you leave in LA then LADWP will giv eyou new bins for just about any reason. I had an old crazy man down the street steel my blue bin and they gave me an even better one for free


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

LA525iT said:


> Uhm, if you leave in LA then LADWP will giv eyou new bins for just about any reason. I had an old crazy man down the street steel my blue bin and they gave me an even better one for free


 Yes that's what I found out, I'm from the Netherlands and I thought I would get a bill for a couple of hundered... but they will replace them next week...:thumbup:


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