Bad news for me...but I'm still Lucky
- Thread starter linhsy
- Start date
Good Times
New member
1. i'd ask for a suv and have traveler's cover for it all (since it is a suv that u drive and not a pos pinto)
2. accessories that has been damaged must be covered and replaced by travelers (i would)
3. i would take the 4runner to several places for inspection to see if travelers is short changing you. if not have your body shop do an estimate on the damages and see if priecs are the same. but since the body shop will contact Travelers if more damages are found i guess it's okay (i wouldn't trust them though and I would get a 2nd appraisal on the damages). if there are more damages found it should be standard procedure that it gets fixed and the other ins comp payin for it since it's not your problem...
hope this helps ?!?
2. accessories that has been damaged must be covered and replaced by travelers (i would)
3. i would take the 4runner to several places for inspection to see if travelers is short changing you. if not have your body shop do an estimate on the damages and see if priecs are the same. but since the body shop will contact Travelers if more damages are found i guess it's okay (i wouldn't trust them though and I would get a 2nd appraisal on the damages). if there are more damages found it should be standard procedure that it gets fixed and the other ins comp payin for it since it's not your problem...
hope this helps ?!?
Good Times
New member
Make sure it's ALL OEM and not AFTERMARKET. this will severely diminish your resale value of the vehicle so make sure of that. Also make sure u get a 2nd opinion on the total damages too (just incase u forget).
Don't let the insurance company get their way... it's your 4runner and you should get the best stuff since aftermarket stuff aren't as good as TOYOTA's stuff
Don't let the insurance company get their way... it's your 4runner and you should get the best stuff since aftermarket stuff aren't as good as TOYOTA's stuff
After they fix your ride trade it in on a new ride of your choice. When the dealer writes up the deal if they discount your trade-in because of this accident have them indicate it on the deal. Now give this to your attorney and have him include it in your final settlement with the insurance company. I would not want to drive a truck that had that much damage, plus if you do keep it and then trade it 4 years down the road your still going to take a hit on the value, but by then you will have already settled with the insurance company. When I was in a bad accident 30 years ago and they finally settled the rule of thumb back then was 5 times the total cost of the accident was the settlement amount. Example car repair- $5,000
Hospital/doctor bills - $3,000
Additional (lost trade-in value) to your damaged car - $1,000
Loss of wages - $1,000
other expenses rental car etc. - $500
Total expenses - $10,500
Settlement from insurance company - $52,500
Lawyer gets - $21,000
You get - $31,500 - that is after they paid to fix your car.
Hopefully your Lawyer has already explained this to you, because in a accident that caused that much damage you can have problems from that impact 10 years from now, that is why the insurance company wants you to sign a medical release so if you do have problems they won't be on the line for all of the costs and your pain and suffering. Because until you settle and sign a release for your personal injury they are on the line for all of the costs. Do not sign anything without your Attorney reading it and giving you the OK. Also don't talk to the other persons insurance company. Have them talk only to your Attorney.
Good luck
Hospital/doctor bills - $3,000
Additional (lost trade-in value) to your damaged car - $1,000
Loss of wages - $1,000
other expenses rental car etc. - $500
Total expenses - $10,500
Settlement from insurance company - $52,500
Lawyer gets - $21,000
You get - $31,500 - that is after they paid to fix your car.
Hopefully your Lawyer has already explained this to you, because in a accident that caused that much damage you can have problems from that impact 10 years from now, that is why the insurance company wants you to sign a medical release so if you do have problems they won't be on the line for all of the costs and your pain and suffering. Because until you settle and sign a release for your personal injury they are on the line for all of the costs. Do not sign anything without your Attorney reading it and giving you the OK. Also don't talk to the other persons insurance company. Have them talk only to your Attorney.
Good luck
Another comment on costs etc. If you really will end up keeping it and not trading it then have it fixed where how you want and tell the repair shop that you don't care what the insurance company says. I did this on a Lexus that I owned that got hit and had a couple of grand damage. The other guys insurance company wanted me to take it too their approved shop and have after market parts put on it. I told them to stick it and took it to the Lexus dealship and had all OEM part used. Guess what when it was done they paid the entire bill. After it was paid I signed the release and my neck started to feel better. Don't let them bluff you. They want to settle this. If someone hit my 4runner and did this type of damage I would be going to MD's for medication and to a Chriopractor everyday for treatments until the insurance company settled. Not wrong, just the only way you will come close to breaking even on a accident that was not your fault.
I would get an OEM windsheild, a friend of mine had a Tacoma he got the windsheild replaced aftermarket, thing cracked 3 times in 3 months, 4th Windsheild still on the truck
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As for all that damage, have it fixed and trade it, after an $11,000 hit the truck will not be like new, you will constantly be finding things wrong and the dealership/bodyshop will grow tired of you, I would even suggest telling the dealer you want a new 4Runner now, don't wait for them to repair it
My friend got hit a similiar way in his TL, car was fixed and things where slowly going wrong with it to the point where he took a loss and traded it.
