rear ended

[Volvo driver]

Wife was rear ended at approx 50km/h she has all sorts of medical things wrong now, the insurer is saying the car is repairable even though the exhaust (just an idea on how hard she was hit by a 2003 ls430) was pushed towards the front of the car by about a foot.

 

[Skylarking]

Vehicles are repairable writeoffs when the repair estimates are around 70% of the vehicle value. Vehicles are statutory writeoffs when severe structural damage has been done such that they can not be safely repaired (within the insurers 70% cost constraints as anything can be safely repaired if cost is no option).

In your case, the vehicle damage doesn't look bad at all. There are no pictures of rear door gaps but i'd expect they are unlikely to be altered from the pre crash gapping. In fact, the damage looks more like a low speed love tap (a low energy impact) despite the exhaust being pushed forward. All you need to ensure the repairs are done well.

Remember, the front and rear of modern vehicles are designed to flex in and then back out with minimal damage so the vehicle remains drivable. This is up to some low speed 5-10mph? Larger impacts will see the crush zones come into effect and they don't spring back.

The standard offset crash test is 48kph into a solid immovable block (with some crush pads attached) and the vehicles front squashes about 1/2m. It's violent. Compare that to the pics of the lexus and your car who's damage look nothing like an 48kph offset test.

 

[Volvo driver]

Vehicles are repairable writeoffs when the repair estimates are around 70% of the vehicle value. Vehicles are statutory writeoffs when severe structural damage has been done such that they can not be safely repaired (within the insurers 70% cost constraints as anything can be safely repaired if cost is no option).

In your case, the vehicle damage doesn't look bad at all. There are no pictures of rear door gaps but i'd expect they are unlikely to be altered from the pre crash gapping. In fact, the damage looks more like a low speed love tap (a low energy impact) despite the exhaust being pushed forward. All you need to ensure the repairs are done well.

Remember, the front and rear of modern vehicles are designed to flex in and then back out with minimal damage so the vehicle remains drivable. This is up to some low speed 5-10mph? Larger impacts will see the crush zones come into effect and they don't spring back.

The standard offset crash test is 48kph into a solid immovable block (with some crush pads attached) and the vehicles front squashes about 1/2m. It's violent. Compare that to the pics of the lexus and your car who's damage look nothing like an 48kph offset test.

But the spare tyre well is cracked aswell, all the paint on the rear bumper is like crows feet, the accident was at 50km/h with the lexus not even attempting to try and stop.

 

[lout]

that looks more like a 10km/h crash not 50km/h
spare tyre wells crack with the smallest impact
if you kick the exhaust it will move
where are you getting the 50km/h from

 

[Sabbath']

This is a 64km/h crash test.

 

[Fu Manchu]

The well is an easy replace. New bumper and exhaust ends. Respray maybe a bit of blending the paint into the rear quarters.

Buff the car. Should come up fine. Bloody lucky with that hit. Low speed, and will be a quick repair to get done. Looks like a nice car.

There is a lot of flexibility in the exhaust. Particular where the muffler joins the rear section, there is a flexible join for such situations. They might redo the gaskets. That bumper bends in heaps in a light bump and can pop out again after. They are well designed and by the look of that, it all did what they are designed to do.

 

[Volvo driver]

that looks more like a 10km/h crash not 50km/h
spare tyre wells crack with the smallest impact
if you kick the exhaust it will move
where are you getting the 50km/h from

The fact that the car that hit my wifes car bounced back over a meter after the impact

 

[Fu Manchu]

How do you know the speed of the car behind?

 

[lout]

have a look at sabbath video

 

[Immortality]

It looks like the Lexus front crumple zone is softer than the rear crumple zone on the Commodore and hence the Lexus took most of the impact.

Whether or not it is repairable depends on whether anything structural has been damaged and they wont know that till it is properly inspected and measured (if required).

Rear impacts can be hard on occupants because they dont see it coming. Hopefully the wife is ok.