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Car accident, what do I do?
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 2013-09-25 8:27 PM |
Master  1929     Midlothian, VA |  Subject: Car accident, what do I do?So I'm taking my son to his first scout meeting tonight and a 17 year old kid decides to attempt a jack-rabbit left turn in front of me. Did not end well. He left with a neck brace, my ten year old got a small knot on the back of his head and I'm pretty sure my truck's engine just got ruined. He's hollering about his neck and something about his father being mad because he had already had a wreck. What are my options going to be? Chances are it's going to be 'totaled' but I have a lot of stuff attached to / invested in that truck. 2000 Ford F250 Super-duty V8 Long bed, extended cab. Rhino lining Tommy gate custom rack with E-track Steel plate in the bed. Trailer hitch Geico Insurance I could benefit from having a more fuel efficient vehicle, but I really don't want to be without a truck. I still have some of my arcade machines, and bikes & camping gear transport much easier in the bed of a truck. On top of getting screwed out of my vehicle that I've had longer than my kids, I'm also worried that the other party might try to pull some injury crap and drag me into court even though it was obvious to the cops he was at fault and was cited. (Failure to yield is what they told me.) Bad enough that I lost my job 6 months after moving cross-country for it, now I'm going to be without a vehicle. Job hunting is hard enough without the extra stress of having to purchase another vehicle with whatever the insurance company offers me. My wife just got a part time job and wouldn't be comfortable walking to it. Sigh. |
| 2013-09-25 8:35 PM in reply to: faded_memories |
Regular 5477 LHOTP | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? I have no advice, but I'm sorry to hear about your situation. That sounds like a lot to be dealing with :/ I'm glad your son is OK. |
| 2013-09-25 8:36 PM in reply to: faded_memories |
Master 2380 Beijing | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Originally posted by faded_memories So I'm taking my son to his first scout meeting tonight and a 17 year old kid decides to attempt a jack-rabbit left turn in front of me. Did not end well. He left with a neck brace, my ten year old got a small knot on the back of his head and I'm pretty sure my truck's engine just got ruined. He's hollering about his neck and something about his father being mad because he had already had a wreck. What are my options going to be? Chances are it's going to be 'totaled' but I have a lot of stuff attached to / invested in that truck. 2000 Ford F250 Super-duty V8 Long bed, extended cab. Rhino lining Tommy gate custom rack with E-track Steel plate in the bed. Trailer hitch Geico Insurance I could benefit from having a more fuel efficient vehicle, but I really don't want to be without a truck. I still have some of my arcade machines, and bikes & camping gear transport much easier in the bed of a truck. On top of getting screwed out of my vehicle that I've had longer than my kids, I'm also worried that the other party might try to pull some injury crap and drag me into court even though it was obvious to the cops he was at fault and was cited. (Failure to yield is what they told me.) Bad enough that I lost my job 6 months after moving cross-country for it, now I'm going to be without a vehicle. Job hunting is hard enough without the extra stress of having to purchase another vehicle with whatever the insurance company offers me. My wife just got a part time job and wouldn't be comfortable walking to it. Sigh.
He was cited, that was good! Sorry you got hit, glad everyone is mostly OK. Pull the rack and the tommy gate and put them on CL. Used Jetta TDI Sportwagen (or an older Jetta wagon) with a trailer hitch and a 4x8 single-axle trailer with ramp to haul arcade machines. (they're so low to the ground you won't need that tommy gate) You can probably make the payment on the Jetta with what you were paying in fuel for that Ford with V8. Seriously. |
| 2013-09-25 9:02 PM in reply to: moondawg14 |
Veteran 869 Stevens Point, Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Ouch, sorry to hear about that. Had some nob turn left right in front of me (oncoming traffic), no green arrow, I was not speeding, decent amount of traffic. Needless to say it ended with me smashing into the door of his car. My car was not totaled (still driving that POS today!!!), his was. The insurance company will try to get you to settle, it really depends on how much they offer and how bad you need the money. If not it took well over a year to settle, in hindsight I wish I would have done this for my case, but I was young and stupid (19). No one was injured, and what I got was not much more then what I could have settled for. I wasn't out for blood, but at least wanted to come out ahead from the incident. Good luck with what ever you choose to do, it can be frustrating.
