Thank you Toyota and RIP 4Runner

[c10bonanza]

You don't need a lawyer. Do it yourself.

I was rear ended a few months back, my brand new car was totalled.

I submitted my own claim, typed up my own demand letter, and got 15K from the other driver's insurance company. They paid off my car too obviously.

Point is, don't get a lawyer. They keep like 30%.

Glad you're ok.

As an attorney that defends against these types of claims, it is highly likely you left quite a bit of money on the table from both the other driver’s insurance AND your own insurance even accounting for a contingency fee.

OP - glad you’re okay. Find a competent local attorney in your area and let him handle your claim.

 

[zonzin]

Lawyer up now. And don't ever sign anything from the other guys insurance co./lawyer without talking to your attorney first. Also, you may have walked away but your body may not feel anything off for a few days maybe even weeks. Don't sign anything!



.

 

[2000se]

yes.. lawyer up.. Also, plan on taking 2 years to finalize the settlement. (Just helping you mentally prepare)

Just went through this (actually still am)..been 2 years. Guy totaled my runner, just paid off..Others guys insurance tried to give me under fair value for it so I had to prove it was worth more by show equal comps....what crap... anyway, now we are suing for medical and pain/suffering. That's what's been taking so long.. 2 years now and counting. Supposed to be over this coming Sept. but we'll see. Not holding breath.


Glad you are ok. This is a very frightening and dangerous accident.

 

[Akkording]

Glad you are well, that's the most mangled T4R I've seen posted here.

 

[iliketrds]

Agreed..

Agree with others, get a lawyer. The insurance companies have teams of them with the sole purpose of giving you as little money as possible.

Also get checked by a Dr., if something medical comes up later they won’t take it seriously unless you were seen by a physician soon after the accident.

Also, glad you’re ok!

 

[zonzin]

...
Also get checked by a Dr., if something medical comes up later they won’t take it seriously unless you were seen by a physician soon after the accident.

Also, glad you’re ok!

OP, this. ^^^

 

[trd19orp]

Glad no one was hurt worse - that looks like it was a gnarly hit!

 

[WhiteRunner10]

Was hit by a guy blowing through a red light at 45-50mph. Every airbag deployed and frame snapped in half but the truck did its job and I walked away unscathed. Time to start looking for a tundra.....I will post images once I can figure out how to do so

OP, I see folks talking about Prince George and Montgomery county. You local to DC? Your seats survive? If they did maybe we can swap out what looks like your leather ones for my cloth?

 

[shawn474]

Last night was bad; soreness had turned to pain and with two previous back surgeries (including lumbar fusion) I decided to go to the ER. Xrays were normal but the doctor said it would be 2 weeks at least before i can expect to start feeling better. After that she said if still in pain I should follow up with my spine surgeon just to get checked. We leave for our family vacation tomorrow to the outer banks. Not really looking forward to the ride in the car for that long and probably won’t be able to do much during vacation. I am going to speak to a lawyer on Monday morning just to cover myself. Thanks for all the well wishes and advice

I am not going to see that car again so don’t think parting it out is in the cards.

 

[LandCruiser]

Last night was bad; soreness had turned to pain and with two previous back surgeries (including lumbar fusion) I decided to go to the ER. Xrays were normal but the doctor said it would be 2 weeks at least before i can expect to start feeling better. After that she said if still in pain I should follow up with my spine surgeon just to get checked. We leave for our family vacation tomorrow to the outer banks. Not really looking forward to the ride in the car for that long and probably won’t be able to do much during vacation. I am going to speak to a lawyer on Monday morning just to cover myself. Thanks for all the well wishes and advice

I am not going to see that car again so don’t think parting it out is in the cards.

Save every bill, you don't get to smell your ER doc's farts for less than $4000.

 

[josefmd]

Damn!! Glad your ok.. That is the important thing..

 

[WhiteRunner10]

Last night was bad; soreness had turned to pain and with two previous back surgeries (including lumbar fusion) I decided to go to the ER. Xrays were normal but the doctor said it would be 2 weeks at least before i can expect to start feeling better. After that she said if still in pain I should follow up with my spine surgeon just to get checked. We leave for our family vacation tomorrow to the outer banks. Not really looking forward to the ride in the car for that long and probably won’t be able to do much during vacation. I am going to speak to a lawyer on Monday morning just to cover myself. Thanks for all the well wishes and advice

I am not going to see that car again so don’t think parting it out is in the cards.

Sorry to hear about your back. On the bright side the Tundra is an amazing truck and I miss mine a lot. Enjoy the new wheels.

 

[gjcarving]

Glad to see that you made it out ok! The 4 runner looks pretty worked but it did its job. I hope all goes well and smoothly and works out in your favor!

Curious, how come you are looking into a Tundra and not another 4 runner?

