My dad was in an accident several years ago. He stopped at a stoplight while driving his '01 Focus ZX3 and someone in a silver Nissan Maxima plowed into him. My dad's car got away with a few dings in the rear bumper and some underlying frame damage. The other car's entire front end was crumpled up and the air bags deployed. The other driver had to pay my dad over $1500 in addition to his ticket and his own repairs (unless he got rid of the car, may have been totaled). My dad's car was barely damaged at all cosmetically so he took that $1500 and used it to completely pay off the car loans. In other words, a bad accident ended very well.