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| 2013-09-25 9:33 PM in reply to: faded_memories |
Supersonicus Idioticus 2439 Thunder Bay, ON | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? I think you know what you have to do. No one can tell you what you are entitled to according to your insurance, the (to be) defendant, and how much of each pays you. You have to look it up, especially according to your state. I feel bad for your situation (glad no one was hurt), especially because in trying to achieve a fair settlement, your emotional attachment to the car may mean nothing. The only thing I could advise you is to be sure what the market value is for your car and ask how the other parties came to the same conclusion. For instance, if they found the price on autotrader, they may have spent three minutes finding the cheapest Ford F250, not caring whether it was a V8, had a liner, etc. Ummm... about the next car, be sure you know the true cost of ownership of that truck. Payments may be ~$400/month, but then factor in the gas mileage, the cost of tires (which can be $2k for a set after installation!). I live in an area where camping gear needs to be moved too, and a lot of people own trucks. However, if you are living off one part time income, this will bleed you dry. Maybe lease until you have a full time job? Good luck on this mess. |
| 2013-09-25 9:52 PM in reply to: So Fresh So Clean |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? If he was cited then he was obviously at fault. You need to contact your insurance agent regarding all of the issues you brought up.....he/she should act as your agent in seeing that you are satisfied by the other party's insurance co. In fact, DEMAND that they do. |
| 2013-09-25 10:25 PM in reply to: faded_memories |
Pro 9391 Omaha, NE | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? That sucks, glad you guys made it out relatively unscathed. Vehicles can be replaced, and your truck did its job keeping you guys save. It's been almost 20 years since I've had a wreck, but things like this are one of the reasons I went all Russian and put in a dash cam. Best witness you can ask for. |
| 2013-09-25 11:16 PM in reply to: tuwood |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Originally posted by tuwood That sucks, glad you guys made it out relatively unscathed. Vehicles can be replaced, and your truck did its job keeping you guys save. It's been almost 20 years since I've had a wreck, but things like this are one of the reasons I went all Russian and put in a dash cam. Best witness you can ask for. Or worst. |
| 2013-09-25 11:40 PM in reply to: Left Brain |
Extreme Veteran 502 Tucson | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? I hate to say it...but if you feel that anything may go wonky, then I'd call a lawyer. Don't like those ambulance chaser ones too much, but if you need it, you need it. Also glad that you and family are ok. |
| 2013-09-26 5:41 AM in reply to: moondawg14 |
Champion 16151 Checkin' out the podium girls | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Originally posted by moondawg14 Originally posted by faded_memories So I'm taking my son to his first scout meeting tonight and a 17 year old kid decides to attempt a jack-rabbit left turn in front of me. Did not end well. He left with a neck brace, my ten year old got a small knot on the back of his head and I'm pretty sure my truck's engine just got ruined. He's hollering about his neck and something about his father being mad because he had already had a wreck. What are my options going to be? Chances are it's going to be 'totaled' but I have a lot of stuff attached to / invested in that truck. 2000 Ford F250 Super-duty V8 Long bed, extended cab. Rhino lining Tommy gate custom rack with E-track Steel plate in the bed. Trailer hitch Geico Insurance I could benefit from having a more fuel efficient vehicle, but I really don't want to be without a truck. I still have some of my arcade machines, and bikes & camping gear transport much easier in the bed of a truck. On top of getting screwed out of my vehicle that I've had longer than my kids, I'm also worried that the other party might try to pull some injury crap and drag me into court even though it was obvious to the cops he was at fault and was cited. (Failure to yield is what they told me.) Bad enough that I lost my job 6 months after moving cross-country for it, now I'm going to be without a vehicle. Job hunting is hard enough without the extra stress of having to purchase another vehicle with whatever the insurance company offers me. My wife just got a part time job and wouldn't be comfortable walking to it. Sigh.