You will have issues, if you bought the truck and you saw them drop it off the car carrier I doubt you would say I'll still buy it
: As for all that damage, have it fixed and trade it, after an $11,000 hit the truck will not be like new, you will constantly be finding things wrong and the dealership/bodyshop will grow tired of you, I would even suggest telling the dealer you want a new 4Runner now, don't wait for them to repair it
My friend got hit a similiar way in his TL, car was fixed and things where slowly going wrong with it to the point where he took a loss and traded it.
You will have issues, if you bought the truck and you saw them drop it off the car carrier I doubt you would say I'll still buy it
silver4x419
New member
Pitbull said:
:awais: :awais: ????
My med bills are at like $30,000 dollars.
Loss Wages at $24,000 dollars ( but have personal injury loss and get that back)
2 surgeries and around 5-6 months of Physical Therapy and I will never be 100% and limted to work restrictions the rest of my life and I am only 22.....
I think your numbers are off a lot......
dancojgl
New member
Yes. Just tell them you need an SUV for your job, for hauling the kids, whatever...
Yes, that's standard. The problem with wrecked-and-repaired vehicles is the hidden damage. While the insurance company is on the hook for any hidden damage that was caused by the accident, that is of little comfort if, say, your front-end fails due to hidden damage and you wind up in an even more severe crash. So, you want them to find it all when they do the repairs.
Last October, when my 1996 4Runner was rear-ended, the estimate was $8200, but the insurance company totaled it (gave me $12,000, a nice down payment on the new '04). Their rules for totaling a vehicle include the odds (high) of finding additional damage during the actual repair...
—Dan
You have the right to have Toyota OEM parts. Traveller's insurance can not deny this. You had a 100% Toyota vehicle before, you should have a 100% Toyota vehicle afterwards.
Also - it sounds like they are repairing and refinishing the hood. What the fvck?!?!? Demand a new hood. Should be new doors, too. In my opinion, this estimate has way too many repairs on existing body parts, and instead should have more new parts being used instead.
Was the garage that did this estimate a Traveller's approved garage? They were probably swayed by Traveller's influences, and kept the prices down in order to remain on Traveller's "preferred or approved" list of establishments.
Do yourself a HUGE favor. Have an independant garage do a quote on it, maybe even your local dealership. I would be you'll get a lot higher of a price estimate. Those pictures look like a lot more than 11 grand of damage. Plus, that report didn't mention anything of straightening out the frame, or replacing suspension and drivetrain components, which I would really believe some are damaged.
Also - it sounds like they are repairing and refinishing the hood. What the fvck?!?!? Demand a new hood. Should be new doors, too. In my opinion, this estimate has way too many repairs on existing body parts, and instead should have more new parts being used instead.
Was the garage that did this estimate a Traveller's approved garage? They were probably swayed by Traveller's influences, and kept the prices down in order to remain on Traveller's "preferred or approved" list of establishments.
Do yourself a HUGE favor. Have an independant garage do a quote on it, maybe even your local dealership. I would be you'll get a lot higher of a price estimate. Those pictures look like a lot more than 11 grand of damage. Plus, that report didn't mention anything of straightening out the frame, or replacing suspension and drivetrain components, which I would really believe some are damaged.
boston_kevin
New member
Get a 2nd estimate from a great body shop
I cannot stress this enough. You need to get a second estimate from a body shop that is not Toyota or Travellers related. Don't even mention either of the insurance companies involved to eliminate any bias. The body shop also wants your business so if they can do the job cheaply and pocket some additional $$ they will. Ask around, get a second estimate from a reliable body shop. based on the photos, a reliable body shop may say that they will give you an estimate but they would not recommend repairing because of the amount of damage.
Insist on only Toyota OEM parts, including the windshield, and no filler!! They should also quote for repainting the entire vehicle (you don't want one side to be darker than the other due to sun fade). Based on my experience and from the pictures, $11-$12k seems a little light. A hit like that will affect every part of the vehicle.
All accessories (providing you have a receipt) should be accounted for and repaid, but make sure you have receipts, cancelled checks, credit card statements, etc, to show the value of the accessories you added to the vehicle.
Insurance does not have to provide you with an SUV unless you need that capability for work/family. If you are kid hauling, and you have more than 3 kids, they need to provide you with a minivan, otherwise they will give you something that has comparable on-road functionality and safety.
Any time out of work may initially be covered by your short-term disablity, but ultimately will be covered by Travellers.
Obviously there is a lot of stuff to be careful of here. Make sure your attorney has a clause in the contract with Travellers so that they will cover any additional medical expenses that are accident related (or could be) for the next couple of years.
