Here goes. Got rear-ended. What next?

insurance is a SCAM. Good luck man. Also go to the dr and make sure you get something for your pain and suffering. 4 months from now you don't want a back issue that will never go away and have nothing to show for it.
 
tedious

I like the info many are providing. If you've never been through this, be prepared for a long drawn out process. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Lots of deep breaths....
 
FZRunner said:
I like the info many are providing. If you've never been through this, be prepared for a long drawn out process. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Lots of deep breaths....
Click to expand...

Correct, don't be a rush. Wait out insurance if they are not giving you want to want. Don;t agree to anything you don't want to. Just say no as many times as it takes. I had to say no four time before insurance gave me fair value for my no fault accident.

After a month of no's insurance starts to say yes to want you want.
 
Phade said:
What you are referencing is a DRP - direct repair program (sometimes also called direct repair partner). In my former career, I was an I-CAR certified estimator for an independent shop that had DRPs with State Farm, USAA, and Progressive. State Farm and USAA were easy to deal with. Progressive was a nickel and dime relationship that got more and more "dime" as time went on. State Farm would allow me to upload images of damage and they approved EVERY SINGLE one of my estimates including supplemental.

Some insurance companies actually have back-channel ownership of independent shops. All-State used to own Sterling but sold it based on increased scrutiny, so it's not as common as it used to be.

My advice is:

1. Go through their insurance - don't bother with letting yours do the work for you. Even when rear-ended and not at fault the insurance company still dings your driving record (for their actuarial and underwriting calcs) for a period of time. One is usually not a factor; having a series of "not at faults" actually can cause insurance rates to go up as it you are deemed to be a poor defensive driver (crazy). Best advice - in all seriousness - spend $25 and buy pizza for the team working your vehicle at the shop. Everyone from the estimator (who can help you overcome BS with the insurance company), to the bodyman will run through walls for you. I promise you. They'll go out of their way to make sure
you get the best treatment. It'll be worth the $25.

Going through their insurance is easy as long as you stay on them. Don't let them take an inch!

2. Demand a rental.

3. Demand OEM replacements for any non-custom items. They likely will try to integrate used/LKQ. If they deny after listing aftermarket (meaning copies) items, remind them that their party was at fault. Squeaky wheel gets the grease and the adjuster working the case likely won't want to deal with the "headache." If you cannot avoid aftermarket because of mileage/age/value, demand CAPA certified.

4. Have your receipts ready to go - they will want them for the custom pieces. Include labor costs. You're better off getting a check from them for the custom parts if they have a 4 mos. wait.

5. If any paint work is necessary, demand adjacent panels be blended. This is costly for them to do, because you have to R&I handles, masking, etc. If your panel is not blended, you'll run the potential to see a difference in color match no matter how precise because of the fading that can happen. We had an issue with one car because he parked the same direction in the same spot and one side was more faded than the other - we had to bring in a machine to formulate the tint mixture on each side and then combine both for the middle to make it look ok.

6. Be sure you are not hurt. People get sore days after. Seen it too much dealing with collision repairs.
Click to expand...
My advice, instead of spending $25 on pizza (which is a one time thing and the guy that didn't get any is pissed) is to spend the same amount on cases of soda and just drop them off. Why is that better? It sticks around more than one lunch and will raise the question "hey, where did these sodas come from?" - "the guy with the 4R brought them in for us". Find the store that has them on sale and it looks like a whole bunch. The usual sale of 4 for $10 is a dozen cases if you look around, so $30 gets you a dozen cases.

Getting checked by your doc is good advice as well.

After I got rear-ended going into work, I drove there, got a staff car and drove to one of my sites 70 miles away, spent most of the day there, drove back and thought I was fine. Back at the office, I ran into a Public Health Service nurse that worked there that said "sit down and let me take your vitals, you look like hell". After she took my vitals she said "I'm driving you to the ER." I was still feeling fine, but the ER doc disagreed and diagnosed whiplash and a concussion. I felt fine for a couple more days and then it felt like I got hit by a Mack truck.
 
I'm lucky enough to be married to a physician who thought I was good. She checked over me and pointed out lots of other stuff not related to getting rear-ended, but I digress. I watched the dash cam and really think it was incredibly low speed despite the turmoil it has caused.

So far, so good with insurance and stuff. We'll see.
 
In all of it's glory....
 

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When I was rear ended the other dudes insurance company paid me out all aftermarket parts. I just sent them receipts and they sent me a check. I had a C4 Ladder that was destroyed, a tire carrier, and they replaced the wheel and tire as well.
 
Phade said:
What you are referencing is a DRP - direct repair program (sometimes also called direct repair partner). In my former career, I was an I-CAR certified estimator for an independent shop that had DRPs with State Farm, USAA, and Progressive. State Farm and USAA were easy to deal with. Progressive was a nickel and dime relationship that got more and more "dime" as time went on. State Farm would allow me to upload images of damage and they approved EVERY SINGLE one of my estimates including supplemental.

Some insurance companies actually have back-channel ownership of independent shops. All-State used to own Sterling but sold it based on increased scrutiny, so it's not as common as it used to be.

My advice is:

1. Go through their insurance - don't bother with letting yours do the work for you. Even when rear-ended and not at fault the insurance company still dings your driving record (for their actuarial and underwriting calcs) for a period of time. One is usually not a factor; having a series of "not at faults" actually can cause insurance rates to go up as it you are deemed to be a poor defensive driver (crazy). Best advice - in all seriousness - spend $25 and buy pizza for the team working your vehicle at the shop. Everyone from the estimator (who can help you overcome BS with the insurance company), to the bodyman will run through walls for you. I promise you. They'll go out of their way to make sure
you get the best treatment. It'll be worth the $25.

Going through their insurance is easy as long as you stay on them. Don't let them take an inch!

2. Demand a rental.

3. Demand OEM replacements for any non-custom items. They likely will try to integrate used/LKQ. If they deny after listing aftermarket (meaning copies) items, remind them that their party was at fault. Squeaky wheel gets the grease and the adjuster working the case likely won't want to deal with the "headache." If you cannot avoid aftermarket because of mileage/age/value, demand CAPA certified.

4. Have your receipts ready to go - they will want them for the custom pieces. Include labor costs. You're better off getting a check from them for the custom parts if they have a 4 mos. wait.

5. If any paint work is necessary, demand adjacent panels be blended. This is costly for them to do, because you have to R&I handles, masking, etc. If your panel is not blended, you'll run the potential to see a difference in color match no matter how precise because of the fading that can happen. We had an issue with one car because he parked the same direction in the same spot and one side was more faded than the other - we had to bring in a machine to formulate the tint mixture on each side and then combine both for the middle to make it look ok.

6. Be sure you are not hurt. People get sore days after. Seen it too much dealing with collision repairs.
Click to expand...


Just curious on why you say not to work through your insurance?

I've always worked through my insurance. Unfortunately its happened couple times to myself and my wife.

I have State Farm and its been nothing but cake working through them. I gave um the other guys information and that was it. Took it to the body shop and that was the end of it.

No raise in rates nothing. I understand may not be the cheapest but from every incident I've had its well worth the money.
 
Dillusion said:
Just curious on why you say not to work through your insurance?

I've always worked through my insurance. Unfortunately its happened couple times to myself and my wife.

I have State Farm and its been nothing but cake working through them. I gave um the other guys information and that was it. Took it to the body shop and that was the end of it.

No raise in rates nothing. I understand may not be the cheapest but from every incident I've had its well worth the money.
Click to expand...

Just like a FICO score, you have a similar scoring/rating for insurance purposes (in layman's terms). Making multiple claims within your insurance carrier to go after another party can result in your score/rating be more at risk because you can be considered a poor defensive driver (meaning avoiding accidents, questionable scenarios, and reducing risk). Whether it raises your specific rates depends on multiple factors, but if your rates haven't gone up with multiple claims against other policyholders, then you're likely paying a premium above and beyond what is necessary to make the policy in force at the same protection levels with another carrier.

I worked in that specific part of the industry for 10 years.
 
Not sure why your own personal insurance would even be involved unless the other person’s coverage is dicking you around.

I know every state is different, but around here there is no reason to file a claim or even notify your own insurance for a rear ender that is obvious who is at fault(unless there are injuries)

Even if you call your insurance to talk to them about it that alone could be similar to a claim and will come back to bite you down the road.

Get estimates for damages and have them cut you a check. Go buy what you want or pay a shop to fix it.
 
Dillusion said:
Just curious on why you say not to work through your insurance?

I've always worked through my insurance. Unfortunately its happened couple times to myself and my wife.

I have State Farm and its been nothing but cake working through them. I gave um the other guys information and that was it. Took it to the body shop and that was the end of it.

No raise in rates nothing. I understand may not be the cheapest but from every incident I've had its well worth the money.
Click to expand...

Phade said:
Just like a FICO score, you have a similar scoring/rating for insurance purposes (in layman's terms). Making multiple claims within your insurance carrier to go after another party can result in your score/rating be more at risk because you can be considered a poor defensive driver (meaning avoiding accidents, questionable scenarios, and reducing risk). Whether it raises your specific rates depends on multiple factors, but if your rates haven't gone up with multiple claims against other policyholders, then you're likely paying a premium above and beyond what is necessary to make the policy in force at the same protection levels with another carrier.

I worked in that specific part of the industry for 10 years.
Click to expand...

Mclark202 said:
Not sure why your own personal insurance would even be involved unless the other person’s coverage is dicking you around.

I know every state is different, but around here there is no reason to file a claim or even notify your own insurance for a rear ender that is obvious who is at fault(unless there are injuries)

Even if you call your insurance to talk to them about it that alone could be similar to a claim and will come back to bite you down the road.

Get estimates for damages and have them cut you a check. Go buy what you want or pay a shop to fix it.
Click to expand...

A couple of points:

Regardless of who you go through, your insurance company will find out anyway.

If you use your insurance company then you'll have to pay your deductible and rental fees. You'll get those back once your insurance company has recovered costs from the other company.

Your insurance company will be a bit more of an advocate for you, while the other company will try to do everything to keep costs low. Your company still isn't your friend though.
 
Phade said:
Just like a FICO score, you have a similar scoring/rating for insurance purposes (in layman's terms). Making multiple claims within your insurance carrier to go after another party can result in your score/rating be more at risk because you can be considered a poor defensive driver (meaning avoiding accidents, questionable scenarios, and reducing risk). Whether it raises your specific rates depends on multiple factors, but if your rates haven't gone up with multiple claims against other policyholders, then you're likely paying a premium above and beyond what is necessary to make the policy in force at the same protection levels with another carrier.

I worked in that specific part of the industry for 10 years.
Click to expand...

Well its not hurting my wallet and I'm glad I make my insurance guy work instead of me doing all the coordination I'm fine with it.

I know someone that had Geico and got rear ended. I think it took him a year to get it resolved. No thanks.
 
cb1111 said:
A couple of points:

Regardless of who you go through, your insurance company will find out anyway.

If you use your insurance company then you'll have to pay your deductible and rental fees. You'll get those back once your insurance company has recovered costs from the other company.

Your insurance company will be a bit more of an advocate for you, while the other company will try to do everything to keep costs low. Your company still isn't your friend though.
Click to expand...

Not true. I paid $0 out of my pocket for rental. I have your usual $500 deductible.
 
cb1111 said:
Then you either had rental coverage on your insurance or the other insurance agreed to cover it.
Click to expand...

I for sure do not have rental on my side.

But I just find it funny some would not make their insurance agent do their job and take care of all the hassle.
 
unsub1 said:
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.
Click to expand...

I hope everything works out for ya!

Sucks that this has to be my first post, but I was rear ended recently as well (9/21). Only difference is, the driver fled on foot, leaving his car. Got his plates but no insurance info. Why can't we have nice things in this world? :redbrick:
 
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