Here goes. Got rear-ended. What next?
 

So here we are. My 2018 ORP with C4 rear swing got rear-ended this morning and it's destroyed. Swing won't even open to view the damage to the hatch. Gobi ladder is crushed. Good times.

Any advice on how to proceed with this considering the custom bumper? Not even sure what I'm asking but outside of handling this like any other car accident where I call my insurance and such, anything I should look out for or keep in mind with all of the aftermarket add-ons?

Thanks for any input if any of you have been through this kinda thing.

More than likely your policy will not cover the aftermarket items on your vehicle.

Since the other person is at fault, your best bet would be to have the claim process through them, and make sure you have your receipts for all items so you can get a check to replace all damaged aftermarket items and they fix the damage.

Stop making public statements about this.

Speak to a reputable, competent personal injury / accident attorney immediately.

The insurance companies (yours included) are in business to make a profit from you, and all of us, and will do their level best to pay you the absolute least they can.

You may have injuries you're unaware of.

An attorney will recover more money for the entire situation, handle all the paperwork, and resolve this better that you can alone.

Plus, this should cost you ZERO upfront... The attorney will take about 33% on average on the total settlement on the back-end.

Good luck.

Seems like if you are going to add expensive aftermarket parts to your ride, that a call to your insurance agent to make sure you're covered would be a good idea. Normally, your insurance company should handle your claim and deal with the other drivers company. Get a copy of the police report.

I'd also go take pics of your truck and also remove any personal items before someone else does. You may also want to look into diminished value compensation as well. I'd let the insurance co do their job before going the legal route - just don't settle until your happy with the outcome.

No doubt. So far, so good. It's actually sounding relatively straight-forward. Thanks.

If it wasn't your fault, the aftermarket parts should be covered by the other insurance company - but - like ESJ said, you need to be checked out by a docfirst and if there is any injury (or if you have any out of pocket expenses for the doctor), then you need to shut up and call a lawyer.

What hit you and how fast? Curious as those bumpers seem like they would take a hell of a hit before damage.

nothing to add for advise--- just a sincere "good luck".

My 4r was in a collision, and it was a pain in the arse. I hope they're able to get you squared away with your vehicle again, and all of your aftermarket parts.

FWIW, I had an estimate on my 4r recently while I was looking at a 2019 nightshade during some service. The price was better than I had expected, and I asked why there wasn't an apparent deduction for diminished value. I was told that the vehicle was very clean, the collision work was minor and professional, and I didn't hack it up with DIY electrical mods-- which is more of a concern for them than minor collision work. This particular dealership is the 4runner hub of my area. Don't let the forum diminished value team piss on your parade. By all means; pursue what you can. But don't let it ruin your decade. This stuff happens all the time, and these vehicles have a fantastic resale value. I was pleased to learn that clean vehicles with a carfax history are still in high demand, if the repair is complete and professional. YMMV, obviously.

Hopefully Gobi can start mining the ore needed for your replacement ladder soon.

I am with USAA and they cover 5k worth of upgrades without notifying them.
When I was preparing to have after market items installed I called them to make sure how it worked..

Yeah, I was told if they were specifically for a 4runner that it's no problem.

No injuries. It wasn't a high-speed thing. Keeping my eye out for anything but no symptoms of anything thus far.

2000 Expedition. Not terribly fast. It's the swing smooshing into my hatch that was most of the damage, apparently.

Ha! No doubt. Thanks.

Yeah, State Farm just kinda said they'd cover whatever to get it back to how it was. We'll see.

Citizens only covers $1000 aftermarket by default. I had to pay for more coverage.

Also if you have any photos of the damage to the C4 bumper so we can see what kind of damage they can take.....for us curious minds.

At a glance the truck looks great. I had a custom 2" receiver added to the swing for my bike rack and that thing was what caused so much damage to the Expedition but also what made the swing fail and kind of fold in the middle a few inches. Definitely tough as crap.

Good luck, would like to know if an attorney takes an auto accident case without personal injury. My experience says no. And legit attorneys require money upfront.

The attorney will send the client to be evaluated by a doctor.

Even in slow speed collisions, neck and back injuries are common and can occur days or many days later. By speaking with an attorney, the record and your rights are preserved.

Attorneys require a retainer up front in civil and criminal matters, however when insurance is involved, and especially when you're not the party at fault, the attorney works on contingency of recovery, including property and medical treatments.

I've seen this from several different angles... the better outcome in each instance has been through a legal settlement facilitated by competent legal counsel.

Without getting into specifics, the OP could be looking at considerable compensation from the at fault party's insurance, not including what they're going to pay for repairs and medical...

OPs choice...