If you have been involved in an accident while merging, your vehicle has suffered some physical damage. You might be wondering if your vehicle might have suffered damage to the engine as well. It depends on the impact and the severity of the accident.
In most cases, car insurance will cover the costs of minor engine damage from an accident. However, it must be determined that the damage resulted from the crash and not from wear and tear or lack of maintenance.
Sometimes, engine damage from a car accident will result in the check engine light coming on. If that is the case, be sure to have the engine checked by a mechanic. If the vehicle will not start, or if there is a strange noise, you will need to have a mechanic look under the hood for those issues as well.
What to Check After a Car Accident
After a merging accident, you should check your vehicle’s battery. A minor accident could jar the battery, which could result in the lead plates being shorted out or the inner cell being damaged.
Your check engine light might come on right after the crash, a few days after the crash, or even weeks after the crash. Regardless of when the light comes on, it should not be ignored.
Be sure to check your vehicle for leaks. The impact might crack containers, tubing, or hoses. Even if you have picked up your car from the body shop and then notice leaks later, take it back to be checked.
Be attentive and notice if there is any noise coming from your vehicle after the crash. Something could be broken or knocked loose from being hit by another vehicle. If you hear strange noises, have your car checked out and make sure you tell the mechanic where the sound seems to be coming from.
Is It Covered by Insurance?
If your engine has suffered minor mechanical damage in a merging crash, it will be covered by insurance.
However, a mechanic must determine the damage was caused by the accident. If your engine parts were about to fail because of a lack of maintenance or normal wear and tear, you will have to repair the issues on your own.
Take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic for evaluation and a written estimate for repairs. Make sure your vehicle is thoroughly checked, including the engine and other mechanical parts.
Evidence Needed To Prove Engine Damage
If you have been in a merging accident, your vehicle has suffered damage. While it is normal to expect physical damage from an auto accident, oftentimes mechanical damages result as well. If you have been in a merging accident, depending on the point of impact and the severity of the crash, your car could suffer engine damage. If your car’s engine is damaged, it should be apparent right away.
Usually, it will cause your vehicle to die, or it will not restart. You may be able to see the damage by just looking underneath the hood of your car. It could be as simple as something is knocked loose, or it could be as serious as a cracked block from a hard hit.
Often times, engine damage is the result of being hit by an oncoming vehicle. The severity of the damage relates to the severity of the impact and where the impact actually takes place on your vehicle.
If you have been in a merging crash that has caused your vehicle to suffer engine damage, you should gather supporting evidence and documentation for your personal injury claim. When you pursue a personal injury claim against the other driver, you may be able to recover compensation for the damages that you suffered because of the crash.
Maintain thorough documentation to support your claim against the other driver who caused the crash. Always stay on the scene of the crash and call the police. You will want to make sure that an accident report is completed.
The responding officer will investigate and usually determine preliminary fault. This will help with your claim and will serve as evidence that the crash occurred and that you suffered damages when the other driver hit you.
You should get photos of the accident scene. Take photos from all angles and of the damages. This can be helpful in showing the extent of your damages and by proving how the crash occurred.
These photos should show the placement of the vehicles and will help prove the point of impact. These images can assist with the insurance company’s investigation.
Your vehicle should be taken to a qualified auto repair shop. Ask them to provide an itemized estimate for fixing the damages that your car suffered because of the merging crash. This estimate is needed to support your personal injury claim and will help you calculate the overall value of your claim. Be aware that you will most likely recover less than the original amount you ask for to cover your damages.
How Much Does Car Engine Damage Cost?
Engine damage can be very expensive. Of course, the make and model of your vehicle and the damages the engine suffered all come into play and help determine your losses. Your car could suffer damage such as radiator damage, which involves replacing the radiator for a few hundred dollars, to a cracked block, which means that your car needs a new engine, which can be several thousand dollars.
If the damage is so severe that a new engine is needed, your car may be considered a total loss. Of course, it depends on the make and model of the car and its total value. If the cost of replacing the engine and fixing other damages add up to more than the vehicle’s book value, then the car will be totaled, and you will receive the car’s fair market value.
Compensation For Engine Damage
You will claim the engine damage as part of the property damages added into your personal injury claim. The written estimates for engine damage and for body repairs should be added up and figured into the overall settlement amount you request for your auto accident injury claim. Make sure you have all your losses included in the itemized list that you send the insurance company with the demand letter to initiate a claim.
Damages That You May Claim
In addition to property damages, there may be several other damages that you suffered in the accident. If you were hurt, you will have medical expenses – past, future, and present as well as past, present, and future loss of earnings because of those injuries.
If you have injuries, you will also claim pain and suffering. If you suffer depression and anxiety because of the crash, your attorney may claim mental anguish as well. You may claim loss of consortium and permanent scarring and disfigurement depending on the severity and nature of your injuries.
When you pursue a personal injury claim, you will want to make sure all your damages are stated initially. The claim will originate by sending a demand letter to the insurance company of the at-fault driver.
This letter should explain what happened, why it happened, why you believe the other party is at fault, and what damages you suffered. All your losses should then be itemized and then added up. That total is the amount that you will ask for a settlement. Be willing to negotiate because most likely, the insurance company will reject your claim or make a counteroffer.
As an example, your total for property damages should be broken down to include the total – with the estimate – for engine damage – plus the total for body repairs. Then those two should be added together to come up with the total for your property damages. Then your total medical expenses will be added in along with your total lost wages plus your pain and suffering and any other losses, such as mental anguish, permanent scarring and disfigurement and so forth.
Always ask for more than the minimum amount that you are willing to accept as settlement. You will want to leave room to negotiate with the insurance company for the at-fault driver. Personal injury lawyers have strong negotiation skills, so having an attorney represent you can be beneficial to the outcome of your accident injury claim after your vehicle suffered engine damage in a merging crash.
Consult With a Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been involved in a merging accident that has damaged your vehicle’s engine, you should consult with a personal injury attorney. Accident injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, so you have nothing to lose.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page, so your details can be shared with an attorney practicing in your area. After carefully reviewing the details of your case, the attorney will tell you the best way to proceed with your claim. A statute of limitations applies, so don’t wait too long to get your claim on track.