 

[Decipher]

Sell me your headlights? Oh...wait...

I had to make light of this because I’d be hella pissed if I just paid it off and it gets totaled. Being a FF/Paramedic, I’ve seen people critically injured with similar damage. It’s an absolute miracle that ALL parties walked away. Kuddos to Toyota AND Jeep for making a safe vehicle.

I don’t have an issue with lawyering up against the other party’s insurance company to assure you get what’s rightfully yours. Please, please don’t be a common American and go personally after the other driver. I’m positive it was an accident (two small kids in his car). I’m sure (s)he had immense guilt already for putting their kids in danger. A lawsuit that would come after their livelihood could ruin them. It would be years of them worrying about losing their house, losing their job, or even breaking up a marriage. I’ve seen it. Just saying.


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[WRM1]

I don’t have an issue with lawyering up against the other party’s insurance company to assure you get what’s rightfully yours. Please, please don’t be a common American and go personally after the other driver.

If you sue, you have to sue the other driver, not the insurance company. The insurance company provides a defense to the driver, but is generally not a party that can be sued by the victim.

 

[Decipher]

Fair. I should have elaborated that I would sue for what the insurance company will provide and not the personal driver, unless it was an intentional and egregious offense.


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[cb1111]

It may well have been the OPs fault. Driving around with a trash bag on his hood must have impacted his visibility :tongue1:

That said, this post could have been posted in any forum. With few exceptions, modern cars in first world countries are so safe that "normal" accidents will allow a properly restrained occupant to walk away with minimal injuries.

Even the Wrangler, that has one of the worst safety ratings, seems to have protected the occupants although we don't know if they were injured - just because you "walk away" doesn't mean that there is no concussion or whiplash.

While the Jeep occupants wouldn't have whiplash from the initial hit, if the 4R spun around and whacked them, then it may well result in whiplash or other soft tissue injuries.

 

[Decipher]

It may well have been the OPs fault. Driving around with a trash bag on his hood must have impacted his visibility :tongue1:



That said, this post could have been posted in any forum. With few exceptions, modern cars in first world countries are so safe that "normal" accidents will allow a properly restrained occupant to walk away with minimal injuries.



Even the Wrangler, that has one of the worst safety ratings, seems to have protected the occupants although we don't know if they were injured - just because you "walk away" doesn't mean that there is no concussion or whiplash.



While the Jeep occupants wouldn't have whiplash from the initial hit, if the 4R spun around and whacked them, then it may well result in whiplash or other soft tissue injuries.

There’s a lot of truth to the safety of modern cars. When I got hired 17 years ago (FF/Medic), we saw nasty collisions that resulted in critical injuries and death. In the last 10 years, the auto industry has seen massive leaps forward in safety. So much so that the same crashes now have occupants walking away unscathed in most cases, or with minor injuries like abrasions from airbags. Everyone is sore with whiplash or some other minor injury, but the difference is noticeable. The same goes with the need to extricate. Most cars transfer force so well that the doors can still be opened. It’s incredible.


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[cb1111]

There’s a lot of truth to the safety of modern cars. When I got hired 17 years ago (FF/Medic), we saw nasty collisions that resulted in critical injuries and death. In the last 10 years, the auto industry has seen massive leaps forward in safety. So much so that the same crashes now have occupants walking away unscathed in most cases, or with minor injuries like abrasions from airbags. Everyone is sore with whiplash or some other minor injury, but the difference is noticeable. The same goes with the need to extricate. Most cars transfer force so well that the doors can still be opened. It’s incredible.


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Yes, we've seen huge increases in safety in the last 10 years or so, with the corresponding decrease in "bloody" injuries. I specifically avoided saying "significant injuries" because whiplash and concussions can be just as serious (or more so) than a broken bone.

It isn't that cars have gotten safer in the last 10 years - they've gotten safer since the turn of the century - but it takes years to get old cars off the road.

An unintended consequence of the "Cash for Clunkers" was an increase in safety.

The downside is that as cars get better at protecting us, the more damage they assume - so repair costs go up.

 

[Bumbo]

Fair. I should have elaborated that I would sue for what the insurance company will provide and not the personal driver, unless it was an intentional and egregious offense.


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Just thinking out loud here, but isn’t what the insurance company will provide directly tied to how the individual was insured? What if the driver is poorly insured or with very low limits and not able to cover the OP’s claims for property and medical?

Can you even set a limit, or is that even being fair to yourself? I’m not speaking from a place of being vindictive or “get rich” mentality, but from a standpoint of just getting what is fair or due for you and your occupants.

Hypothetically if there was an injured occupant, like a passenger in the OP’s car got hurt, your insurance would essentially be on the hook to pair their medical. I’m sure your insurance company would do everything in their power to recoup costs from the at fault party.