I cannot stress this enough. You need to get a second estimate from a body shop that is not Toyota or Travellers related. Don't even mention either of the insurance companies involved to eliminate any bias. The body shop also wants your business so if they can do the job cheaply and pocket some additional $$ they will. Ask around, get a second estimate from a reliable body shop. based on the photos, a reliable body shop may say that they will give you an estimate but they would not recommend repairing because of the amount of damage.
Insist on only Toyota OEM parts, including the windshield, and no filler!! They should also quote for repainting the entire vehicle (you don't want one side to be darker than the other due to sun fade). Based on my experience and from the pictures, $11-$12k seems a little light. A hit like that will affect every part of the vehicle.
All accessories (providing you have a receipt) should be accounted for and repaid, but make sure you have receipts, cancelled checks, credit card statements, etc, to show the value of the accessories you added to the vehicle.
Insurance does not have to provide you with an SUV unless you need that capability for work/family. If you are kid hauling, and you have more than 3 kids, they need to provide you with a minivan, otherwise they will give you something that has comparable on-road functionality and safety.
Any time out of work may initially be covered by your short-term disablity, but ultimately will be covered by Travellers.
Obviously there is a lot of stuff to be careful of here. Make sure your attorney has a clause in the contract with Travellers so that they will cover any additional medical expenses that are accident related (or could be) for the next couple of years.
linhsy
New member
ScottAW said:
Thanks All for your advice, ScottAW, On page 2, one item called as " Panel, Hood" and at the end of page 3 & beginning of page 4 there are two items as "Door Shell, Front" and "Door Shell, Rear" which I think they are the OEM replaced Doors and Hood. Also, on the Very first page which I didn't post here said "Suspension open to further teardown" which means it will be checked during the teardown process.
The Travelers hasn't recomended any repair shop yet. This is the shop that I chose. I don't know if it is Travelers' approved shop. I will find out.
boston_kevin, unfortunately, I don't have the receipt for the accessories. However, the accessories are currently on the rig. Like door sill protectors, venshade and allumniun dash kit.
Linhsy
Last edited:
boston_kevin
New member
Accessories
Linhsy - without a receipt or some way of showing the value, they may give you just their market value of the accessories (which could be the latest ebay pricing). If you have anything which proves you bought them new, they must replace them with new accessories.
Good luck!! Hope you are feeling better!
Linhsy - without a receipt or some way of showing the value, they may give you just their market value of the accessories (which could be the latest ebay pricing). If you have anything which proves you bought them new, they must replace them with new accessories.
Good luck!! Hope you are feeling better!
silver4x419 said:
Sorry to here about your injury. Like many people I carry a rider policy that covers into the $$ millions of dollars to cover my liability even when driving. Based on your injuries you (with a decent Attorney) should/could recover in the $millions of dollars, of course the insurance company is not going to disclose the drivers coverage and claim they only have the minimum and few personal assets. What you have to do is get a Lawyer that will take it all the way to court. JMHO
Re: Accessories
Actually, he took photos which show some of these accesories on it. He should send these photos to Travellers, which proves the existance of the accesories, and then also send them ads or catalog pages that show the value for purchasing news ones to replace the damaged ones. I wouldn't expect he'd have too much of a difficult time.
Linhsy - They may (should?) have to replace the door skeleton too, as well as the skin. I'd inquire about the possibilty of purchasing a completed door (frame and skin already together) from the factory instead, rather than relying on the body shop to weld the skin on correctly (and straight).
Actually, he took photos which show some of these accesories on it. He should send these photos to Travellers, which proves the existance of the accesories, and then also send them ads or catalog pages that show the value for purchasing news ones to replace the damaged ones. I wouldn't expect he'd have too much of a difficult time.
Linhsy - They may (should?) have to replace the door skeleton too, as well as the skin. I'd inquire about the possibilty of purchasing a completed door (frame and skin already together) from the factory instead, rather than relying on the body shop to weld the skin on correctly (and straight).
boston_kevin said:
silver4x419
New member
Pitbull said:
They wanted to settle and said the guy had minimum coverage. I opted out on it and I am taking it to trial. Has been interesting. :awais:
silver4x419 said:
What a nightmare, it took 5 years to settle out of court the one I was in and I had no long term problems. The Attorney was my older cousin he took me for 50% and all he did was write a couple of letters, did not even go to court. I did learn a lot. Good luck.
toybox said:
I thought it was pretty bad. I had just gotten out of the USMC, it was 1971 and this was my first nice car. A 1967 Camero RS convertable (it was totaled). The guy hit me head on, he was on drugs. The Cops found them all over his car interior. The only thing that saved my wife and I from being killed was the fact that he was driving a VW. They dug this guy out of the back seat. The VW absorbed most of the impact. Pretty much an open and shut case for a good insurance settlement. My Mom was worried so she called my cousin and he showed up at the hosiptal and had me sign some papers (while I was still under meds) and told me that he would take care of everything. I kept on him for a couple of years and all he did was make a couple of phone calls and wrote 2 letters, that I supplied all of the back-up information for. Finally after 5 years I got a check. Live and learn
