'99 caravan accident/safety

Two weeks ago, my '99 dodge caravan was hit---there was a little bit of snow on the ground, and some guy slid into me-- he was skidding and "fishtailing"-- he was probably going too fast for the conditions. :thumbsdown: Everyone is fine, though.

We are trying to decide if we should repair or replace the car. Although it would be an expensive repair (about $1800), the car has very low mileage-- only about 50K, so that's important to keep in mind--- for sure we wouldn't even consider keeping it if it had 80-90,000 miles on the car, but we don't drive that much and we assume that we easily have another 4-5 years out of the car.

However, one thing is a concern of mine is SAFETY. There is damage to the drivers side of the vehicle. Most of the damage is on the drivers side door, and minor dents and scrapes all along that side of the car. Assuming we get it fixed by a reputable body shop, would it be safe to say, "it's as good as new" OR is it already "dmaged goods" and if it's ever hit again in that area, it won't hold up as well?

If you know anything about this, and can share your opinion, that would be helpful. Also, if you know of any statistics/research that I can share with my husband, that would be even more helpful.

Just as a side note...you MUST replace car seats/infant bases/boosters after a crash. (Some manufactures follow the NHTSA guidelines, others state that they must be replaced after ANY crash.)

Many vehicles are repaired after a crash and I would not consider them unsafe. My vehicle I crashed was just shy of being totaled. The frame rail ends were repaired, all sheet metal replaced and mechanical work done. We drove it 6 more years til we traded it in! I never considered it unsafe.

Is the other driver's insurance footing your bill? Please remember to turn the bill for your replacement car seats in as well for reimbursement.