[drvhplyevraftr]

Guys,

Need help. The most dreaded thing happened to me yesterday. A bus hit me on the left side yesterday causing a huge and dent on the left front door of my car.

For people who are familiar with Hyderabad, this incident happened yesterday evening (around 7:30 pm) while I was driving back home from office towards liberty signal a little further beyond the end of the tank bund road.

There was too much of traffic as always at this time and location and we were all inching slowly. I was inching slowly with this bus in-parallel to me. I guess the bus was offloading some of its passengers and after the passengers got down, this bus driver probably had some traffic ahead of him in his straight line so without seeing my car moving beside him he steered towards right thereby banging on the left side of my car. Thanks to team-bhp, I had the instinct and immediately got down and took some pictures to show as a evidence later (if required) to show the angle of the bus that it was the negligence of the bus driver for not having seen the car moving beside him and steering towards right. Anyways the impact was such that I could not reverse my car and it would cause more damage/scratches to my car and few guys around lifted the car and placed it away from the bus.

Since I am not from AP, I cannot speak Telugu though I could understand the language and my Hindi is far from perfect. The bus driver and conductor probably noticed this and took this to their advantage. They turned the plate around to the traffic constables who came to the spot by that time and said that it was my fault and I came and struck my car onto their bus which was standstill. Since I had the pictures, I showed them to the traffic police and tried to explain the angle of the bus and how it happened etc but they could not understand what I said in Hindlish. So I called up my friend who stays near by and he hurried to the spot. Anyways the traffic police said that the only thing that could be done is to file an FIR with the police and that can be used to claim the insurance.

So, we (me, my friend and the bus driver) went to the near by police station and filed a complaint against the driver. I knew very well since it is an APSRTC government bus I cannot expect anything from them only thing that I wanted was the driver to admit his fault which he did not initially do and I was so pissed-off when he tried to turn the plate against me and that is what prompted me to file the complaint. By the time we reached the police station, the driver appologized and admitted his fault but it was almost over by that time and I eventually filed the complaint.

Now, please take a look at the damage and let me know if the entire door needs to be replaced or would tinkering and painting it would suffice. There is also a minor dent on the left back door also but I think I can live with that. Also let me know the approximate cost it would take to get it repaired. Also I understand that if I claim insurance now, my next year premium would increase but I would like to know by how much. For instance, I am paying around 5k for premium and lets say this repair would cost me around 10-15k, would my premium double or triple for the next year?.


Also since I filed a complaint, will I be asked to go to the court etc at some later point of time?.
I am just trying to understand the legal implications.

Also AFAIK, the repair would take atleast a couple of days as some painting tinkering work is involved. Since I have some good ICE setup on my car, is it advisable to leave the car as-is to the service centre?. I will ofcourse remove the HU panel but is it recommended to remove the AMPs etc?. Any one here had any bad experience in a similar situation?.

Thank you for your help.

[abhinav.gupta88]

Well i think for this a normal paint and dent job will also do, but no sure.

If you send the car to the service station, better remove the amp and other products.
Better safe than sorry.

[hrag]

Take out expensive / valuable stuff from the car and give it to your workshop. No need to replace the door - proper tinkering and repainting will bring it back to as good as new. The repainted door (if done reasonably well) will show only when viewed from certain angles in some light conditions.

If you know the workshop guys well (and vice versa), you can bargain with them on the amount. Do this before they start work.

[sammyboy]

Sad to hear that bro. I have the same views as abhinav and hrag. You wont have to replace the door (from what I can see) Get the handle changed and get the denting done.
My rear door is kinda jinxed so when i got a dent on my car (2 times dad's car got dented before , same rear door behind driver)
I decided to just let the dent be. All 3 times I was waiting at signals or in traffic or on an emptyish road and someone came and hit the door. Out of the blue. Cant explain how or why but I just let it be now.

Also dont worry about the premium, it doesnt double or treble in the next year if you take a claim. I had taken one the year before last and there was not much change the next year (read : no benefit but no big penalty etc either).

[ajmat]

Judging by the angle of the car, you look as if you are at fault, jumping into his lane. All other traffic is in a straight line except your car

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Judging by the angle of the car, you look as if you are at fault, jumping into his lane. All other traffic is in a straight line except your car

I agree.

As others have said, you can just get denting work done. If you getting work done at an A.S.& S. then no need to take out the amp and all, just make a note of all the equipment and get it signed on the form.

If you go to a private guy, then i advice you stand there for a couple of hours when the denting work is done and the filler is applied. Then use the car for a few days till it hardens and then again take it to your guy for final smoothening and painting. Don't leave the car for 4-5days.

EDIT: a local guy shouldn't charge you more than 4k for the whole job.

[DieselFan]

Tinkering and painting of front door with a light/localized tinkering and painting on rear door is my recommendation. Also change the door handle of front door. Go to a good body shop and get this done.

[MindSpeeDs]

Denting and painting will suffice. There is this person Rajan Pillai aka Abdullah at Auto Chenoy (around bowenpally area) who does a damn good job (they have a paint booth). Should be able to do it for 3k or less. He might do a good job with the handle too (without replacing it). Will do it the same day (if given around 9:30 am)
Have had no issues with the ICE (i've given a few times and a friend is a regular there!), can be trusted.

We generally meet him directly and get a good deal.

[drvhplyevraftr]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Judging by the angle of the car, you look as if you are at fault, jumping into his lane. All other traffic is in a straight line except your car

I am not trying to argue, but at the same time I just want to clarify that it was not my fault. May be a long shot of the scene would have helped. This actually happened at a intersection where it joins another road after a curve. I just drew a crude figure to explain what happened. Since both of us were parked, all other cars drove around the car/bus and that might give you an impression as if they were driving in a straight line except my car. BTW all those who were around me (by-standers, other car drivers, those who helped lift my car etc) near the scene at that time and saw it confirmed that it was the bus drivers fault and none said it was my fault except ofcourse the driver and the bus conductor.

Infact if you see the reaction of the traffic police towards the bus driver on the first pic it might be a little clear as he was like what have you done kind of thing. Anyways we were asked to go to the other side of the road as we were blocking the traffic and this traffic guy did not come to the other side but couple others came and I had a hard time explaining them.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by drvhplyevraftr

I am not trying to argue, but at the same time I just want to clarify that it was not my fault. May be a long shot of the scene would have helped. This actually happened at a intersection where it joins another road after a curve. .

Got it! The photo's seemed to tell another story

[sreenivass]

I had a similar accident very near to the place you mentioned. It caused a meter long dent on my car's rear door. It i generally safe to keep away from city buses.

[live2drive]

Sad to hear about the accident drvhplyevraftr..
Just make sure you remove the components from the door which would be tinkered and repainted..

[narayan]

@Dr - based on similar repair work done in the past at an outside workshop, i can say, this should set you back by 2.5-3.5k
in general, if the dent does not have any complicated twisted metal portions, then the tinkering work is much much easier. I hope you get what I am trying to say.
from the pictures , this looks like an easy tinker job and hence you may decide which route to take - insurance/non insuarance

i however dont know about the implications of the police complaint - whether they will summon u or not etc.
if giving to an outside garage - take all necessary precautions and go to a place which is referred by someone who u know and who knows that garage

[sreenivass]

Please check how much it costs to repaint a door and add a thousand or two for dent removal. I am not sure if you'd like localized paint job. On Petra I spent about Rs 7000/-, Door paint standard price was Rs 5000/-. I think the door handle also needs replacement.

[zaks]

You should always honk loudly whenever you are very close to a big vehicle so that the driver hears you.