He was cited, that was good! Sorry you got hit, glad everyone is mostly OK. Pull the rack and the tommy gate and put them on CL. Used Jetta TDI Sportwagen (or an older Jetta wagon) with a trailer hitch and a 4x8 single-axle trailer with ramp to haul arcade machines. (they're so low to the ground you won't need that tommy gate) You can probably make the payment on the Jetta with what you were paying in fuel for that Ford with V8. Seriously. I'm not a VW fan as my last 2 cars were VW and I thought the reliability was poor. But, I love having a hauling trailer instead of a truck. Makes your car choice almost infinite and in the very rare occasion I need the trailer, it's easy enough to hook up, use, then park it away until next time. I now have a Nissan Rogue as a daily driver and it does just fine with the trailer for Home Depot or dump runs. |
| 2013-09-26 7:28 AM in reply to: faded_memories |
Champion 14571 the alamo city, Texas | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Originally posted by faded_memories So I'm taking my son to his first scout meeting tonight and a 17 year old kid decides to attempt a jack-rabbit left turn in front of me. Did not end well. He left with a neck brace, my ten year old got a small knot on the back of his head and I'm pretty sure my truck's engine just got ruined. He's hollering about his neck and something about his father being mad because he had already had a wreck. What are my options going to be? Chances are it's going to be 'totaled' but I have a lot of stuff attached to / invested in that truck. 2000 Ford F250 Super-duty V8 Long bed, extended cab. Rhino lining Tommy gate custom rack with E-track Steel plate in the bed. Trailer hitch Geico Insurance I could benefit from having a more fuel efficient vehicle, but I really don't want to be without a truck. I still have some of my arcade machines, and bikes & camping gear transport much easier in the bed of a truck. On top of getting screwed out of my vehicle that I've had longer than my kids, I'm also worried that the other party might try to pull some injury crap and drag me into court even though it was obvious to the cops he was at fault and was cited. (Failure to yield is what they told me.) Bad enough that I lost my job 6 months after moving cross-country for it, now I'm going to be without a vehicle. Job hunting is hard enough without the extra stress of having to purchase another vehicle with whatever the insurance company offers me. My wife just got a part time job and wouldn't be comfortable walking to it. Sigh. Your insurance or his insurance should provide you a rental while your car is undrivable. Ask for it. |
| 2013-09-26 9:15 AM in reply to: Left Brain |
Pro 9391 Omaha, NE | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Originally posted by Left Brain Originally posted by tuwood That sucks, glad you guys made it out relatively unscathed. Vehicles can be replaced, and your truck did its job keeping you guys save. It's been almost 20 years since I've had a wreck, but things like this are one of the reasons I went all Russian and put in a dash cam. Best witness you can ask for. Or worst. lol, that's why it has a quick release. Camera? what camera? |
| 2013-09-26 10:17 AM in reply to: tuwood |
Expert 3126 Boise, ID | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do?
Make his insurance company get you a rental car today! They have to, they may try to jerk you around but stay persistent and they will get you the car. If he was cited, he was at fault so you aren't likely to have to worry at all about his medical issues, that will be his problem. Get your kid checked out if need be and make his company pay for it. As far as your truck goes. Probably not what you want to hear but it would probably be better off totaled. Sounds like it was a pretty decent collision, cars that are on the brink of being totaled and are fixed never seem to be the same. So take everything you can off the truck, go to the yard and remove everything you can. Then start looking online to find similar trucks in your area and figure out how much your truck is worth. NADA, KBB can help but local ads for similar trucks will help a lot. Best to have a solid figure in your head before you listen to any offers. Try to be realistic on the figure though, to you that truck might have meant a lot, to me you couldn't pay me to drive a V8 F250, so try to be objective when determining value. Do you have full coverage insurance on the truck through your company? If so you do have the option of going through your own insurance and then having them subrogate against the other company. The con is you pick up your collision deductible, the pro is you don't get jerked around as much and might get a better offer. If negotiations get really bad you can always contact your state department of insurance for mediation as well. As far as replacement vehicle... I understand wanting a truck, I drive a Dodge 2500, I don't absolutely need it, but it is very handy to have around and my commute is short so I do okay on gas. Depending on how often