Totaled

[KIKER]

I got rear ended a few weeks ago and I feel quite sure that insurance will total my truck. I was able to drive it some, but the driveline seemed in a bind. The pickup box dented both corners of the cab and it looks as though the rear axle rotated. I bought it new 12/06 and it has 305,000 miles on it. It was running and driving just fine and I was sure that I could make it last for the rest of my welding career, as I'm 67. I would like to buy it back and put a flatbed on it and continue working it. Could the cab receive those dents without the frame being bent? How does the process work if insurance totals it and I want to buy back? Besides a few hail dents, it had only a minor dent where I backed into a light pole base and broke the brake/tail light and subsequently dented the metal just under the light. Of course, the drivers seat is shot, but otherwise the interior is in good shape. It's a quad cab, dually, 4x4 with automatic. Thanks for your support for the last 12 years I've been a member. I haven't posted much, but I have read a lot.
Thanks,
Jimmy

 

[BigPapa]

It's going to depend on your insurance carrier and what state you're in.

I've had four vehicles totaled in the past 20 years, my '95 Ram CTD was totaled sitting in my driveway, my wife's Caprice was rear ended at an intersection, my wife tried to drive her '03 Camry under a UPS feeder truck at an intersection, and last year my '98 QCSB was totaled when a guy backed out of a parking place into me as I was leaving in the Lowe's parking lot.

I have Farm Bureau insurance and live in TN. I was treated very well by FB on the first three but on this last one I had to fight the adjuster and settle for accepting half the fault for the accident. We kept all but the Camry. TN doesn't really have a "Salvage" title. I did have to drop Collision on them, though. I was paid enough for the '95 to by the '98 that didn't have an engine, put the '95 12 valve in the '98.5, and build the 47RE with Goerend parts. Seems like it was @ $10K, that was in 2011. Last year on the '98.5 I kept the truck which only had body damage, driver side front fender, front door, rocker panel, both wheels, and one tire. They gave me $11K for it and I kept it.

The kicker on that deal was I put a junkyard fender and door on my truck and we used the rest of the money to buy my wife an '07 Lexus ES350, so she's driving in style while I'm driving a totaled out black and green truck........

 

[JR]

A good man puts his wife's needs over his own.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

A good man puts his wife's needs over his own.

Whether he wants to or not...

 

[BigPapa]

When Mama's happy, MOST everybody's happy.....

 

[dieselshadow]

When Mama's happy, Mama is happy.....

Fixed that for you.

 

[BigPapa]

True that....

 

[RBridenbaugh]

I'd go down to your local auto wrecking / recycling company that has lots of trucks in its lot. Describe the damage and ask what they think a fair price for salvage would be. My insurance company tried to low ball the totaled price for my vehicle and used a fixed percentage of that do determine the salvage value (not what they would actually get from a recycling yard).

After all sorts of time, what got me a fair value for the totaled vehicle was a complaint letter which I wrote to the state department of insurance, three months earlier. I got a letter in the mail, which asked if the issue was still on going. Since yes, they notified the insurance company and gave them a week to settle or they would audit, not only my complaint but others as well from that office to determine if they were acting in bad faith. The insurance company promptly called me and upped the vehicle's total amount to what an independent appraiser I had hired determined. Unfortunately they upped the salvage value as well, based on a percentage of the totaled value. Since a friend in the owners club for that vehicle ran a salvage yard, I knew the real salvage value and told them what I'd accept for the salvage value or they could be audited by the state. They settled immediately. Even having a lawyer, starting to file to take them to court and having to pay 3x the amount if they lost, hadn't moved them to settle. Potentially having the other claims in that office audited to see if they were doing the same to others, especially the much more expensive to them medical / liability claims, had them settle in a day to avoid that audit.

 

[KIKER]

I'd go down to your local auto wrecking / recycling company that has lots of trucks in its lot. Describe the damage and ask what they think a fair price for salvage would be. My insurance company tried to low ball the totaled price for my vehicle and used a fixed percentage of that do determine the salvage value (not what they would actually get from a recycling yard).

After all sorts of time, what got me a fair value for the totaled vehicle was a complaint letter which I wrote to the state department of insurance, three months earlier. I got a letter in the mail, which asked if the issue was still on going. Since yes, they notified the insurance company and gave them a week to settle or they would audit, not only my complaint but others as well from that office to determine if they were acting in bad faith. The insurance company promptly called me and upped the vehicle's total amount to what an independent appraiser I had hired determined. Unfortunately they upped the salvage value as well, based on a percentage of the totaled value. Since a friend in the owners club for that vehicle ran a salvage yard, I knew the real salvage value and told them what I'd accept for the salvage value or they could be audited by the state. They settled immediately. Even having a lawyer, starting to file to take them to court and having to pay 3x the amount if they lost, hadn't moved them to settle. Potentially having the other claims in that office audited to see if they were doing the same to others, especially the much more expensive to them medical / liability claims, had them settle in a day to avoid that audit.

Thanks for an honest answer! How would I go about finding the prewreck value of my truck? NADA, Edmunds, etc.? I bought it new in Dec. 07 and it had 305,xxx miles on it. Quadcab, auto, 4x4, Big Horn, 5.9, with minor hail damage.
Thanks again!

 

[Timd32]

Thanks for an honest answer! How would I go about finding the prewreck value of my truck? NADA, Edmunds, etc.? I bought it new in Dec. 07 and it had 305,xxx miles on it. Quadcab, auto, 4x4, Big Horn, 5.9, with minor hail damage.
Thanks again!

From what I have gone thru a few times, but I don't know at how many years out they stop doing this, they find 3 Dealer comps in your zip code. Then average the total of those vehicles.
That might not be how they do older vehicles since they are not available on lots, but for newer ones that are still readily available on Dealer lots. They provide you the comps if you want to see them to ensure they have all the options you have.

 

[Regcabguy]

You got rear ended and it's half your fault?

 

[Bill Lins]

You got rear ended and it's half your fault?

The back half, apparently... :-(

 

[BigPapa]

You got rear ended and it's half your fault?

If you were referring to me, I wasn't rear ended. I was pulling in a lane in the parking lot as a van was exiting that lane. The guy was parked behind the van and started backing out behind the van as I was turning in beside the van. Neither of us could see each other for the van. SUPPOSEDLY, he had a witness that said I shot behind him trying to get out before he did. We both had the same insurance company and he was raising Cain because he would have to pay the $500 deductible if he was at fault. In my 50+ years of driving I was always told that the vehicle that's in reverse/backing up is at fault. Evidently not anymore...

 

[AnonEd]

Late reply to the question
"Could the cab receive those dents without the frame being bent?"
I would say yes...I've seen enough trail twist/deflection on everything from 1989 to a 2019 where the bed dimpled the back of the cab, although the deflection was far more on the 89. None of them showed signs of frame damage, were out of alignment spec, drove funny or were difficult to open/close any aperture, including tailgates.

 

[KIKER]

 

[KIKER]

Here's a photo I took just a few minutes after the accident. I have retained ownership of the truck and I have started getting it situated to work again, carrying my welding machine and tools. I bought a used C&M flatbed and have it mounted on the frame. I am having trouble figuring out how to connect the lights to the factory wiring harness. What do I need to do?

 

[KIKER]

 

[KIKER]

Got the wrecked pickup bed off.

 

[KIKER]

 

[KIKER]

In the process of installing this used flatbed.