Hey Anonymous,

Do not despair, your experience is not "unique". I put a lot of miles on my X every day, so it was only a matter of time before somebody's front bumper found my rear bumper. I am a very defensive driver, but with the way the roads are congested here in NJ, my "lucky" day came back in January 2007 when I was rear-ended by a friggin old Ford Escort on the Garden State Parkway. The damage was relatively minor, just like with yours, but the X was only 6 months old when it happened, so I know EXACTLY the sick feeling in the stomach you're talking about.

Here is what I did on my end, maybe you can do something along the same lines. The very next day I went to my home BMW dealership (where I purchased the car) and insisted on speaking to the sevice MANAGER. The big dog. I explained what happened and said I want only THE BEST body shop in the area, because I want my vehicle brought back to absolutely pristine condition. He called his #1 body shop contact and told him that I'd be stopping by later in the day.

My X was there for 4 business days. When I got it back, it was better than new. This particular body shop was excellent, and the owner had numerous certifications for work on BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus.

I don't know how the law is out in LA, but in NJ you are NOT required to take your vehicle to the body shop that your insurance recommends. You have the right to go to any state-certified body shop of your choosing, and your insurance cannot deny the claim. This particular body shop owner had good rapport with many of the different insurance adjusters in the area, including the GEICO adjuster that came to the body shop for my vehicle.

So there you have it. It may look bad now, but judging by the pics, yours looks like a very fixable problem. Go to your home dealership and tell the service manager that ONLY the best body shop will do. And make sure you deal with the body shop directly. Tell the body shop owner every little detail you are worried about, don't leave anything up to fate. Hopefully, your collision deductible is low. I only had to pay $200 out of pocket, GEICO footed the rest of the bill. for my rear bumper and right muffler.