Got rearended today...

[notstock71]

So there I was minding my own business and bam.

The wife and I took the boys to a baseball game today. We were leaving the stadium driving towards the interstate. I am watching this car inmy rearview mirror that is swerving all over the road. Then I see the car behind it pull up along side and they are yelling at each other. I stop for a red light and am watching the show in the mirror. The car behind me is so busy fighting with the other car she rearended me. I was furious. I jumped out and gave her a piece of my mind. She starts yelling back at me in her best ebonics slang. Make along story shorter the car they were fighting with stopeed and told me what was happening and the girl who hit me was throwing stuff at their car when she hit me. They left their info for the cops. Another car stayed as witnesses too. Cops show up and cite her for following too close but nothing else even though there were witnesses to everything.

The truck ('00 Sierra) just needs a bumper and maybe brackets. It is pushed in a little on the left side. My receiver punched through her bumper ('03 Taurus). Oh the best part, the driver/passenger were brother/sister. Their parents showed up minutes after it happened. Mom walks up, opens the passenger door and beat the tar out of the son. It was friggin hilarious.

So now I get to deal with the insurance company, she has Progressive. I want a new GM bumper and brackets, period.

So this is my 3rd accident. All 3 I was rearended while at a stop. How's that for bad luck? Oh, no bad injuries but the wife was turned talking to the boys and she says she's a little sore in the shoulder

[camarojoe]

That sucks... hope everyone is ok. Tell your wife to go get checked out just to be sure... Doesn't sound like the damage to your truck was too bad, shouldn't have any trouble getting GM stuff if you demand it.

[Salvatore]

As long as you guys are OK that is what counts. I bet you would have loved to had a camera for that little show! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[Tim Penton]

You're lucky the savage had insurance!!! Thank God you weren't injured. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[notstock71]

I went through the uninsured game on the 2nd wreck. She had no insurance. I had to make the claim on mine but fortunately it never affected my rates. I'm going to price the new bumper and brackets today.

[Kim_Howie]

Being a Agent for 33 years lots of luck with progrssive they SUCK!!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif

[agtw31]

my g/f got rear ended in her mustang by a celica.

it cracked the bumper,but unless you bend down and get 5 inches from the bumper,you cant see it.
so i touched up the chip,buffed out the scratch,and she threw the $1000 she got on the claim on the principal balance of her car note.

[notstock71]

Filed the claim with Progressive this morning, they were great to deal with. Got a call this afternoon and it turns out the coverage on the Taurus that hit me was cancelled by the owner prior to the accident. Progressive is trying to determine if there is other coverage. I am furious. This is the 2nd time I have been hit by an uninsured vehicle.

I have already called the City Prosecutor to have no insurance charges filed. I also called the State Department of Insurance, the courthouse and the Department of Motor Vehicles. I am going to nail them to the wall.

[notstock71]

This gets better. Progressive called this afternoon and said they found coverage on the car from an out of state underwriter. They also said they will be covering the claim. Sounds weird to me. So they are coming out tomorrow to give a check for damages but wait there's more.

I washed the truck tonight and was just getting ready to come inside when I decided to get a tape measure and level out. Keep in mind my garage floor is level. The box is pushed 1/4" forward towards the cab on the passenger side. The box is also pushed up 1/2" on the passenger side in the rear. I talked to the body shop who did my Nova and he advised the impact to the receiver likely tweaked the frame. Needless to say I WILL NOT be accepting any check for repairs until I have it looked at by a few shops I trust.

[SS454]

They will tell you to take it one of their shop but you can take it anywhere you want. BUT you will ahve to take it to a shop for them to pay for the full repair, other wise you will only get the money for what they can see is damaged. As for new parts if the truck is current year truck with les than 12,000 miles on it than you will ahve no problem getting GM parts anything over that and will be aftermarket at worst, used at best. If you go with your own ins you will get the same. Just take it to the shop that you want to fix it don't let them tell you that you have to take it to a shop on their program http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif. Unless the shop has a good rep in your area. At best you can demaned used GM parts over the A/M stuff. Just some info for you. And this stuff I am an expert on http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif Coming up on 20 years in the collision field.

[notstock71]

Thanks for the advice everyone, here's the latest as of today.

Well Progressive came out and gave an estimate on the truck. It came back at $825. $400 for a bumper assembly and $400 to pull the frame. I took it to the shop who did my Nova and he said it is a fair amount and he'd do the work for that. I feel better about that part.

Now the bad. I called the Dodge dealer I was dealing with on possibly buying a new truck. 2 weeks ago they offered $14000 trade in on the truck. Now they will only give $12000 after it is repaired. This is explained as depreciation especially since Carfax will flag the truck as having previous frame damage. I understand where they are coming from with this. I called Progressive back and explained that since the accident my truck is now devalued $2000. The agent disagreed and started citing things that will take too long to type here. I told her my attorney disagrees with Progressives stand on denying this claim. I told them if needed we will file suit against the vehicle owner and driver. Progressive will then be liable for providing them an attorney. If I won they would also owe my attorney fees plus settlement. The adjuster passed me to a manager which is who I am dealing with now.

The manager calls and says Nebraska law does not require Progressive to reimburse for depreaction and stated depreciation will not exist if the vehicle is repaired correctly. I disagreed citing any history search will show the accident and frame damage. He told me the dealer can't lower their offer on trade in, it's against the law. Whatever. I called Dodge and the Sales Manager called the Progressive manager and explained his case and stood his ground on the lower offer. Progressive never called me back after that.

I'm not trying to abuse the system but I think everyone here will agree that with frame damage the truck is worth less even if it is fixed. Heck, the GMC dealer said no more than $10000 trade in because they would not sell a truck that had that type of damage and they would wholesale it immediately.

Once again, I AM NOT trying to abuse the system but I definately want what is owed to me. Opinions??

[SS454]

I do not know of any state that makes an ins company pay depreciation. You can sue them any you may win. I know that in Illinois the courts for this kind of stuff are backed up 4 years at least the last time I heard. Progresive has their attorneys on staff so they are paying them all the time you don't. As for the dealer that is just a big BS game they are playing with you. Sure the carfax will show something MAYBE I know of 2 cars that had BIG damage and both to tis day have not shown up with anything on Carfax http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif. The dealers are always going to tell you that now they can't sell it becuase it has damage. I can't count how many NEW cars & trucks we fixed over the years that never go told to the new owner. Only one that I can remeber and it was by mistake. She sued the dealer and I had to go to court to show what we fixed and she lost. So I guess what I'm tring to say is don't wait to fix your truck get it done now, than go after Progresive. You may want to make sure that the ck that they gave you is still good, I have seen when people tell the ins company that they will sue than they stop the claim until it is settel in court. Just some thought for you. Hope it all works out for you. I am with you on your truck being worth less don't think that I think your tring to get something you shouldn't get. We have tried for years in ILL to get Ins companys to pat Dimminshed Value for cars that where hit buy someone eles. Hopfuly some day it will happen, But then the ins companys will just jack up our rates. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif