Rear ended 70 miles an hour on highway

[Bob43]

Hey everyone I was wondering if you could help me out ?
On Monday at approximately 7am on the highway I was traveling in the high speed lane and the traffic started to slow down (heavy volume) a guy in a Ford 150 was coming up fast and I knew he wasn't going to stop so I cut the wheel and bam impact sent me all the way across the highway (four lanes) almost into the break down lane I got jolted but otherwise okay but my Runner did not fair so well I have attached pictures my question is do you think the frame is bent ?
The hitch is under the truck somewhere the back window blew out and the bezel around the controls for the heat popped off I was hit hard ,
The insurance company wants to fix it (about 9K) but I do not want the truck back it is a 2011 limited with 23,000 miles on it , this will be on the Carfax report as a major accident and I will loose money if I was to trade it in which I don't think is fair ....could you please offer up any suggestions please I love this truck but afraid the structural integrity is now comprimised !!

Thank you !!!

 

[aha2988]

Impossible to tell by the picture you've posted. If you could get any pic's looking up toward where the spare tire is then I could possibly tell if the frame is bent.


Its not a terrible thing to see an accident on a car fax. As long as the repair work is done properly the car is just as good as any other vehicle. If the frame is bent then the insurance company would certainly total out the vehicle most cases anyway. I just purchased an Acura TSX that had like 3 front end collisions reported as minor accidents. I couldn't tell what had been replaced, repainted, or damaged. Even took the front clip off to investigate couldn't tell a darn thing other an the front grill had a bolt hole cracked not securing properly. The car runs and drives great.. Its more a stigma thing "oh god this cars been wrecked I can't own a wrecked vehicle"..... a 4runner's a 4runner..

 

[Marcocopuffs]

Hey everyone I was wondering if you could help me out ?
On Monday at approximately 7am on the highway I was traveling in the high speed lane and the traffic started to slow down (heavy volume) a guy in a Ford 150 was coming up fast and I knew he wasn't going to stop so I cut the wheel and bam impact sent me all the way across the highway (four lanes) almost into the break down lane I got jolted but otherwise okay but my Runner did not fair so well I have attached pictures my question is do you think the frame is bent ?
The hitch is under the truck somewhere the back window blew out and the bezel around the controls for the heat popped off I was hit hard ,
The insurance company wants to fix it (about 9K) but I do not want the truck back it is a 2011 limited with 23,000 miles on it , this will be on the Carfax report as a major accident and I will loose money if I was to trade it in which I don't think is fair ....could you please offer up any suggestions please I love this truck but afraid the structural integrity is now comprimised !!

Thank you !!!View attachment 139631

Dang that's pretty crazy. Good to know you're okay and the 4runner did it's job keeping you safe. Once they remove panels I bet there will be some frame damage...

 

[Jeremy556]

Looks pretty fixable. You don't really have much of a say as to whether it is totaled or not. What you can do is pursue a diminished value claim against their liability insurance.

 

[JEMP1003]

I was rear ended about two months ago, (I was stopped and the person that hit me didn't even apply the brakes ~30mph). At first the insurance said it was fixable, but after they actually removed all the body panels, they noticed the frame was in fact bent (repair bill went from 7K to 22K), so they totaled it.

Hope it all goes well.

 

[TOY2G]

judging by that picture alone I would have to guess the frame is bent to some degree. the hitch bent up and in several inches. I cannot imagine the hitch could twist that bad and not damage the frame.

the frame can usually be fixed, however if you are worried about resell value, you can file a claim (or add it to this one) for diminished value.

also, be mindful that some injuries take hours to days to show up, if you experience any discomfort at all, even if its just stiffness, best to get check out.

glad you are okay, I bet the Ford looks worse.

 

[intense1776]

Hey everyone I was wondering if you could help me out ?
On Monday at approximately 7am on the highway I was traveling in the high speed lane and the traffic started to slow down (heavy volume) a guy in a Ford 150 was coming up fast and I knew he wasn't going to stop so I cut the wheel and bam impact sent me all the way across the highway (four lanes) almost into the break down lane I got jolted but otherwise okay but my Runner did not fair so well I have attached pictures my question is do you think the frame is bent ?
The hitch is under the truck somewhere the back window blew out and the bezel around the controls for the heat popped off I was hit hard ,
The insurance company wants to fix it (about 9K) but I do not want the truck back it is a 2011 limited with 23,000 miles on it , this will be on the Carfax report as a major accident and I will loose money if I was to trade it in which I don't think is fair ....could you please offer up any suggestions please I love this truck but afraid the structural integrity is now comprimised !!

Thank you !!!View attachment 139631

Insurance companies always want to fix it. My advice is to find an "old school" body shop in your area that has a good reputation and reviews online. Not a megashop or one with fancy lights and signs. Get an older body worker who's been in the business a while, and ask his opinion. Let them be the ones to fight for totaling it. They are usually more conservative and not as interested in keeping XYZ insurance company's business.

I have seen B pillars pushed in over 8 inches and the insurance companies thought it could be pulled. They send any 20 year old girl with a nice rack who knows nothing about cars or bodywork to do appraisals. Don't count on the adjusters opinions until the shop confirms it. Once they get inside for the teardown, they'll know how badly the frame is bent, and if it can be repaired. You won't win a fight with them to total the vehicle out. I went ALL the way to the top with GEICO (a holes.) over $300 on a factory vs. remanufactured AC condensor on my less than 1 month old '14 LE. They wouldn't budge, even when I cancelled my policy with them.

I am a firefighter and vehicle extrication technician in NJ and I know from experience, that the only "instant" totaling factors would be smoke/fire damage (carcinogens), and flooding (usually..). Frame damage isn't always on that list, because it can be heated and worked out.

Good luck!

Some lady ran a left turn in front of me 4 weeks after I took delivery.. So I feel your pain!

 

[2014 Warthog]

If I'm not mistaken, that black bar inside the bumper cover there IS the back end of the frame and it is twisted at a pretty extreme angle.

The amount of cosmetic damage seems rather light for the accident and fixable. But that back bar that the hitch is attached to is the back of the frame and would likely have to be cut off and a new one rewelded back on. Not sure you could or should bend it back from that angle...

P.S. The same exact thing happened to me in my taco about 20 years ago. I virtually never drive in the fast lane any more, it's where all the crazies drive. Far more slammed on brakes in that lane than any other.

 

[<<<<]

It's not terrible. I'd let them fix it.

 

[NoDak]

there is no way that rear end could look like that from a 70 mph hit.

now if you were both moving in the same direction and only maybe 25-35 delta of speed, then yes that damage looks about right.

 

[Donkey]

Glad you are ok! Many don't walk away after being rear-ended by a pickup truck traveling 70 MPH. I would just be happy to be alive and walking.

Body on frame vehicles are like giant erector sets - you can remove/replace what is broken and bolt on new parts and it is good as new. The labor cost will likely increase as more time is required to address any frame issues, you are looking at many hours on the body already. This could reach 80% of value, if that is the standard used by the insurance company for a total loss.

If you feel this accident and the resulting situation is unfair, contact an attorney to pursue damages against the driver who caused the accident. If you have not done so already please contact your primary care physician and show them pictures of the accident and relay the speeds and any rotation (you said the wheels were turned before impact) involved. It is far better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Jayhawk5G]

In my experience, the initial estimate really doesn't mean anything. The bodyshop can't see under the damaged panels, and until everything is pulled and a full accounting is done of what has been damaged and needs to be repaired/replaced they can't give any sort of firm total. I would imagine the initial estimate will jump up by several thousand dollars once panels are pulled.

If they do fix it, I would pursue diminished value against the liability carrier.

 

[444]

judging by that picture alone I would have to guess the frame is bent to some degree. the hitch bent up and in several inches. I cannot imagine the hitch could twist that bad and not damage the frame.

the frame can usually be fixed, however if you are worried about resell value, you can file a claim (or add it to this one) for diminished value.

also, be mindful that some injuries take hours to days to show up, if you experience any discomfort at all, even if its just stiffness, best to get check out.

glad you are okay, I bet the Ford looks worse.

My bet is that the frame is damaged. That's the design of these vehicles is to take the abuse/force and absorb it and buckle so that you the passenger doesn't take the brunt of it. That being said, I am certain that you have suffered some injury to your spine- I am an chiropractor & expert in biomechanics and treat people for significant injuries from accidents at less than 10 mph. Do yourself a huge favor and at least get an examination from a qualified person (MD's don't count). That way your butt is covered and the insurance company won't be able to deny your claim.

PM me if you would like to discuss further.

I wonder, was the guy in the F150 texting?

 

[TOY2G]

there is no way that rear end could look like that from a 70 mph hit.

now if you were both moving in the same direction and only maybe 25-35 delta of speed, then yes that damage looks about right.

From what i gather, they were on a 70MPH highway. the vehicle behind him could not stop in time (but was trying) and made impact. Like you, I would rate this damage at about 30MPH impact speed.

 

[EasyAndy]

[MENTION=93657]Bob43[/MENTION]

Here is some diminished value information I supplied to jimmiem in his rear ended thread. I would strongly suggest going after a diminished value claim, you will get paid for an accident like this.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiem View Post
Has anyone filed a diminished value claim? This is the first I've heard of it. I just had $14k in repairs to my 2010 SRS Premium with 128k miles. The other driver was completely at fault and her insurance accepted full liability. I've already replaced it with a 2014 Limited and I've been freaking out a little bit over the thought of trying to sell the old one. I didn't do a trade because I needed a vehicle and couldn't wait for the repairs to be completed to get something.

Any tips on the diminished value claim? I'm so glad I've been frequenting this forum or I might not have ever found out such a claim was an option.
[MENTION=82781]jimmiem[/MENTION]

With the extent of damage to the OP I would certainly agree with Muddy Duck and it sounds like your 4Runner probably suffered the same if not more damage. The issue you run into is that the vehicle had 128K miles on it so waters become a little muddy. The older the vehicle gets/more miles the harder it is to substantiate a large $$ diminished value claim. I warn everyone on this form to not use ICAN as this was the route I went down and the owner J.D. Howard did a terrible job pre/post assessing the value of my 4runner. His valuation did not even come close to a post repair cash offer i received from Carfax and I basically had to throw away his report. His appraisal was $30,860.00 and Carfax was $36,000.00. If I would have continued to try to use his report the insurance company would just laugh in my face, and they did when they first saw it. ICAN was trying to say that my diminished value was $3400-$3900. I proceeded to make a "diminished value" claim of my own with excellent to good prices on Edmonds, blue book and NADA. The other persons insurance eventually settled with the average of the three, $1,495.33. If I could do it again I would have certainly hired a lawyer as they might have gotten close to the $4000.00 DV mark. The lawyer I talked to did not want to take the case as I had already turned in the ICAN report. He did not think he could use it and that it would only hurt his case in trying to settle with the insurance company. One thing to note is that the lawyer route will cost you much more as they take, from what I remember, about 40% of the $ the get in the settlement. In the Denver area, all the personal injury/property lawyers do diminished value claims so I would start there. They more than likely have the most experience with it as it is not a common thing many people try to pursue. Best of luck to the OP and everyone else trying to go down this road. Insurance companies are the worst.

Here is a picture of the damage I received to my 4runner, it had about 3500 miles on it at the time. Repair cost was $4027.00

Quote:
Originally Posted by JEMP1003 View Post
Thanks for the input guys really appreciate it. The insurance appraiser made a quick estimate without removing body panels and the current repair cost is about 6K. He should finish the inspection today so we shall see.

Do you think the diminished value claim is something that can be taken to small court (tx limit is 10K)? So far all the lawyers I've spoken to say they will not take the case because she is uninsured.


Yes definitely, although collecting from her might be another story. If you are going to go down that route you will need someone like ICAN. J.D. Howard is a very nice guy, I just don't trust his numbers. Make sure you are comfortable with them before you use them in any sort of legal sense. J.D. will work with you and will be an expert witness in court for another $200.00. A lawyer might also let you use his DV guy to create the assessment for a fee. Careful trying to find DV people online, this space is very predatory and full of scams. ICAN was the only one I could find that seemed trustworthy. If I could do it again I would have used a lawyer or someone local. Local DV people in my area were more expensive than ICAN which is why I went with ICAN. When I initially decided to go after a DV claim I was skeptical so I didn't want to spend a bunch of money upfront.

 

[Seatown]

Shoot, this has happened to me twice this year!!! Both in different 4Runners. The last one was pretty much your exact accident. Definitely file a diminished value claim!!!

 

[8086bruce]

Glad your ok! I would not want that one back unless I got some diminished value cash. Good luck!

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Rear frame section is bent. That black bar IS the end of the frame and it is bent upwards. The good news is that it shouldn't be too bad to fix (the twisting of the driver's side frame rail is my main concern since the cross member between the two sides can be cut and replaced), the damage doesn't appear to have buckled the frame too much and physical frames tend to be easier to repair than unibodies in general. The next issue is the cumulative cost of sheetmetal (body) damage and trim. Chances are the damage is going to clock in around 10k (not entirely sure how much to fix the frame, but the body damage and pieces alone are probably $7-8k including painting and labor.)

 

[tobyson21]

Ouch

Glad you are ok. FWIW, I was rear ended about 14 years ago. Some things I learned:

If you go to a recommended body shop from your insurance company, they may warranty the work. My car came back to me (~3 months later w/12K in work + 3K in rental car bills+2K in physical therapy) not in great shape. (For reference it was worth about 19K trade in at the time)

I made a punch list of things that were incorrect and needed to be fixed with the car. I sent it to my insurance company, they bought the car back from me for 19500 bucks. I thought it was a great deal. They said it would cost them more to fix the issues I raised than to buy it back from me and sell it at auction.

Honestly, I've never heard of this happening before or again, but it happened to me.

At least check if your insurance company has a similar "guaranteed body shop list" that may help in the long run.

Best of luck, hope that helps,
Todd

 

[Bob43]

there is no way that rear end could look like that from a 70 mph hit.

now if you were both moving in the same direction and only maybe 25-35 delta of speed, then yes that damage looks about right.

Okay let's say this there were no skid marks and I had glass in my hair I was wearing a hat and my sunglasses were in the cargo area he was going at a high rate of speed and my new truck is &@#%~] up I was slowing down because I was coming to stop he was not paying attention or on the phone not sure I wasn't there but the impact was hard no lights grille bumper left on the F150 fluid on the ground and deployed airbags I am not an accident reconstruction expert but I do know he was going faster than 30mph ....better ?