you use the truck this may give you some nice options. If you get a decent settlement consider getting a runabout 35mpg car and an older pickup that sits until you need it for something. Or look at an older diesel truck. I had a V8 truck, got 12-14mpg and had to put midgrade gas in it. I traded for a diesel and get 18-20 now and pay 10 cents more for diesel, saves me money in the end. A 1992-1998 Dodge 12 valve diesel would be a great option. Over 20mpg, goes a million miles and will do anything you could want a truck to do. Anyway, good luck with it all. I work in insurance so if you have a specific question come up send me a pm. We just had a client go through the same thing you are, he got jerked around a lot by the other guy's insurance but in the end we got him fixed up. |
| 2013-09-26 11:28 AM in reply to: Aarondb4 |
| Iron Donkey 38643 , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Just wanted to say that I'm sorry to hear of the accident. Are you and your son physically doing okay? That's my main concern. Aarondb4 and Meh gave some good advice. Stay persistent with it. Good luck and thank goodness. |
| 2013-09-26 5:10 PM in reply to: 1stTimeTri |
Master 1929 Midlothian, VA | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Originally posted by 1stTimeTri ...Are you and your son physically doing okay? ...I understand that the truck was possibly your only mode of transportation, but luckily you two are okay....Good luck and thank goodness. Yeah. I didn't have a scratch, just the adrenaline shakes. (Too bad my HRM wasn't handy. That would have been interesting...) My son had a knot on his head but he's okay. I got out of bed last night and camped on the floor next to his bed and kept an ear on him all night. Technically I DO have another mode of transportation, but the bike isn't any use for hauling kids around and I could only handle small amounts of groceries at a time... As far as insurance I immediately told the claims person that the other driver was cited and I definitely wanted them to handle it through subjugation. I have enough stress already without trying to battle it out on my own! I think I'm going to be able to meet with the adjuster tomorrow when he goes to the storage lot. |
| 2013-09-29 7:32 PM in reply to: faded_memories |
Master 1929 Midlothian, VA | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do? Met with the adjuster on Friday. Of course I wasn't thrilled with the numbers. He ran it through and gave me a price without telling anyone about the lift gate and rack, and I expect to get an updated number in the next day or so. Sounds like one of my options may be to retain ownership of the truck and receive an insurance payment less the "salvage value" title. Given the value of the gate etc (monetary AND to the lifestyle I've been accustomed to for many years) I am giving strong consideration to finding a similar truck and transferring parts. The TommyGate itself could go on a variety of trucks and likely right onto a similar model/year F-series, and if I get a matching long bed I could use the rack as-is as well. Paint job/color matching not being considered, I could even pick up another F250 without a bed and just put the entire bed on another chassis and retain my bed,liner,steel plate, rack and lift gate. Truck has new tires, decent wheels and even the interior is in good shape so I could take out the cloth seats and replace cracked vinyl or leather ones from a replacement cab. Yes, I'm a stubborn guy with a fair bit of energy and drive. Hardest part would be working out someplace to store it and get some help pulling and swapping parts. That might not be too hard, as I still have quite a bit of arcade stuff to trade and I might be able to work something out with another hobbyist nearby. I'd obviously be able to trade away whatever I didn't salvage. I plan on talking to the nearest Ford dealer in the next day or so to see if they might be able to come up with something for me that I can piece back together into a truck as I'm used to. I am not completely opposed to going with a different vehicle altogether for fuel economy etc, but I sure am used to having the truck. I can do work alone with a lift gate available that might otherwise take 2 or 3 people, and a lot faster too. Kinda unexpectedly, my wife is leaning towards getting us into another truck. She grew up on a campground and her dad was always in a pickup, we started camping a few tri-seasons ago, and we'd toss big things in the back without even thinking about it. As she put it, "I think we're truck people." So I'm not happy, but I'm doing research that suggests I could get something else close to what I'd likely net after keeping the title myself for salvage. Doable... I think. |
| 2013-09-30 11:55 AM in reply to: faded_memories |
Expert 3126 Boise, ID | Subject: RE: Car accident, what do I do?
Sounds like a viable option. Buying back the salvage can be a very good option if you have the time, space and know how to get the work done. Good luck! |
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